Dakshinapatha
Encyclopedia
Ancient Buddhist and Hindu
texts use the term Dakshinapatha as a name for both the southern high road of the Indian subcontinent, and for the region lying south of Majjhimdesa or middle India. It is derived from the two Sanskrit
roots dakshina
for south, and patha for road.
The first reference to Dakshinapatha occurs in the Rigveda
where it refers to the region of exile. In the opinion of several scholars, this means the South beyond the limits of the Saptasindhu-- the Punjab region
of the culture of the Rigveda.
Dakshinapatha is referred to by Pāṇini (IV.2.98). Baudhyana mentions Dakshinapatha or Dakshinatya in association with Saurashtra.
Jataka
and Vinaya Pitaka
use the name Dakshinapatha coupled with Avanti
as in Avantidakshinapatha where it seems to refer to the janapada of Avanti
, and implies its location in Dakshinapatha.
In the Mahabharata
, Dakshinapatha is placed beyond Avanti and the Vindhyas, and to south of the kingdom of Vidarbha
and southern Kosala
, the latter being located on the banks of Wardha
and Mahanadi
.
When Rama
set out from Ayodhya into his voluntary exile, he took a route which extended from Ayodhya into Dakshinapatha or the southern direction.
The Sutta Nipata commentary seems to explain Dakshinapatha as the road leading to the Dakshinajanapada, the latter name referring to a Janapada located to south of the Ganges. In the same Sutta Nipata, the name Dakshinapatha also refers to a remote settlement located on the banks of the upper Godavari
.
A Kosala Brahmin
named Bavari had left Savathi (capital of Kosala
) to set up his hermit
age at the junction of river Mula and Godavari, midway between the kingdoms of Assaka
and Mulaka (in modern Maharashtra
), which place has been noted as lying in Dakshinapatha..
In Dighvijayaparva of Mahabharata, Dakshinpatha is distinguished from the Pandya country to the south.
According to Puranic accounts, the janapadas of Asmaka, Mulaka, Vaidarbha, Kalinga, Andhra, Pundra, Pulinda, Dandaka, Kuntala, Kerala, Pandya, Chola and others lay in the Dakshinapatha.
In the Petavatthu
commentary, the Damila i.e. Dravida country is included in the Dakhinápatha.
On their way to Rajagriha, the pupils of the ascetic Bavari from Dakshinapatha (Godavari) had followed a route which led them through Pratishthana (modern Paithan
), Mahesvar, Ujjain
i, Gonaddha (Gond
country), Bhilsa (Bhil country), Kosam, Saketa (Faizabad), Savathi, Setavya, Kapilavastu
, Kusinara, Pava, Bhoganagar, Vaisali and then to Rajagriha (in Magadha
).
It is stated that Dakshinapatha was originally the name of the high road which led southwards, and the settlement at the end of this high road on the banks of the Godavari, being also called Dakshinapatha. At later time, this southern high road (Dakshinapatha) lent its name to the whole region through which it passed.
Thus, initially, Dakshinapatha, as high road, ran between Rajgriha and Pratishthana. Later, on expansion of Hindu culture deep into southern India, it also extended further into the south running parallel to west-coast and following probably through Bijapur, Bengaluru and Madura to either Rameshwaram or to Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India.
In Gupta
period, Dakshinaptha as a region extended from the land of the Kosala
s to the kingdom of Kanchi. In later times however, it had embraced the whole of Trans-Vindhya India from Setu (Rama's Bridge
) to the Narmada
.
Ancient Dakshinapatha later gave its name to modern Deccan or Dekkan.
The Dakshinapatha was famous in literature as the birthplace of strong bullocks. It also held a home to large number of ascetics.
From the above, it is clear that, in the earlier literature at any rate, the word Dakshinapatha did not mean it initially comprised the whole country in the modern word Dekkhan or Deccan.
Dakshinapatha should be understood in relation to Uttarapatha
the northern high road and later the northern division of Puranic Jambudvipa
.
The philosophies
of the easterners were disseminated precisely by the intercourse that went on along the Uttarapatha and the Dakshinpatha high routes. These were also the high roads which the horse-dealers from Kamboja
of Uttarapatha had followed for trading horses with southern India and Sri Lanka
.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
texts use the term Dakshinapatha as a name for both the southern high road of the Indian subcontinent, and for the region lying south of Majjhimdesa or middle India. It is derived from the two Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
roots dakshina
Dakshina
Dakshina in the historical Vedic religion is the term for the recompense paid by the sacrificer for the services of a priest, originally consisting of a cow...
for south, and patha for road.
The first reference to Dakshinapatha occurs in the Rigveda
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
where it refers to the region of exile. In the opinion of several scholars, this means the South beyond the limits of the Saptasindhu-- the Punjab region
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
of the culture of the Rigveda.
Dakshinapatha is referred to by Pāṇini (IV.2.98). Baudhyana mentions Dakshinapatha or Dakshinatya in association with Saurashtra.
Jataka
Jataka
The Jātakas refer to a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births of the Buddha....
and Vinaya Pitaka
Vinaya Pitaka
The ' is a Buddhist scripture, one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka. Its primary subject matter is the monastic rules for monks and nuns...
use the name Dakshinapatha coupled with Avanti
Avanti
Avanti may refer to:* Avanti , a UK Government sponsored programme to assist construction project partners to work together more effectively...
as in Avantidakshinapatha where it seems to refer to the janapada of Avanti
Avanti
Avanti may refer to:* Avanti , a UK Government sponsored programme to assist construction project partners to work together more effectively...
, and implies its location in Dakshinapatha.
In the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Dakshinapatha is placed beyond Avanti and the Vindhyas, and to south of the kingdom of Vidarbha
Vidarbha
Vidarbha is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar . It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra...
and southern Kosala
Kosala
Kosala was an ancient Indian region, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Awadh in present day Uttar Pradesh. According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya and the Jaina text, the Bhagavati Sutra, Kosala was one of the Solasa Mahajanapadas in 6th century BCE and its cultural and...
, the latter being located on the banks of Wardha
Wardha
Wardha is a city and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Wardha district. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows at the North, West and South boundaries of district. Founded in 1866, the town is now an...
and Mahanadi
Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi in East Central India. It drains an area of around 141,600 km2 and has a total course of 858 km. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.-Source:...
.
When Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
set out from Ayodhya into his voluntary exile, he took a route which extended from Ayodhya into Dakshinapatha or the southern direction.
The Sutta Nipata commentary seems to explain Dakshinapatha as the road leading to the Dakshinajanapada, the latter name referring to a Janapada located to south of the Ganges. In the same Sutta Nipata, the name Dakshinapatha also refers to a remote settlement located on the banks of the upper Godavari
Godavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
.
A Kosala Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
named Bavari had left Savathi (capital of Kosala
Kosala
Kosala was an ancient Indian region, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Awadh in present day Uttar Pradesh. According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya and the Jaina text, the Bhagavati Sutra, Kosala was one of the Solasa Mahajanapadas in 6th century BCE and its cultural and...
) to set up his hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
age at the junction of river Mula and Godavari, midway between the kingdoms of Assaka
Mahajanapadas
Mahājanapadas , literally "great realms", were ancient Indian kingdoms or countries...
and Mulaka (in modern Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
), which place has been noted as lying in Dakshinapatha..
In Dighvijayaparva of Mahabharata, Dakshinpatha is distinguished from the Pandya country to the south.
According to Puranic accounts, the janapadas of Asmaka, Mulaka, Vaidarbha, Kalinga, Andhra, Pundra, Pulinda, Dandaka, Kuntala, Kerala, Pandya, Chola and others lay in the Dakshinapatha.
In the Petavatthu
Petavatthu
The Petavatthu is a Theravada Buddhist scripture, included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Pali Canon's Sutta Pitaka. It is composed of 51 verse narratives describing specifically how the effects of bad acts can lead to rebirth into the unhappy world of petas in the doctrine of karma...
commentary, the Damila i.e. Dravida country is included in the Dakhinápatha.
On their way to Rajagriha, the pupils of the ascetic Bavari from Dakshinapatha (Godavari) had followed a route which led them through Pratishthana (modern Paithan
Paithan
Paithan , formerly Pratishthana, is a city and a municipal council in Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city was the capital of the Sātavāhana empire of ancient India that ruled from 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD...
), Mahesvar, Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
i, Gonaddha (Gond
Gondi people
The Gondi, Goindi or Gond people are people in central India, spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh, northern Andhra Pradesh, and Western Orissa. With over four million people, they are the largest tribe in Central India.The Gondi language is related to...
country), Bhilsa (Bhil country), Kosam, Saketa (Faizabad), Savathi, Setavya, Kapilavastu
Kapilavastu
Kapilavastu is the name of a region of ancient Shakya kingdom that is considered a holy pilgrimage place for Buddhists. The search for the Buddha's birthplace following the accounts left by Xuanzang and Faxian involved various searches in the late 19th century...
, Kusinara, Pava, Bhoganagar, Vaisali and then to Rajagriha (in Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
).
It is stated that Dakshinapatha was originally the name of the high road which led southwards, and the settlement at the end of this high road on the banks of the Godavari, being also called Dakshinapatha. At later time, this southern high road (Dakshinapatha) lent its name to the whole region through which it passed.
Thus, initially, Dakshinapatha, as high road, ran between Rajgriha and Pratishthana. Later, on expansion of Hindu culture deep into southern India, it also extended further into the south running parallel to west-coast and following probably through Bijapur, Bengaluru and Madura to either Rameshwaram or to Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India.
In Gupta
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
period, Dakshinaptha as a region extended from the land of the Kosala
Kosala
Kosala was an ancient Indian region, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Awadh in present day Uttar Pradesh. According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya and the Jaina text, the Bhagavati Sutra, Kosala was one of the Solasa Mahajanapadas in 6th century BCE and its cultural and...
s to the kingdom of Kanchi. In later times however, it had embraced the whole of Trans-Vindhya India from Setu (Rama's Bridge
Rama's Bridge
Adam's Bridge , also known as Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu , is a chain of limestone shoals, between Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, off the southeastern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island, off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka...
) to the Narmada
Narmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
.
Ancient Dakshinapatha later gave its name to modern Deccan or Dekkan.
The Dakshinapatha was famous in literature as the birthplace of strong bullocks. It also held a home to large number of ascetics.
From the above, it is clear that, in the earlier literature at any rate, the word Dakshinapatha did not mean it initially comprised the whole country in the modern word Dekkhan or Deccan.
Dakshinapatha should be understood in relation to Uttarapatha
Uttarapatha
Ancient Buddhist and Hindu texts use Uttarapatha as the name of the northern part of Jambudvipa, one of the "continents" in Hindu mythology.The name is derived from the Sanskrit terms uttara, for north, and patha, for road...
the northern high road and later the northern division of Puranic Jambudvipa
Jambudvipa
Jambudvīpa is the dvipa of the terrestrial world, as envisioned in the cosmologies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, which is the realm where ordinary human beings live...
.
The philosophies
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of the easterners were disseminated precisely by the intercourse that went on along the Uttarapatha and the Dakshinpatha high routes. These were also the high roads which the horse-dealers from Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
of Uttarapatha had followed for trading horses with southern India and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
See also
- UttarapathaUttarapathaAncient Buddhist and Hindu texts use Uttarapatha as the name of the northern part of Jambudvipa, one of the "continents" in Hindu mythology.The name is derived from the Sanskrit terms uttara, for north, and patha, for road...
- South India Kingdoms