काव्यमीमांसा (महाकवि राजशेखर - कवि-रहस्य एवं देश-विभाग सटीक)

APPENDIX I. 305 150. Ramyakavarṣa This is the first Varṣa to the north of the Mahāmeru which is situated in the middle of the Jambūdvīpa. Mount Nīla forms the principal mountain of this Varṣa. 151. Rāvaṇagaṅgā According to Rājaśekhara, this is a river in South India. It is difficult to identify this river, but it is likely that it was situated in Ceylon or the Laṅkā of Rāvaṇa. The Rāvaṇahrada situated in the Himālayas with an image of Rāvaṇa on its bank seems, however, to be different from this Rāvaṇagaṅgā. 152. Laṅkā ... ...This Laṅkā seems to be situated in the southern-most parts of the Indian penin- sula, as an island somewhere in the Indian ocean. The description of this island in the Rāmāyaṇa as well as in the Kāvya- mīmāṁsā and the Bālarāmāyaṇa, does not favour its identification with Ceylon or Siṁhala. In the Rāmāyaṇa, it is stated that the river Tāmraparṇī has to be crossed in order to reach Laṅkā, but this river does not lead to Ceylon. In the Kāvya- mīmāṁsā, it is said that the monsoon current starts from Laṅkā and reaches the Kerala country immediately after. This will not be possible should Ceylon be identified with Laṅkā. In the Bālarāmāyaṇa also, while describing the returning journey of Rāma on the Puṣpaka chariot towards Ayodhyā, Rājaśekhara mentions Laṅkā and its surrounding places first, then in succession the ocean, the bridge or the Setu and the Siṁhala island. He also states that Rāma and others espied Siṁ- hala when the Vimāna deviated from the original path in a different direction. cf. तिर्यग्विमानगतिनाटिकेन विभीषणः—पश्यस्यग्रे जलधिपरिखं मण्डलं सिंहलानाम् etc. It is clear from this sta- 39