पवनदूतम् /28
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[20]
the wind that is bent for the northeast, from Kāñchi in the east
to the land of the Keralas in the west and avails himself of
this occasion to describe the Malyavat hill and Pañchapsara
lake none of which can, in any way, be supposed to have
lain on the direct route from the south to Bengal.
The description proper begins from Kanakanagarī-the city
of the Gandharvas-undoubtedly an imaginary one
on the
Malaya hills i.e. roughly the southern part of the Western
Ghats. Leaving the Malaya hills the wind is asked to pass
through the Pandya country which is represented as having been
at a distance of four miles only from the Malaya range. This
distance seems to be a rough one which only indicates that
Malaya was on the borderland of the Pandya territorry and not
included within it. The capital of the Pandya land is
stated to have been Uragapura on the Tamraparṇī which is
also mentioned by Kālidāsa as such. The name Uragapura
seems, on phonetic grounds, to be identical with Urayur which,
however, is neither on the Tamraparṇi (as Uragapura is
stated to be) nor is known to have been a Pandya capital from
any other source. It is however well-known as having for a
long time been the capital of the Cholas. Of the two
important Pandya capitals known to history-Madura and
Korkai-the latter was at the mouth of the Tāmraparṇī. And
we are not sure if Uragapura has been confounded with this
Korkai, or Urayur was actually a Pandya capital at some time of
which we have got no authentic history. It is also not known if
Uragapura has any connection with Argeirou, a town mentioned
by Ptolemy to have been included within the land of Pandion
or the Pandya country." Leaving Uragapura the wind is
1. Raghuvams'a VI. 59, 60.
2. Mc. Crindle. Auclent India as described by Ptolemy-p. 59.
the wind that is bent for the northeast, from Kāñchi in the east
to the land of the Keralas in the west and avails himself of
this occasion to describe the Malyavat hill and Pañchapsara
lake none of which can, in any way, be supposed to have
lain on the direct route from the south to Bengal.
The description proper begins from Kanakanagarī-the city
of the Gandharvas-undoubtedly an imaginary one
on the
Malaya hills i.e. roughly the southern part of the Western
Ghats. Leaving the Malaya hills the wind is asked to pass
through the Pandya country which is represented as having been
at a distance of four miles only from the Malaya range. This
distance seems to be a rough one which only indicates that
Malaya was on the borderland of the Pandya territorry and not
included within it. The capital of the Pandya land is
stated to have been Uragapura on the Tamraparṇī which is
also mentioned by Kālidāsa as such. The name Uragapura
seems, on phonetic grounds, to be identical with Urayur which,
however, is neither on the Tamraparṇi (as Uragapura is
stated to be) nor is known to have been a Pandya capital from
any other source. It is however well-known as having for a
long time been the capital of the Cholas. Of the two
important Pandya capitals known to history-Madura and
Korkai-the latter was at the mouth of the Tāmraparṇī. And
we are not sure if Uragapura has been confounded with this
Korkai, or Urayur was actually a Pandya capital at some time of
which we have got no authentic history. It is also not known if
Uragapura has any connection with Argeirou, a town mentioned
by Ptolemy to have been included within the land of Pandion
or the Pandya country." Leaving Uragapura the wind is
1. Raghuvams'a VI. 59, 60.
2. Mc. Crindle. Auclent India as described by Ptolemy-p. 59.