Yavadviipa

[Klaus Karttunen]

The name Yavadvipa was rather well known, but there is some question, 
whether it always referred to Java or, perhaps, to Sumatra. In the 
Greek geography of Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century AD) Iabadiu seems to 
be the latter. The name is explained as "the barley island", so we know 
that it is Yavadvipa in a graecised form.
Regards,
Klaus

On May 10, 2006, at 10:46 PM, John Newman wrote:

> An 11th century Tibetan translation from Sanskrit refers to a 
> Vajrayaana
> Buddhist guru named Pi.n.do as hailing from Yavadviipa (Tib. ya ba dwii
> pa), which the text seems to equate with Suvar.nadviipa (Tib. gser
> gling).  Elsewhere Pi.n.do is described as being born in "the land in 
> the
> southern ocean."
>
> Sanskrit dictionaries identify Yavadviipa as the island of Java.  I 
> would
> be grateful for any information on this toponym, especially information
> bearing on the history of its use in Sanskrit and its geographic 
> identity.
>
Klaus Karttunen, Ph.D.
Research Fellow,
  Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies
  P.O. Box 4
  FIN-00014  University of Helsinki
  Finland

Tel +358-(0)9-191 23500
  Fax +358-(0)9-191 24509
  Email Klaus.Karttunen at helsinki.fi

also
Docent of Indology and Classical Ethnography
Institute of Asian and African Studies
PL 59 (Unioninkatu 38 B), 00014 University of Helsinki, FINLAND