Ma~Nju/SrImUlakalpa and MaNimEkalai

[Petr Mares]

Dear Coleagues

I previously believed that Ma~Nju/SrImUlakalpa is a South Indian
text.

K. P.  Jayaswal in his rendition of the historical part (part III of
Trivandrum edition - pp. 579-656) of the Ma~Nju/SrImUlakalpa
called "An imperial History of India in a Sanskrit text with a special
commentary on later Gupta period" published in 1934, claims on page
3 of the introduction that Ma~Nju/SrImUlakalpa was written in
Bengal.

K. P.  Jayaswal also says that Ma~Nju/SrImUlakalpa seems to have
been written from one pen and it did not grow from generation to
generation - and as it discusses the pAla period of 750A.D. it is
propably much older and not related to la.NkAvatAra (not to the
la.NkAvatAra's early layers at least) neither to South India as I hoped.

So in that case -  is the MaNimEkalai the only surviving Buddhist
scripture written in South India when the Gupta's rulled in North or
earlier?

Are there any ancient manuscripts or engravings related to
MaNimEkalai or how is its age prooved?

I heard that Danielou's translation of MaNimEkalai  is not very
accurate, if that is true - is there any better English translation?


It may be intersting to Mr. Sarma that AMMK also mentions /SrI
Parvata. It says in verse 636 according to  K. P. Jayaswal:

633 On the peaks of the Vindhyas and in the Lava.Na ocean god
kArtikeya will be the giver of the boons
634 And so in the country of /SrI Parvata, in the valley of the Vindhya
and its high land.

Is that related to Andhra?

than the  AMMK also mentions the South Seas, it says:

verses 636-640
"Everywhere the dvIpas too, in the Kali.Ngadreshu,  [kArtikeya will be
worshipped]. The triguNyas [will be] in Mlechchha countries all
around. In the bays of the sea, on their coasts. there will be numerous
kings; the kAma-rUpa-kalA in the valleys of HimAdri. Many kings are
stated to have been between meetings of the seas (udra-sandhishu).
Many gaNa chiefs of the Mlechchhas, worshippers of the Buddha: -
Indra and Suchandra - Mahendra inhibitants amongst the Mlechchhas
will be kings."

Kali.Ngadreshu, cf. udrasandhishu probably means Java as Kali.Nga
dynasty ruled there in this seventh century.
The text than suggest that Indra and Suchandra-Mahendra were
Mlechchsas. So it seems that the Indian name for Sumatra and Java in
seventh century was KaliNgodreshu. Am I right?

Does Manimekhalai talks about these places too?

Sincerely

Petr Mares
Petr Mares
Lengqie Research
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