Priyavrata who has been mentioned before as the son of Svayambhuva Manu had ten sons who were on par with Prajapatis. peninsula or a doab. These are named after tlie seven sons of Priyavrata who were the pioneers or founders of colonies in those ‘dvipas’. The idea of seven dvipas or seven ‘climates’ or empires is commonly held by ancient peoples (Greeks, Persians, Arabs) but it appears for the first time in the Mbh. Scholars differ about the identification of these dvipas. Prof. S. M. Ali, in his The Geography of the Pwatfas has discussed these theories and tentatively proposed the following identifications: (1) Saka-dvipa : South-East Asia comprising of Malaya, Siam, Indo- China and Southern China. (2) KuSa-dvipa : Iran, Iraq and the fringing lands of the hot desert— to which Ali adds Ethiopia as well. (3) Plakfa-dvipa : Placia and Pelagsia. Ali approves of V.V. Iyer’s identification of Plaksa with Greece and adjoining lands. (4) Puykara-dvipa : North-eastern seaboard of Asia i.e. Japan, Manchuria and S.E. Siberia. (5) Salmala (_li)-doipa : Tropical part of Africa bordering the Indian Ocean on the west and it includes Madagasgar as well. (6) Kraunca-dvipa : The basin of the Black Sea. (7) Janibu-dvipa : Prepartition India (pp. 26-46) I.40.7-19a 279