Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 24: The History of Sarayū
Text 1.24.17

एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ पूर्वमास्तां नरोत्तम।
मलदाश्च करूशाश्च देवनिर्माणनिर्मितौ॥

etau janapadau sphītau pūrvam āstāṁ narottama
maladāś
ca karūśāś ca deva-nirmāṇa-nirmitau

etau = here named; janapadau = areas; sphītau = two prosperous; pūrvam = previously; āstām = there were; nara-uttama = O prince; maladāḥ ca = Malada and; karūśāḥ ca = Karūśa; deva-nirmāṇa-nirmitau = equal in construction to the world of the devas.

O prince, previously there were two prosperous areas here named Malada and Karūśa equal in construction to the world of the devas.

Sphītau indicates that there was much wealth and grains there. The two areas had numerous divisions like Matsyadeśa and Pāñcāladeśa.