पवनदूतम् /29
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THE KUPPUSWAMI SASTR
[ 21 ] RESEARCH INSTITUTE
MA
asked to go to the Adam's Bridge where at Ramés váram
it will see the image of the god S'iva.
The next place to be visited by the wind is Kanchipura-
(mod. Conjeeveram )-'the ornament of the southern direc-
tion.'-undoutedly for the fact of its having been, at the
time of the poet, the capital of the Chola kings who were in
the ascendancy at the time in the whole of Southern India.
Chola ladies of Kanchi are referred to in verse 14.
From verse 13 it appears that Kanchi was on the banks
of the river Subalā. At the present day we find no trace
of any such river existing in or near modern Conjeeveram
which is on the river Palar. We are not sure if Subalā can be
identified with the Palar on phonetic grounds. Dravidian langu-
ages having no sonant mute the Dravidian pronunciation of the
Sanskrit word bala would naturally be pala. If that be the case
there may be some connection of Palar with Subalā. But in our
opinion Subala may more reasonably be identified with the
Vegavati near the town of modern Conjeeveram 'from the
subterranean springs of which river water is obtained and sup-
plied to the town." Vegavati may quite naturally be supposed
to be a synonym of the word Subala, 'vega' and 'bala'
in the case of a river meaning the same thing viz. its swiftness.
However, these are mere guesses and cannot be accepted
until strong proofs to support them are forthcoming.
Leaving Kanchi the wind is asked to follow the course
of the river Kaveri. It is however difficult to understand
how the wind on its northerly course from Kchi could
follow the Kaveri which is much to the south of the former
town and not to its north. But it seems from his reference
1. Imperial Gazetteer-Vol. X (1908) p. 378
[ 21 ] RESEARCH INSTITUTE
MA
asked to go to the Adam's Bridge where at Ramés váram
it will see the image of the god S'iva.
The next place to be visited by the wind is Kanchipura-
(mod. Conjeeveram )-'the ornament of the southern direc-
tion.'-undoutedly for the fact of its having been, at the
time of the poet, the capital of the Chola kings who were in
the ascendancy at the time in the whole of Southern India.
Chola ladies of Kanchi are referred to in verse 14.
From verse 13 it appears that Kanchi was on the banks
of the river Subalā. At the present day we find no trace
of any such river existing in or near modern Conjeeveram
which is on the river Palar. We are not sure if Subalā can be
identified with the Palar on phonetic grounds. Dravidian langu-
ages having no sonant mute the Dravidian pronunciation of the
Sanskrit word bala would naturally be pala. If that be the case
there may be some connection of Palar with Subalā. But in our
opinion Subala may more reasonably be identified with the
Vegavati near the town of modern Conjeeveram 'from the
subterranean springs of which river water is obtained and sup-
plied to the town." Vegavati may quite naturally be supposed
to be a synonym of the word Subala, 'vega' and 'bala'
in the case of a river meaning the same thing viz. its swiftness.
However, these are mere guesses and cannot be accepted
until strong proofs to support them are forthcoming.
Leaving Kanchi the wind is asked to follow the course
of the river Kaveri. It is however difficult to understand
how the wind on its northerly course from Kchi could
follow the Kaveri which is much to the south of the former
town and not to its north. But it seems from his reference
1. Imperial Gazetteer-Vol. X (1908) p. 378