Aśmaka was located on theGodāvarī river,[4] between Mūlaka andKaliṅga.[4] The capital of Aśmaka was the city variously named Podana, Potali, Paudanyapura, and Potana, which corresponds to modern-dayBodhan inTelangana.[4]
The Aśmaka kingdom already existed at the time of theBrāhmaṇas, when its king Brahmadatta was mentioned in theMahāgovinda Suttanta as a contemporary of Reṇu ofVideha and Dhataraṭṭha or Dhṛtarāṣṭra ofKāsī.[4]
Panini who lived in about the seventh century B.C. makes mention of Asmaka which was in the interior of the Deccan watered by the Godavari, which is identified with modernNizamabad district.[5]
Aśmaka annexed the small kingdom of Mūlaka located to its west during theMahajanapada period, after which it became the southern neighbour of the kingdom ofAvanti.[6]
TheHathigumpha inscription ofKharavela (2nd century BCE) mentions Kharavela's threat to a city variously interpreted as "Masika" (Masikanagara), "Musika" (Musikanagara) or "Asika" (Asikanagara). N. K. Sahu identifies Asika as the capital of Asmaka.[7]: 127 According toAjay Mitra Shastri, "Asika-nagara" was located in the present-day village of Adam inNagpur district (on theWainganga River). A terracotta seal excavated in the village mentions the Asmakajanapada.[8][9] Asmaka also included Mulaka area aroundPaithan known in ancient times asPratishthana.[10] According toSutta Nipata Saketa orAyodhya was first halting place on the southward road (Dakshinapatha) fromShravasti to Pratishthana.[11]
Anguttara Nikaya like the Puranas tells that Assaka was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas ofJambudvīpa. It had abundance of food and gems. It was wealthy and prosperous. One of the oldest works of the Pali-Buddhist literature, theSutta-Nipata (verses 976-7) speak of a Brahman guru called Bavarl, as having left theKosala country and settled near a village on the Godhavari in the Assaka territory in the Dakshinapatha.[12]
Brihannaradiya Purana narrates entire story of the origin of Asmakas. KingSudas, often identified with the great Rigvedic hero who won the battle of the ten kings. After killing a tiger, a vengeful monster assumes the form of his priest, Vasistha, and tricks him into offering human flesh as a sacrifice. Vasistha curses Sudasa to become a monster for twelve years. Despite his efforts to avoid his fate, Sudasa eventually succumbs to the curse. Every night, he took the form of a monster and used to kill human beings. One night in spite of the requests of a Brahmani, he ate up her husband. As a result, he is further cursed to die during union with his wife. After twelve years, Sudasa is freed from Vasistha's curse but remains haunted by the Brahmani's curse. With Vasistha's help, his queen, MadayantI, conceives a son named Asmaka. Asmaka's grandson, Narikavaca, is saved by naked women and is named accordingly. Dillpa, the forefather of the LordRama, is a descendant of Narikavaca, establishing a connection between theIkshvakus and the Asmakas.
Jataka tales, narrates a story of King Assaka of Potali, who is deeply grieved by the loss of his beautiful queen. The Bodhisattva, witnessing the king's sorrow, decides to intervene. A young Brahmin informs the king about theBodhisattva's ability to communicate with the dead. The Bodhisattva reveals to the king that his queen has been reincarnated as a tiny dung-worm. Despite the king's pleas and declarations of love, the dung-worm, speaking in a human voice, reveals that she now prefers the life of a worm over her former existence. The king is astonished by this revelation and learns a valuable lesson from the Bodhisattva.
Another story of the Assaka country and its connection withKalinga is narrated in the Jataka tales. King Assaka of Potali, in the Assaka country, faced a challenge when King Kalinga of Dantapura sent his four beautiful daughters on a royal tour. Kalinga declared that any king who desired his daughters would have to fight him. Despite the initial resistance, Assaka's minister, Mandisena, welcomed the princesses and persuaded Assaka to marry them. Upon hearing this, Kalinga invaded Assaka, but was ultimately defeated through Nandisena's diplomacy. Kalinga was forced to send a portion of his daughters' dowry to Assaka. From then on, the two kings maintained a peaceful relationship.This story shows that the Assakas and the Kalingas were neighbours and that their countries bordered on each other. Evidently, it is the southern Assaka country on theGodavari.
Bakker, Hans (1984).Ayodhya, Part 1: The History of Ayodhya from the seventh century BC to the middle of the 18th century. Groningen: Egbert Forsten.ISBN9069800071.
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