Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 250

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
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NOVEMBER, 1930
agrees with the tradition which regarded the nine dvipas as so many divisions of India pro per. Neither was Alberuni unfamiliar with this. Thus he also representa Indradvipa (Sachau's en.. vol. I. p. 296) as identical with Mid-India, places Kaserumat to the east of the Madhyadleśa and Gabhastiman to the south of it, and in this way endeavours to locate the several dripar. But whether or not Abul Fazl and Alberunî agree in their conception of the identification of the depas is, however, a different question. As a matter of fact, they do not wholly agree 4: for the two scholars were separated by a wide interval of time, during which the notions of the dripas might have undergone change. So what we are to note carefully is that, in spite of their conflicting statements, neither of them proposes to identify any of the dvipras with the islands of the Far East, and both agree in regarding the dopos as so many divisions of India proper in accordance with the tradition recorded in the Skanda Purana.
Nothing can be decided with assurance in the present state of our knowledge. We can only state the two possible views. But it may be said, as against the tradition of the Skanda Purana, that we have got a clear hint of a greater India connection in the dvipas, from the testimony of the Garuda and Vamana. As the Skanda is a comparatively modern Purana,
conjecture may be hazarded that originally the nine dvipas included, not only India proper, but also the islands of the Far East and other western islands. In a subsequent age perhaps there arose an independent tradition, which sought to increase the number of the stereotyped schemes for the division of India proper into nine parts 43 by evolving another distribution of the continent into nine so-called dvipas. Such a thing was quite possible, if not probable. The Skanda Purana, being comparatively moriern, embodies this tradition. That such was the common and prevalent idea with regard to the dyipas in medieval times is evident from the testimony of Alberoni and Abul Fazl.
BOOK-NOTICES. BUDDHIST SCULPTURES FROM A STUPA NEAR GOLI suggested by the globular' stúpa, from the ruins
VILLAGE, GUNTUR DISTRICT, by T. N. RAMA. of which the sculptures described in this Bulletin CHANDRAN, M.A. 11" X 8': pp. 14; with index have been recovered. As noted by Mr. Rama. and 1 plates. Bulletin of the Madras Govern- chandran, Sowell refers to the stúpa site, in vol. I ment Museum. Madras Govt. Press, 1929.
(not vol. 2) of his Lists of the Antiquarian Remains Of all districts in southern India, Guntur may
in the Presidency of Madras (1882), under Mallawell claim pre-eminence in respect of the many sitos varam, which is the name of another village in the within its limits where important Buddhist remains vicinity. In recording the find of two sculptured have been found, Amaravati and Bhattiprolu have slabs similar to those at Amaravati, Sewell added a long been famous, and within the last few years warning that the place should be watched, tho Mr. Longhurst has shown us that Nagarjunakonda remains might prove of great importance. Appa. bida fair to prove of even greater archaeological rently no heed was paid to this advice, as those two interest. Not many miles from the latter site, slabs have since been appropriated by the villagers. lower down the Kistna valley, lies the village of The possibilities of the site seem to have attracted Coli, a name which the late Mr. Robert Sewell the attention of that accomplished scholar, Dr. C. thought to be probably derived from the three Jouveau Dubreuil, who in 1926 had excavations dolmens, or "graves (goli) of the Rakşagas "found carried out, and thefurther sculptures recovered were, near by, but which may possibly have been with his assistance, secured for tho Madras Museum,
49 Thus Alberuni identifies Indradvips with Mid-India, and Abul Fazl places it between Lanka and Mahendra. But in some cases they also roughly agree. Thua Alberuns places Kaserumat to the east of Madhyadesa and Abul Fazl places it betwoen Mahendra and Sukti. With regard to Gabhastiman also they agree to great extent.
13 The scheme of dividing India into nine parts has been presented in different forms, some of which have been illustrated by lists of countries and peoples in each division. These nine divisions variously represent
(1) The nine lunar stations (Brhat Sanhita, Ind. Ant., vol. XXII, p. 169). (2) The eight petals and the central part of the lotus flower (Vişnu Purana ; ed. by Wilson, vol. II, p. 9) (3) The nine different parts of the tortoise's body (Märkandeya Purana; ch. 58). (4) The nine dopas (various Purdnas).