Simhapura
By Nalinaksha Dutt
Summary
Dr. B.T. Saletore challenged two claims in the paper *Home of Aryadeva*: Prof. Vidhusekhar’s assertion that Aryadeva’s home was in Sihala (Ceylon) and his own contention that Aryadeva’s home was in Sthapura, likely in northern India, suggesting two Sihapuras (one in northwestern India, another in Ceylon). Saletore argued for the former due to insufficient evidence for the latter, except for the Mahavamsa tradition. New evidence from Saletore strengthens the historicity of Sihapura in Kalinga, resolving doubts about the Ceylonese tradition regarding Sthapura. However, Saletore’s claim that Sihapura, founded by Sihabaliu, was in Gujarat—not on the Vanga-Kalinga border—is unsupported by the Mahavamsa. Key passages indicate Sihabaliu’s town was near the border country of Vanga, as his mother traveled toward Magadha, encountered a Vanga-appointed Senapati, and the border-country’s people petitioned the Vanga king. The Jatibiliu monastery’s location across the border further contradicts a Gujarati identification. Thus, the evidence aligns Sihapura with the Vanga-Kalinga region, not Gujarat.
Conclusion
This study critically re-evaluates the historical location of Simhapura, Aryadeva’s homeland, challenging Dr. Saletore’s Gujarat hypothesis through textual analysis of the Mahamvamsa. While Saletore’s evidence strengthens the Kalinga identification over Ceylonese claims, the analysis demonstrates that Simhapura’s positioning near Vanga’s borders, as per Mahamvamsa references, contradicts a Gujarati location. Key passages highlight the town’s proximity to Vanga’s political jurisdiction and border regions, undermining earlier assumptions. The findings reaffirm Kalinga as the most plausible location, aligning with historical and textual coherence, and underscore the importance of rigorous textual scrutiny in resolving historical ambiguities. This conclusion advances scholarly understanding of early Indian geopolitical dynamics and Aryadeva’s regional context.