Mount Potalaka in Malaya mountains

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

At 05:25 AM 2/8/99 PST, you wrote:
>Mr. DVN Sarma writes:
>> ... Any way the identification
>>potika or potiyil with potala/potalaka is arbitrary.
>
><<
> Identification by Nandolal De, Nalinaksha Dutt, K. A. Nilakanta
> Sastri for Mt. Potalaka as Mt. Potikai/Potiyil is NOT arbitrary.
>
Do they give some incontravertible evidence.

>S. Beal, Si-yu-ki, Buddhist records of the Western world, 1884
>2.233  says:
>"To the east of the Malaya mountains is Mount Po-ta-la-ka (Potalaka)."
>>>
>

Please see the foot noteon page 230-231 by Rev.S.Beal which says

" The distance given by south of Conjivaram seems to be exessive.
But none of the distances given by Hiuen Tsiang are to be depended upon.
......................................................................
I am disposed, therefore, to think that he did not go farther south than
Kanchi. In this case the subsequent account he gives us of Malakuta, Mount
Malaya and Potaraka is derived from hearsay."

>A Buddhist text called tARAsukkam refers to Tara, avalokitezvara as
>"potalagiri nivAsinI".  According to this work, avalokitezvara
>bodhisattva is seated in this mountain. We know gaNDavyUha states,
>"In the southern direction, there is a mountain named potalaka,
>where lives a bodhisattva of the name avalokitezvara".

No problem with this. The Devi on Malaya is called MalayavAsini
and not potalakavAsini.

>Thus, the
>Buddhist texts clearly show that "potala" and
>"potalaka" are simply alternate names of the same place in
>potiyil/potiyam/potikai.

No more than a conjucture for which I cannot subscribe unless there
is compelling evidence.
>Regards
>N. Ganesan
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