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Rivers in Ancient India (study)

by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words

This page relates ‘Introduction to Purana Literature� of the study on the rivers in ancient India as reflected in the Vedic and Puranic texts. These pages dicsusses the elements of nature and the importance of rivers (Nadi) in Vedic and Puranic society. Distinctive traits of rivers are investigated from descriptions found in the Vedas (Samhitas), Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads and Puranas. The research is concluded by showing changing trends of rivers from ancient to modern times.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Introduction to ʳܰṇa Literature

The ʳܰṇa are the most important religious literature of India after the Vedas and the Ѳ屹ⲹ, i.e. the 峾ⲹṇa and the Ѳٲ. Though, these are essentially religious in character, yet their contents are more wide–ranging and include so many branches of knowledge such as religion, philosophy, history, geography, poetics, and dramaturgy and so on and so forth. From the standpoint of variety of subjects discussed in the ʳܰṇa, they may be called an encyclopedia of ancient Indian thought just like the great epic Ѳٲ.

The ʳܰṇa constitute a branch of Indian literature which comes to be a store-house of Indian culture and civilization. As for the date of the ʳܰṇa, scholars find it difficult to come to a unanimous conclusion. Though, there are references to the ʳܰṇa even from the later Vedic Period, yet some of the modern scholars have come to place the ʳܰṇa at a very later date.[1]

For the first time, the term ʳܰṇa is found in the Atharvaveda.[2] Thereafter, the term ܰṇa occurs in both Vedic and post Vedic works such as Śٲ貹ٳ󲹲󳾲ṇa,[3] ҴDZ貹ٳ󲹲󳾲ṇa,[4] ղٳپīṇy첹,[5] ԻDzDZ貹Ծṣd[6] ṛhṇyDZ貹Ծṣa,[7] ĀśⲹԲṛhⲹūٰ,[8] 峾ⲹṇa,[9] Ѳٲ,[10] ٳśٰ,[11] ñⲹṛt,[12] ٲṣaṛt[13] etc.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Bhagavati,Ghana Kanta, The Bhagawat Purana: A Socio cultural Study, pp. 4-5

[2]:

ṛc� 峾Ծ 󲹲Իṃs ܰṇa� ⲹṣ� saha | Atharvaveda ṃhٲ,11.7.24

[8]:

A.G.S., (ṇḍ 3)

[9]:

峾ⲹṇa, (ṇḍ, 9.1)

[10]:

Ѳٲ, (Ā徱 Parvan, 1.204)

[11]:

ٳśٰ., 1.5

[12]:

ñⲹṛt., 1.3

[13]:

D.S., 2.51

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