Purba samudra

Purba Samudra (Bay of Bengal)

The original name of the body of water between India and Burma, now known as the Bay of Bengal is Purba Samudra. This can be deduced from the first sloka of Kumar Sam-bhaba by Kālidāsa: " Astutarasyam dishi debatAtmA himALayo naMa nagAdhirAjah, pUrbAparou toyonidhI bagAhya stitah prUthibyA eba mAnadanDa."

PUrbAparou toynidhi corresponds to the Purba Samudra and Apar Samudra which are now known as the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively [1] .

References

1. Purna Chandra Patnaik, Maharshi BAlmikI PranIta SrImad BalmIkIya RAmAyana, Sachitra Odia Padyanubada ( BalaKAnda), Published by the Author, Printed at B.N. Printers, Sahid Nagar, Bhubaneswar 751007, Orissa, India, 1988. see also Kumar Sambabha by Kālidāsa