AṄGAMALAJA (M) (MALADA—KARŪṢA).
General Information. (1) This was a country in ancient
Bhārata. (Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 9, Stanza 50).
(2) Viśvāmitra had taken to the forest from Ayodhyā
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa to protect the hermits and their
yāgas. On the way they entered the Tāṭaka forest.
Viśvāmitra told the boys in answer to their questions
thus: “In olden days this place was a countryside
known as Aṅgamalaja or Malada or Karūṣa. There is
a reason for calling the country by that name. Indra
killed Vṛtra and thereby incurred the sin of Brahma-
hatyā and so he came away to this country and lived
here for a while. The Gods found him out here. They
poured water on the head of the unclean Indra and the
dirt, hunger, excreta and Karūṣa having been separated
from his body fell on the soil of this place and was
mingled with it. Indra's body became pure. As excreta,
Karūṣa etc. were mingled with the soil of this country,
it came to be called Aṅgamalaja, Malada or Karūṣa
from that day onwards. One part of the country was
called Malada and the other part Karūṣa. Indra, having
been purified by washing in water returned to heaven
with the gods. After that this country became uninha-
bited for a long time. The horrible Tāṭaka lives in this
forest now”. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, Sarga
24).