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178
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
.
[OCTOBER, 1928
vyavasthiah tesham sa vyavaharô-yam vartanam tu parasparam dharm-Artha-kama-sam. yuktô varnanám tu svakarmasu sam kalpa-pamchamânám tu Asramanam yatha-vidhi iha svarg.apavarg-artham pravrittir.iha mânushê yas.tv-ayain mânavo dvipas-tiryagyamah prakirtitah ya enam jayatê kritanam sa samråd-iti kirtitah ayam lokas-tu vai samråd-antarikshajitâm smritah svarad-asau smpito lokaḥ punar-vakshyami vistarât.
If we compare both these passages, we find that they are practically identical. That of the Matsya-Purana, corrected in the light of the passage from the Vayu may be translated as follows: "I will now describe the peoples of this continent (named) Bharata. Manu is called Bharata, because of his sustenance (bharana) of the peoples. According to the rules of Nirukta that continent is therefore) known as Bharata, for which (alone) heaven, emanci. pation or the Middle Path has been enjoined by the scriptures). Nowhere else on this earth has Action (karma) been laid down for mankind. Know (now) the nine divisions of this Bharata continent, namely, Indradvîpa, Kasêru, Tamraparņi, Gabhastimat, Nagadvipa, Saumya, Gandharva, Vâruna and this ninth peninsula (dvípa) surrounded by the ocean. This dvípa is one thousand yojanas long from north to south from Kumari (Cape Comorin) to the source of the Ganges and is extended nine thousand in the north in an oblique-direction. This dvipa is on all sides on its outskirts occupied by the Mlêchchhas. On the eastern extremity are the Kiratas and on the western the Yavanas. In between are settled down the Brahmaņas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Südras carrying on sacrifices, fighting, commerce and so forth according to (their) part. Those classes (varnas), following their respective duties, carry on mutual intercourse in consonance with dharma, artha, and kama. The (four) Aśramas with Samkalpa (vow for rituals) as the fifth display activity here among men as prescribed, for (the attainment) of heaven or emancipation. This ninth dvipa is called tiryag-ayata (oblique-long). He who conquers it whole is designated Samrat. This world is known as Samrat, the ether world Virat, the world other than these) Svarat."
It will be seen from the above translation that India forms but a part of Bharata-varsha, being its ninth and last division. The former is called tiryag-dyata because, as explained in the Puranas, it is (one thousand yojanas) ayata (long) from north to south, from the source of the Ganges right down to Cape Comorin, and is (nine thousand yojanas) tiryak (obliquely) in the north. And we are further told that he who conquers this whole region, that is, the whole of India, is called Samrat. There can be no doubt that Kautalya's Chakravartin is identical with the Samrat of the Puranas and that his details about the extent of the Chakra. vartin's domain are taken from that source. And we are now in a position to answer the question : which of the readings of the above passage is correct? If we first consider the passage in Dr. Shama Sastri's edition, we find that the words udichina and atiryak have no meaning there. Besides, even though these words were deleted, the passage would be describing but half of India. It is only the passage from Samkararya's commentary that brings out the essential and nearly full tenor of what the Puranas tell us about the boundaries and dimensions of India.
We have seen that the passage in the Vayu-Purana is practically the same as that occur. ring in the Matsya. Some verses again from that passage are traceable also in the VishnuPurana (II. 3). It thus seems that this description of India was contained in the original Purana after which model the Vayu, Matsya and Vishnu, the earliest Puranas now surviving, were cast. A date for the passage is furnished by the remarks that the Mlêchchhas were not then settled in any part of India but on its outskirts and that on its western extremity were lying the Yavanas. These conditions are fulfilled only about the advent of the Maurya power. The passage thus seems to be contemporaneous with Kautalya. The idea of a Samrat or Chakravartin conquering the whole of India appears however to have arisen at an earlier period. The universal ruler has been designated by the Aitariya-Brdhmana (VIII. 15) Samanta parydyt, as being possessed of the whole earth (sdrvabhauma) and as the sole ruler (eka-rat) of the earth bordered by the ocean.
