Yavadviipa

[Christian K. Wedemeyer]

Dear John,

Sorry about the delayed response: very busy this month!

In D.S. Ruegg's article "Deux Problèmes d'Exégèse 
et de Pratique Tantriques selon 
DiipaMkarazriijñaana et le PaiNDapaatika de 
Yavadviipa/SuvarNadviipa" (Mélanges Chinois et 
Bouddhiques, 1981, p. 217), he comments briefly 
on this toponym.  He says, in essence, that 
Yavadviipa is doubtlessly ("sans doute") Java and 
SuvarNadviipa is generally taken to refer to 
Sumatra or perhaps also the Malaysian Peninsula 
("nom q'on interprète généralement comme 
désignant Sumatra, et peut-être aussi la 
Péninsule Malaise").

The note in reference to this passage points one in this direction:

"Sur l'identification de Yavadviipa et de 
SuvarNadviipa voir G. Coedès, Les états 
hindouisés d'Indochine et d'Indonésie (Paris, 
1964), p. 104  et suiv., 158 n. 2, 160 n. 3, 175.

Hope that helps some and I hope all is well with you.

Yours,

Christian


P.S. In the passages of Atiza's work that Ruegg 
cites (also, presumably, from the 11th century), 
he uses Yavadviipa and SuvarNadviipa 
interchangeably (see Ruegg, op. cit., pp. 214-216)



>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.


-- 
Christian K. Wedemeyer
Assistant Professor of the History of Religions
The University of Chicago Divinity School
1025 East 58th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637    USA
(773) 702-8265 (phone)
(773) 702-8223 (fax)