The Ancient City and District of Krmila
By Dineshchandra Sircar
Summary
This miscellaneous note examines historical references to the city and district of Kṛmilā (Kṛmilā), a little‑known locality in early north‑eastern India. The author surveys Buddhist and Puranic sources and uses epigraphic evidence to identify its location. In Buddhist literature the city is variously spelled Kimilā, Kimmilā, Kimbilā and Kimilā, indicating different transliterations of the Sanskrit Kṛmilā. Two discourses, the Kimilāsutta and Kimilasutta, were preached by the Buddha while camping at Kimilā. These texts describe Kimilā as situated on the bank of the Gaṅgā, near the villages of Valgūdar and Rajaunahttps://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/krimila#:~:text=K%E1%B9%9Bmil%C4%81%20%28%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%29,the%20forms%20Kimbil%C4%81%20and%20Kimbil%C4%81. The article then turns to historical geography. Gupta‑period inscriptions mention a viṣaya (district) named Kṛmilāviṣaya. Seals found at Nalanda show that the district existed before the Pāla dynasty. One such seal identifies a village called Kavāla within the Krimilāviṣaya, which scholars equate with modern Kawāli near Valgūdarhttps://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/krimila#:~:text=The%20vi%E1%B9%A3aya%20or%20district%20of,P%C4%81las%20of%20Bengal%20and%20Bihar. However, M.S. Pandey suggests that the modern village of Kiul more closely resembles the ancient name. Dr. D.C. Sircar, whose views the article reflects, considers both identifications plausible but leans toward Kiul because the district gazetteer of Monghyr mentions that villagehttps://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/krimila#:~:text=According%20to%20M,Pandey. The author notes that the name Kṛmilā derives from the Sanskrit word kṛmi (worm) and may mean either “worm‑infested” or “fruitful woman,” though these etymologies may reflect folk etymologyhttps://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/krimila#:~:text=and%20mentioned%20in%20the%20Gupta,sometimes%20also%20written%20as%20Krimi. By collating literary and epigraphic references, the essay concludes that Krmilā was a significant district along the middle Ganges during the Gupta and Pāla periods. Its mention in early Buddhist texts indicates a settlement important enough to host the Buddha. The presence of seals and administrative terms such as viṣaya implies a level of organisation comparable to other districts in Magadha. Yet the precise location remains uncertain; archaeological surveys near Kiul, Kawāli and Valgūdar are needed to confirm the site.
Conclusion
The note concludes that Kṛmilā was an administrative district located on the Ganges, probably near present‑day Kiul or Kawāli in Bihar. It was important in early Buddhism—two sermons were delivered therehttps://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/krimila#:~:text=K%E1%B9%9Bmil%C4%81%20%28%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%29,the%20forms%20Kimbil%C4%81%20and%20Kimbil%C4%81—and appears in Gupta inscriptions as a viṣaya with villages like Kavālahttps://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/krimila#:~:text=The%20vi%E1%B9%A3aya%20or%20district%20of,P%C4%81las%20of%20Bengal%20and%20Bihar. Although scholars disagree about its exact site, the convergence of textual and epigraphic evidence demonstrates that Krmilāviṣaya existed and played a role in regional administration. Continued archaeological work in the Valgūdar‑Kiul area may eventually confirm the city’s location and illuminate its role in the history of Magadhahttps://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/krimila#:~:text=According%20to%20M,Pandey.