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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www. kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
208
OLD BRĀHMI INSCRIPTIONS
{next to Orissa (North-West), the Mūşika-land must have been contiguJous to it on the West."
Secondly, as to the Krenavenā, he has written : “ The Puranas place this river near the Godavari and treat it as distinct from the Southern Krshna. The Krshna-venā is mentioned in some authorities as if it were two rivers Krslinā and Vena.? Mārkandeya derives it from the Vindhya range.3 It is evident from these details that the river is identical with the modern · Wain River' or Wain-ganga' which has for its main tributary the Kanhan. The Kanban and the Wain unite in the district of Bhandara and the united stream comes down to meet the Wardha in the district of Chanda.. ...... The capital of the Muşikas, which the Hathi-Gumpbā inscription contemplates to be on the Kanhabenā, was situated somewhere within the districts of Bhandara and Chanda in the Central Provinces." 4
It cannot be denied that the Mūşikas were a people of the south. We are aware that the political division of Musika “ lay to the south of Kerala or Chera, the country south of Kupaka (or Satya), extending down to Kanheri in Central Travancore."5" Mr. Jayaswal is the best person to say if he has not misled his readers by stating that the Mahābhārata mentions the Müsikas" in the company of the Vanavāsis." The Mahābhārata, as will appear from the following quotation, has not only mentioned the Mūşikas in the company of the Vanavāsis, but also in that of the Drāvidas and the Keralas or Cheras :
Atbăpare jānapadā dakşină Bhāratargabhai
Drāvidāḥ Keralāḥ prācyā Mūşikā Vanavasikāḥ | We are ignorant of Mr. Jayaswal's authority for his identification of the Mosalas of the Natya-Sāstra with the Mūşikas. Vātsyāyana's Kāma-Sūtra, so far as we have read it, keeps us entirely in the dark about the location of Strīrājya. Yasodhara in bis commentary on the Kama Sutra, says that the Strīrājya lay to the west of the country called Vajravanta,
1. JBORS, 1917, Vol. III, Part IV, p. 442. 2. Vāyu-Purāņa, LV. 103. 3. Mārkandeya-Purāņa, LXVII. 26-27 :
Godavari-Bhimaratha-Kronavenya-tathapara
Vindhyapādā-viniekrāntā ityetā sariduttamā il 4. JBORS, 1918, Vol. IV, Part IV, pp. 374-375. 5. JRAS, 1923, p. 413.
6, Kāma-Sūtra, VI. 5.27 : "Stri-rājye Kosalāyām ca." Stri-rājya iti-Vajravanta. deáāt pascimena Strī-rājyam.
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