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RELIGION AND CULTURE OF THE JAINS
Māhebha, Bharukaccha, Surāșțra, Narmada. (6) Vindhyaprsthanivāsanah-Daśārņaka, Kiskandha, Tri
pura, Avarta, Naişadha, Nepāla, Uttamavarņa,
Vaidiśa, Antapa, Kausala, Pattana, Vinihātra. (7) Madhyadeśāśritāḥ-Bhadra, Vatsa, Videha, Kuśa,
Bhanga, Saitava, Vajrakliandika.* The most significant name of the entire list according to our opinion, is Khadga. The Khadgas are known from two inscriptions found from South-East Bengal or ancient Samataţa.28 The first found from Ashrafpur has been assigned to the 7th century A.D 28 although some scholars suggest a much later date.a? According to Bhattasali, the palaeography of these plates is older than the early Pāla inscriptions.28 The Ashrafpur plates contain a date which has been variously read as 73 or 79 and the majority of scholars feel that the date belongs to the Harşa era (606 A.D.).** If this view be accepted,
* This list is almost wholly based on the Puranic lists of janapadas which are full of wrong readings. See also the author's remarks below. The peculiar names in the Harivaṁsa are mosty due to such mistakes; e.g. Tulinga-Bhulinga, Vškārthaka=VỊk-Andhaka, Āvrşta=Āvanta, Kuśāgra =Kunti, Kuniyän=Kulya, Moka= Mūka (Vrka), Kväthatoya=Kālaloya, Vātavāna=Vātadhāna, Daśeruka=Daseraka, Prāsthāla=Prathala, Băpamukta=Vanavāsaka, Angāraka=Angeyaka, Pravaka=Pravanga, Mastaka= Mallaka, Dāņdika=Dandaka, Amsika=Aişika, Purusa=Paurika, Mālya = Puleya, Kallivanopānta=Kolavana, Karbûka=Arbuda, Nāsārika=Nāsikya, Āgarta=Ānarta, Māhebha=Māheya, Āvarta=Ānarta, Uttamavarņa= Uttamarņa, Antapa=Anūpa, Vinihātra=Vitihotra, etc. See Sircar, Stud. Geog. Anc. Med. Ind., 1971, pp. 70ff. and notes.--Ed.).
25 MASB, Vol. I, pp. 85ff.; Ep. Ind., Vol. XVII, pp. 357-59. [It may be a variant of the name given variously in the Purāṇas as Anga, Adhra, Abhra Andhra.--Ed.)
26 See B. C. Sen, Some Historical Aspects of the Inscriptions of Bengal, pp. 277-81.
27 See R. D. Banerji, JASB (NS), Vol. XIX, pp. 375-79; see also Vāngālār Itihas, p. 233. (Banerji is certainly wrong.-Ed.]
28 See Ep. Ind., Vol. XVII, p. 358.
*[Both the Ashrafpur copper-plate grants were issued in the Khadga king's 13th regnal year. There is no possibility of the use of the Harga era in the region in question.-Ed.).
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