Mirror: http://tinyurl.com/jarqcwd
This is an addendum to: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot .in/2016/08/soma-in-rigveda-al legory-for-metalwork.html Soma in Rigveda, an allegory for metalwork, consistent with the tradition of Indus Script Corpora metalwork catalogues.
Evidences have been presented to demonstrate the continued use of Indus Script hieroglyphs on the punch-marked and cast coins of Ancient India in many mints from Takshasila to Anuradhapura.
This continuity is also recorded in the State formation and processes of amassing State revenues during Pre-Mauryan and Mauryan times of Ancient India. A remarkably lucid documentation is provided in Kauṭilya’s Arthaśāstra.
Kauṭilya is identified with Cāṇakya (c. 350–283 BCE), mentor of the Mauryan emperor.
Artha is the sustenance or livelihood of people. A sutra enunciated: dharmasya mUlam artham, the basis for discharge of one’s responsibility is wealth.
The sequential refrain of Canakya NIti is: sukhasya moolam dharmam. Dharmasya moolam artham Arthasya moolam rajyam. Rajyasya moolam indriya vijayam.
Kauṭilya expounds on the role of the State and training of the crown prince in Chapter I with statements such as: Without government, rises disorder as in the Matsya nyayamud bhavayati (proverb on law of fishes). In the absence of governance, the strong will swallow the weak. In the presence of governance, the weak resists the strong.— ArthaŚāstra 1.4
The very second chapter devoted to artha starts with bhūmichidravidhāna focussing principally on wealth from forest areas. One such forest area which is a source of wealth – artha – for the state is (of uncultivable land) is brahma-somāraṇya (AŚ.2.2.2), that is forest area assigned to Brahmans and ascetics. Brahmans and ascetics saw the Aranyakas, principal documents of the Vedic narratives, enquiries and life-activities.
It appears from the prominent role assigned to artha ‘wealth’ from brahma-somāraṇya (AŚ.2.2.2) that Soma samsthA were major wealth-producing activities related to such forest areas: brahma-somāraṇya (AŚ.2.2.2).
सोमःसंस्था a form of the Soma-yAga; (these are seven:- अग्निष्टोम, अत्यग्निष्टोम, उक्थ, षोढशी, अतिरात्र, आप्तोर्याम and वाजपेय).
It appears that सोमःसंस्था particularly from brahma-somāraṇya -- i.e. from uncultivated forest lands -- were the principal sources of revenue of the State together with the land revenues collected from cultivable lands. This aspect of life in Ancient India is an area for further researches.
CHAPTER II. DIVISION OF LAND
THE King shall make provision for pasture grounds on uncultivable tracts. Bráhmans shall be provided with forests for brahma-somāraṇya (should be translated as: forests assigned for Soma yaga, see below), for religious learning, and for the performance of penance, such forests being rendered safe from the dangers from animate or inanimate objects, and being named after the tribal name (gótra) of the Bráhmans resident therein. A forest as extensive as the above, provided with only one entrance rendered inaccessible by the construction of ditches all round, with plantations of delicious fruit trees, bushes, bowers, and thornless trees, with an expansive lake of water full of harmless animals, and with tigers (vyála), beasts of prey (márgáyuka), male and female elephants, young elephants, and bisons—all deprived …Manufactories to prepare commodities from forest produce shall also be set up. (2.2.2, pp.65, 66) https://archive.org/download/Arthasastra_English_Translation/Arthashastra_of_Chanakya_-_English.pdf
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00litlinks/kautilya/book02.htm
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00litlinks/kautilya/book02.htm
Notes on brahma-somāraṇya (AŚ.2.2.2)
For settlement of ascetics and BrAhmanas devoted to the study of the Vedas, two types of forests wre identified: tapovana and brahma-somAraNya (AS 2.2.2)
ब्रह्मा* रण्य [p= 740,3] n. " holy forest " , a grove in which the वेद is studied L.brahman ब्रह्मन्One conversant with sacred knowledge -अरण्यम् 1 a place of religious study (Apte) BrahmAraNya mahAtmya is the name of a work.
Forest produce was dravyavana distinguished from hastivana which are animal sanctuaries. SamAharta. Dravyavana and brahmAraNya Protection against hindrances to such brahmAraNya had to be given priority by the State officials.
Within the boundary of the forest-area, Kupyādhyakṣa (Director, Forest Produce under the control of Samāhartā) was “to make arrangements, for the settlement of the foresters or forest-dwellers connected with the produce forests (aṭavīmśca dravyavanāpaśrayāh)- AŚ.2.2.5) and they were to preserve and protect forests from various hazards… Kālāyasa (iron), tāmra (copper), vṛtta (steel), kāmsa (bronze), sīsa (lead), trapu (tin), vaikṛntaka (mercury) and ārakūṭa (brass) are included in the group of base metals. These metals were intended for preparing ploughs, pestles, which provided livelihood (ājīva), and machines, weapons, etc. for protection of the city (purarakṣā) (AŚ. 2.17.17). It may be presumed that separate factories were established in forest zones for each class of production. In this context, Kauṭilya advises the Master of the Armoury (Āyudhāgārdhyakṣa) to be conversant with the raw, defence material in the forests and their qualities and to avoid any adulteration (AŚ. 2.18.20)… In the capital there was a store–house for forest produce (kupyagrha), built under the supervision of the Director of Stores (Sannidhātā) (AŚ.2.5.1).” (Manubendu Banerjee, 2011, Kauilya’s Arthasastra on Forestry in: Sanskrit Vimars’ah, pp. 121-132), pp.123,127,128) http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/svimarsha/V6/c9.pdf
Director of mines (Ākarādhyakṣa) (AŚ. 2.12) controlled the production of ores from mines.
Kupyādhyakṣa was in charge of setting up factories in the forests for producing serviceable articles (AS 2.17.2). Chief Ordnance Officer (Āyudhāgārādhyakṣa) supervised the business based on various types of forest-produce in the factories (AŚ. 2.18.20). Such factories most of the weapons. Guards who protected the factories were dravyavanapāla.
brahma-somāraṇya was thus a source of wealth from सोमःसंस्था and also a source for production of metal implements brought into Āyudhāgāra (State Armoury). This possibility is indicated by the evidence for performance of a Soma Yaga in Binjor (ca. 2500 BCE). The evidence is a yajna kunda with an octagonal pillar, a signature pillar of a Soma Yaga, together with an Indus Script inscription. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2016/07/having-eight-corners-vedic-yupa-in_35.html
अष्टाश्रि 'having eight corners' (Vedic) yupa in Indus Script tradition signifies medha,अहीन सत्त्र soma yajña validated by19 yupa inscriptions.
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
August 27, 2016
The settlement patterns in early times were generally influenced by the physical features of the geographical space. Physical features, particularly the natural drainage, and the climatic conditions and fertility of the soil — all of these were important for the purpose of economic activities, mode of production and subsistence of the people. The geologists' identified the region of Bengal as a 'delta', whereas the scholars dealing with the history of Bengal were inclined to highlight variations in the topography of the entire area for the purpose of explaining the historical processes. For example, Barrie M. Morrison divided the whole of Bengal into five distinct major geographical regions, viz., the deltaic plain, the Tippera surface, the Sylhet basin, the Madhupur jungle, and Varendra uplands (made of Pleistocene alluvium).^ Deltaic Bengal is bounded by the Tippera hills on the east, the Shillong plateau and Nepal Terai on the north and the highlands of the Rajamahal and Chota Nagpur on the west.'' Whereas the deltaic plain, the Tippera surface and the Sylhet basin consist of recent alluvial deposits, the Madhupur jungle and the Varendra uplands, which are contiguous to one another, comprise large tracts of ancient Pleistocene alluvium and are formed of oxidized ferruginous soils. The twin geological region (Madhupur-Varendra) has remarkable drainage pattern and abundant vegetation cover.'' The Varendra area, which measures three thousand six hundred square miles, stretches from the northern reach of the flood plains of the Ganga to the alluvial fan of the Nepal foothills. The Brahmaputra marks its eastern boundary and separates it from Madhupur, whereas its western edge merges into the lands lying across the Garo-Rajmahal gap.^ This Varendra area, identified elsewhere^ as the heartland of Pundravardhana, which may well be called the Pundra-Varendra region, was the more ancient part of Bengal. By analyzing the distribution of population in the 1941 Census of undivided Bengal, Morrison observed that the Madhupur jungle and Varendra were more thinly populated than other parts of Bengal.'
Historically, Pundra-Varendra was an important region of early Bengal. Many politically important urban centres of ancient and early medieval Bengal, such as Pundranagara (Mahasthangarh), Bangarh, Paharpur, and (jauda-Pandua were located within the region. The Mahasthan Inscription of the Mauryan period, said to be the oldest epigraphic record found in Bengal,^ referred to Pundranagara. But this urban centre, along with Gaudapura and Gauda had attained significance as early as the sixth-third centuries BC, as known from the literary sources, such as the Astadhyayi of Panlni, the Arthasastra of Kautilya, and the Haraha inscription of the Maukhari king, Isanavarman. By the medieval period^, Gauda (or Gauda-Pandua) came to be known as Laksmanavati (Lakhnauti). VarendrT (Varendra) found mention in the Talcher Grant of Gayadatungadeva (dated the last quarter of the tenth century), the Kaviprasasti of the Ramacaritam, and the Silimpur, Tarpandlghi and Madhainagar inscriptions as a flourishing urban centre within Pundravardhana.'° It may be presumed that the growth of these important urban centres had been possible because of the support derived from the resource-rich rural hinterlands. The Himalayan streams passing through this region fed the major rivers of Bengal, including the Karatoya (which river still flows by the ruins of the ancient city at Mahasthangarh, although the volume of water has undoubtedly decreased). However, all the major rivers have changed their courses during the last three hundred years thereby causing major problems in tracing the ancient settlements in the region based on the evidence of the available sources."
Urbanization The epigraphic records and archaeological remains offer a fair view of the early urbanization processes in the Pundra region. The Mahasthan Fragmentary Stone Plaque Inscription"^ of the third century BC. which happens to be the earliest epigraphic record pertaining to the region, mentioned 'Pundanagala' ('Pundranagara', i.e., the city of the Pundra), identified with Mahasthangarh, the site at which the fragmentary stone inscription was recovered. Pundranagara was the headquarters of the Pundras and the Samvamglyas. At that time, northern Bengal or Puijdravardhana was presumably a province of the Maurya Empire. As mentioned earlier, the inscription recorded that the local governor was ordered to distribute funds from the imperial treasury during times of scarcity caused by flood, fire or pests. This information suggested that the Mauryan rulers exercised political control over the Bengal delta or, at least, the area later on known as Varendra, at which Pundranagara"'' was located. Presumably, this 'nagara' or urban centre had continued to flourish from about the fifth century BC."^ That Mahasthangarh
''"' For details, Ranjushri Ghosh, "The Ri"er Karatoya in the Persi)ective of the Evolution of Sattletnents in Pundravardhana/Varendra - third centur}' EC to rn.d-twelfth ci-ntury: An Archaeological Study", in Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 62"'' Session, Bhopai. 2001, p.1010; F.J. Monahan, Early History of Bengal, Oxford. 1925; reprint 1974, Bharatiya Publishing House, Varanasi, p.201- R.K. Mookerji, Chandragupta Mavrya and His Tiwes, Delhi, 1943; reprint 1974. Motilal Banarsidass. Delhi, p.24; R.C. Majumdar
On the basis of epigraphic records pertaining to the region, B.M. Morrison commented that in the Madhupur jungle and the Varendra where the flooding was much less severe the homesteads were frequently grouped in villages centered on crossroads or a river crossing.
The decline of the rule of the Candras corresponded to the rise of the Varmans who seized Vikramapura and ruled over deltaic Bengal for a short period. The Varman kings also issued land grants some of which were wiihin the heartland of Pundravardhana. Harivarman's Samantasar grant (dated around AD 1090-1136) registered the gift of one hdla, six droms and eighty other units of cultivable land (ksetra) in the village of Varaparvvata located in Mayuravidja-v/iS-avc lying within the Vancavasa-mandala of Pundravardhana-^/zw^//. The donee was a Brahmana who served as a santivarika. He was the son of Padmanabha-Sarnian and the grandson o'i Shattaputra Vedagarbha.The donation was made as daksina for the service of the santivarika. Tlie donee belonged to the Asvalayana sdkha of the Rg Veda and was a member of the Vatsa gutra. The inscription mentioned that he was attached to the five usual pravaras but it did not clearly spell out the pravara-names.^^ Bhojavarman's Belava Copper-plate grant (the 5* regnal year, dated to AD 1150) recorded the donation oi' one pdtaka and nine and one-fourth dronas of land in the village Upyalika located in KausambT-Astagaccha-A:/zaw(3'a/a within the Adhapattana-waw/a/o situated within the jurisdiction of Pundravardhana-6/;nA://.^' The grant was made to a Brahmana named Ramadcvasarman, who was the santyagdradhikrtdya or the officer-in-charge of the room H'here propitiatory rites were performed. The inscription stated that the donee was the great-grandson of PTtambaradeva-Sarman, the grandson of .Fagannathadeva-Sarman and the son of Visvarupadeva-Sarman. The great-grandfather of the recipient had migrated from Madhyadesa and resided in S\6A\\a\a-grdma in Uttara-Radha.^^ Thus, the family of the donee had been settled in that iocalily for a long time. 1 he donee was a student of the Kanva sakha of the Yajw Veda branch of Vedic knowledge. He belonged to the Savarna gotra and the pravaras of Bhrgu. Cyavana, Apnavana. .Aurva and Jamadagni. He was also attached to the Vajasaneya carana of Vedic studies.'*'' The information contained in the Belava Copper-plate grant of Bhojavarman points to the fact that apart from the santivarikas., the santyagaradhikrlayas were also held in high esteem by the rulers and so frequent donations of landed property were made to them. The transfer of property was also for the purpose of inducing Brahmanas proficient in Vedic studies from outside Bengal to settle in different parts of the Varman kingdom. The rulers perhaps wanted to promote Vedic knowledge among the Brahmarias of the area and to encourage the advancement of Brahmanical culture and to extend the knowledge of iron technology from the region of Madhyadesa to Pundravardhana so as to augment higher agricultural productivity.^^
The period of Sena rule in Bengal witnessed political unrest caused by frequent invasions of the Muslim elements in midland India (Madhyadesa), causing insecurity to the lives and occupations of the Brahmanas residing in the affected areas. Some of the distressed Brahmanas are said to have left their original homes in the disturbed areas for safer places in search of comfortable livelihood. The later Palas, the Varmans and also the Sena kings of Bengal welcomed the displaced Brahmana families from midland India by settling them in large tracts of land, which action sen/ed to strengthen the position of the resident Brahmana community in Bengal. The frequent donations made to the Brahmanas in Bengal attracted Brahmanas from other regions other than midland India as well. Vijayasena's Barrackpur grant (dated to the twelfth century) recorded the gift of fourpato^as of land yielding two hundred kaparddaka puranas (unit of currency used in Samatata), which land was located in the village of Ghasasambhoga-bhattavada (Bhatpada) within Khadi-v/>av(7 of Pundravardhana-Zj/iwfc'/."^ The donation was made to Udayakaradeva-Sarman as a fee for the performance of homa during the kanakatuldpurusa mahddana ceremony performed by the MahadevJ VilasadevT on the occasion of a lunar eclipse.*^" He belonged to the Vatsa gntra and the Bhargava, Cyavana, Apnavana, Aurva and Jamadagnya pravaras. He was attached to the six angas of Asvalayana sakha of the Rg Veda. Udayakaradcva-Sarman was the great-gi"andson of Ratnakaradeva-Sarman, grandson of Rahaskaradeva-Sarman and son of BhaskaradevaSarman.^'The inscription infomied that Ratnakaradeva-Sarman, the donee's greatgrandfather, was an immigrant from Madhyadesa and that the family had formerly resided at Kantijohga.^^ Most likely the family of the donee had been living in the locality for a long time.
As many as six copper-plate grants in the Pundravardhana-^.^wA:^/ have been ascribed to the reign of Laksmanasena. The Tarpandlghi grant (dated to AD 1180) recorded the gift of land measuring 120 ddhavapas and five unmdnas lying within the jurisdiction of the village of VelahisthT situated in Varendrl within Pundravardhana-6/?wA:r/.^^ The land was granted according to the hhumicchidranydya. It was bounded on the east by an udranga (dyke) of one ddhavapa of rent-free fertile land belonging to the deity of a Buddhist monastery; on the south by the Nicadahara tank; on the west by the Nandihari-pakundT; and on the north by the ditch called Muliana. The tract included forests, khila (unused Iand),ya/o (water), go-ksetra (pastures), tamdla (betel-nut) and coconut trees and yielded an annual income of 150 kaparddaka purana^?^ The grantee was the Brahmana Isvaradeva-Sarman. He received the gift as fee {daksina) for his service as a dcdrya (teacher) in the hemdsvarathamahdddna ceremony.'The document traced the genealogy of the donee for three generations, [t mentioned Isvaradeva-Sarman as the great-grandson of Hutasanadeva-Sarman, grandson of Markancleyadeva-Sarman and son of Laksmldharadeva-Sarman of the Bharadvaja gotra. He belonged to the pravaras of Bharadvaja, Angirasa and Barhaspatya and was a sludent of Kauthuma sdkhd of the Sdmaveda. In fact, most of the land grants made by Laksmanasena were for the Brahmanas of the Kauthuma sdkhd of the Sdmaveda.'^ Evidently, the family was residing in Bengal, since the charter said nothing about the family's place of origin. Similarly, Laksmanasena's Sundarban grant (2"'' regnal year, dated AD 1180) announced the gift of five contiguous plots of land measuring three hhii-dronas, one khadika, twenty-three unmanas and two and half hakims, according to the standard of thirty-two cubits. The land was situated in Mandala-grawa belonging to the Kantallapura-cfl/wrato in the Khadl-mandala of Pundravardhana-^/zw^//". The donee was the santyagarika Krsnadharadeva-Sarman, priest-in-charge of the room where propitiatory rites were performed. The land included homestead land {vastu-bhumi). The grant was made no according to the bhumicchidranyaya and yielded an annual income of fifty puranas. The inscription provided the genealogy of the donee for three generations. He was the great-grandson of Jagadharadeva-Sarman, grandson of Narayanadharadeva-Sarman and son of Narasirnhadharadeva-Sarman of the Gargya goira. He belonged to the Angirasa, Brhaspati, Usanas, Garga and Bharadvaja/^ravoras. He was a student of the Asvalayana sakha of the Rg Veda. Interestingly, the record indicated that the plots which bordered the gifted land were held by the Brahmanas. The plots on the east, west and north were in the possession of the santyagarikas., whose names were Prabhasa, Ramadeva, Visnupani, GodalT and Kesava GodalT."^°
Laksmanasena's Anulia grant {^^ regnal year, dated to AD 1181) also recorded the gift of a field measuring one pdtaka, nine dronas, one adhavdpa, thirty-seven unmdnas and one kakimkd according to the vrsabha-sankara-nala (unit of measurement). The field yielded an income of one hundred kaparddaka-piirdnas per annum. The donated land was situated within the jurisdiction of the village Matharandiya in Vyaghratatl-manc/a/fl (a part of Samatata lying in the delta of the Gahga) of Pundravardhana-MwM. The gifted land had on its eastern boundary banyan trees, on the southern border the settlement of Jalapilla, on the western limit the village of SantigopT, and on the northern border the settlement of Malamancavatl. The land included forests, barren tracts (khila), water, betel-nut and coconut trees, grass, puti plants and pasture grounds (go-ksetra). The recipient of the grant was Pandita Raghudeva-Sarman of the Kanva branch of the Yajur Veda. The grant recorded the genealogy of the donee for three generations. He was the great-grandson of Vipradasadeva-Sarman, grandson of SaiTikaradeva-Sarman and son of Devadasadeva-Sarman belonging to the Kausika gotra and to the Visvamitra, Bandhula and Kausika/7ravaras'°'. The in,scription referred to the donee as apandita or scholar. It may therefore be inferred that the Sena rulers encouraged the settlement of scholarly Brahmanas for the spread of education or knowledge within the territory. It appears that they were respected by the rulers and were held in high esteem in the contemporary society.
Laksmanasena's Madhainagar grant ("IS"* regnal year, dated to AD 1204) recorded the gift of the village Dapaniyapataka located on the Ravana lake near Kantapura-vr/// in VarendrT within Pundravardhana-A/7///t;'/. The land was gifted according !o the bhumicchidranyaya to one Go^'indadeva-Sarn1an, a sapiyagcirika or an official in charge of the room for performing propitiatory rites. The granted land measured one hundred bhukhadis and ninety-one khadikas and yielded an annual income of one hundred and sixty-eight kaparddaka-puranas. The gift was made for the performance of the aindn mahdsanti ceremony on the occasion of the mulabhiseka and for the maintenance of the Brahmanas associated with the religious ceremonies performed in the propitiatory room and the deities worshipped there. The record provided irTormation about the genealogical tree of the donee. He was the great-grandson of Damodaradeva-Sarman, grandson of Ramadeva-Sarman and son of Kumaradeva-Sarman of the Kausika gotra. He was attached to the Pippalada branch of the Athai-vn Veda'°^ The inscription made no mention of the donee's pravoras or rhe family's place oforigin or earlier residence.
Laksmanasena's RajavadT (Dharyya-^'mwa) or Bhawa! grant (27"' regnal year, dated to AD 1206) recorded the donation of land divided into four plots situated in two villages — Madisahansa and Vasumandana — south of the river Banahara in Bandana within the Pundravardhana-6/72vA;/'/. The land was granted TO one Brahmana Padmanabha to please the god Narayana and to secure the welfare of the two major queens. The gifted land measured six patakas, one drona and twenty-eight kakinis and yielded four hundred purams per annum. The recipient of the gift, Padmanabha, was a pathaka or reciter of holy texts. He was associated with Kauthuma sakha of the Samaveda. The charter revealed that the donee was the great-grandson of Buddhadeva-Sarman, grandson of Jayadeva and son of Mahadeva of the Madgallya gotra; he belonged to the Aurva, Cyavana, Bhargava, Jamadagnya and Apnavsna pravaras^^^ The document however did not give any information on the homeland of the donee's ancestors.
Kesavasena's Edilpur grant (issued from Phaspha-grama in the 3'"'' regnal year, dated to AD 1225-1228) recorded the transfer of one pataka of land in the village Talapadapataka to a Brahmana named Isvaradeva-Sarman. The village was situated in Vikramapura within Pundravardhana-^Z/wA:;/. 7'he grant was made to the Brahmana for praying for the long life of the king on the occasion of his biith anniversary. The gifted land yielded two hundred drdmmas per annum. The charter traced the genealogy of the donee. He was the great-grandson of Parasaradeva-Sarman, grandson of Garbhesvara-Sarman and son of Vanamalideva-Sarman. The donee was appointed nltipathaka or reciter of moral texts. He belonged to the Vatsya gotra and the pravaras of Bhargava, Cyavana, Apnuvat, Aurva and Jamadagnya."''* From the evidence of the document it is obvious that he was a learned Brahmana
Visvariipasena's Madhyapada (or Dacca or Calcutta ! VafigTya Sahitya Parisat) Copperplate grant (dated to the twelfth century) recorded the grant of eleven plots of land altogether measuring 336'/2 unmanas situated in the Nfivya-mandala to the Brahmana Avapallika-Pandita Halayudhasarinan on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the king, coinciding with the lunar eclipse. The donated land included eleven plots distributed over six villages, i.e., (a) two plots in the Ramas\ddh\-pataka measuring sixtyseven and three-fourth iidanas and yielding hundred pw/a^as annually of which nineteen and eleven-sixteenth was received from the Barajas; (b) one plot in the village of Vinaya-tilaka measuring twenty-five udanas and yielding sixty puranas\ (c) one plot of land measuring one hundred sixty-five udanas in \]\k\i\a-patdkas which lay in Navasamgraha-6'a/wrato included in 'vJadhuksTraka-r/vr/// and yielding one hundred forty annually; (d) three plots of land measuring twenty-five udanas, seven udanas and ten udanas respectively in Deuiahasti in Lauharida-ca/M7'aA» in Vikramapura yielding one hundred puranas; (e) twelve and Ihree-fourtl'. udanas in Ghagharakatti in Ura-caturaka within CandradvTpa; (f) and twents-foui udanas in PatiladivTka in CandradvTpa yielding \\\mdxQd puranas. The tolal art-a yielded sn annua! income amounting to five hundred piirdnas. The grant was made accor;!ing to tiie principle of bhumicchidra. The village Ramasiddhi-/»amto. wherein sixty-sc'-c-n and three-foyLh udanas of land was granted, has been identified with a village ir, (be GaurnadT area of Bakerganj district.'°^ According to traditions, it was an enlightenod -village inhabited by the Srotriya Brahmanas. The village of Vinayatilaka has not yet been definitely identified, although it is clear from the text that its eastern boundary extended up to the sea (Bay of Bengal) and the estuary of the river Meghna. The region possibly enjoyed special navigational facilifies, corresponding "to the tract of country lying along the lower course of the Padma."""^ The location of Aj'ikula-pataka in Navasamgraha-can^ra/cn in MadhuksTraka-m'r/// and its connection with the Navya region has not been traced with certainty The charter mentioned that all the plots of land distributed over the six villages were included within the jurisdiction of Pundrvardhana-Zj/jufez. Evidently, the donee who received the grant was the great-grandson of LaksmTdharadeva-Sarman, grandson of DevadharadevaSarman and son of Adhyayadeva-Sarman of the Vatsya golra and belonging to the pravaras of Aurva, Cyavana, Bhargava, .lamadagnya and Apnuvat. He was a scholar of the Kanva sdkho of the Yajur Veda}^'' Barre M. Morrison observed that some of the plots were acquired by purchase and the oth(;rs were p.i-esontea as gifts by a number of persons connected with the royai court.'' *"