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TILAKAMANJARI OF DHANAPALA
Janasthana. Some hold this forest to be the same as Maharashtra including Nagapur. The Lalitavistara refers to the Dandakavana in the Dakṣiņāpatha. This forest remained burnt for many years. Even the grass did not grow here. According to Dr. D. K. Gutpa, Dandaka is the forest track from the Vindhya range in the north to the Kṛṣṇā in the south, extending up to Chota Nagpur in East and Vidarbha in the west,2
182
There is reference to description of the 'atavibhü" of Kamarûpa (Pragjyotisa) from where earlier Harivahana and later on Samaraketu had marched on, the former having been carried by the divine tusker and latter carrying himself personally on his legs ultimately to reach Adṛṣṭapära and from there to the place where both met each other to go ahead with the final mission of reunion with their beloveds. This atavi has been called "Käntära" in earlier references which also coincides with the 'durgagiri Käntära" (in 230 above).
The report by Puskara the chief of the elephant corps refers to Vairiyamadanda, the elephant lord entering the huge forest that was difficult to wade through on account of its being mixed up with hard stony rocks. "कठिनकर्करव्यतिकरकष्टसंचारमतिमहत्कान्तारम् प्रविष्टः । 7
The same forest called 'atavi' where Harivahana accompanied by Samaraketu went to look for the tusker has been described as having spots which were even as well as uneven. The route to be traversed therein was screened by the foliage of trees rendered impenetrable by the peaks of the mountains marked by him.
महुश्चिह्नीकृतैरचलसानुभिसान्तरालतरुगहननिहनुतं
" (मार्गभूमेः समविषमस्थानानि यातव्यदेशमुपदर्शयता ।)
118
The atavi or the forest was obviously situated within the jurisdiction of the Kamarupa from where Samaraketu anxious to search out Harivahana
कथयता,
1. HGAI p. 46 B. C. Law. Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar takes Daṇḍakāraṇya to the same as Maharashtra. Early History of the Deccan down to the Mohamedan conquest p. 11.
2. KSN. p. 112. cp. Ragh. V. XIX. 2; XII-9. XII. 42, XIII. 22.
3. दुर्गगिरिकान्तारमध्यवर्ती परिवृतो वनश्चापदशतैरन्यवैदेशिकपथिकसामान्यमवस्थाविशेषम् | TM Vol. III. p. 146.
4. TM Vol. III. pp. 62-66.
5. TM Vol. III. p. 38.
6. TM Vol. III. p.146. LL. 2-3
7. TM III. p. 37. LL 7-8
8. TM Vol. III. p. 38 LL 5-6.
