Sakadwipa (RE: Rising of the sea and other Migration myths)

[Yashwant Malaiya]

>Though the MahAbhArata really places the ZAkadvIpa continent to the
>east of Meru (XII.14.23),

My guess is that mount Meru corresponds to the region where
the Hindukush and Himalaya ranges merge. I have wondered if
Tirich Mir, the sacred mountain of the Kafirs (who are now
virtually extinct) has some connection with Meru.

> several generations of scholars has revealed the gradual spread of the
> ZAkadvIpa Brahmans over the Indian subcontinent and eventually their
> penetration even into Eastern India. The well-known Indian ethnologist
> P.L.Vidyarthi in his brilliant monograph on the city of GayA in Bihar
> expressed his opinion of Iranian (Magian) origin of the local ZAkadvIpi
> Brahmans.

The Bhojakas of Western India are also descendants of the
Maga. In all the Sun temples of India, only Magas had the
right to be priest. Bhojakas today are often employed
as priests in Jain temples of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It
is quite likely that many of the Indian astronomers (like
Varaha-mihir) were of Maga descent.

Bhojakas were also associated with Jain temples in
Karnataka as they are mentioned in some Kadamba copper-
plates of 5-6th cent.

Bhavishya Purana describes their settling on the
coast of Chandrabhaga (Chinab, Punjab), when they had
just arrived.

I have wondered about the "Mandaga" who came with the
Maga, but were given Shudra status. What happened to
them? Also I have wondered about the origin of the
term Bhojaka (explanation is that the Maga married
daughters of the Bhoj clan of the Yadavas).

>There is a person on Usenet who goes by the name of Gandasa who has
>claimed that there was a place called Sakasthan. Is that really the
>case?  Where is this SakasthAna mentioned?

Gandasa's (Gurupdesh S. Pandher) "Sakasthan" is where the
Jats live today (NW part of the Indian subcontinet). Its a new
political movement with apparently only one supporter so far.

Yashwant