Rivers in Ancient India (study)
by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words
This page relates 鈥榁arious other rivers in the Puranas鈥� 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.
10. Various other rivers in the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉
笔耻峁补产丑补诲谤腻:
According to the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, it is in the northern part of the Himalayas.[1] It appears that this river flows near the hermitage Badari from the context of 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补 legend. The name of this river is just mentioned in the 骋补谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also.[2]
顿峁涐梗补诲惫补迟墨
顿峁涐梗补诲惫补迟墨 is also a famous river in the Pur膩峁噄c age. Lord 碍峁涐梗峁嘺, as described in the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, reached 辫腻帽肠腻濒补 by crossing the rivers 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 and the 顿峁涐梗补诲惫补迟墨.[3] The river 顿峁涐梗补诲惫补迟墨 is usually identified with Citrang, Citang, or Cautang in modern time which runs parallel to the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨; but some writers prefer its identification with the Rak峁i that flows by the southeast of Thaneswar.[4]
艢补迟补诲谤耻
艢补迟补诲谤耻 is a familiar river in the Pur膩峁噄c literature.The Pur膩峁噄c name of the Indian river now called Sutlej. The 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 describes it as a river of 叠丑腻谤补迟补惫补谤峁.[5] It is stated in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 that this river has its course from Himalayas.[6] The river 艢补迟补诲谤耻 or the Sutlej appears from the western region of the western lake of the Manas Sarovara. It is a feeder of the Indus in the East.[7]
Sarayu
Sarayu is a very famous river in the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. Seven tributaries of 骋补峁単腻 originate from the golden peaks of the Himalayas and Sarayu is one of them. In the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, it is said that those who bathe in the river will be absolved from all sins.[8] In modern times, the river Sarayu is known as 骋丑补谤驳丑补谤腻.
痴颈辫腻艣腻
According to 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, it is a stream of northern India as 叠补濒补谤腻尘补 had reached 骋补测腻 by crossing the river 骋补峁囜笉补办墨, 痴颈辫腻艣腻 and 厂辞峁嘺[9]
颁丑补苍诲谤补产丑腻驳腻
The 颁丑补苍诲谤补产丑腻驳腻 river is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan and is one of the five major rivers of Punjab region. The river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and 叠丑腻驳腻, at Tandy, eight kilometers southwest of Kyelang.The 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 refers to it as having come out from the Himalayas.[10]
罢腻辫迟墨
According to the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, this is a river of southern India.[11] The 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 describes it as flowing from the 峁歬sa Mountain.[12] Nowadays, this river is known as 罢腻辫墨.[13]
Lauhitya
There is the great Mountain Lohita to the southern-eastern direction of 碍补颈濒腻蝉补. It is radiant like the sun and has peaks of gold. It is adjacent to the heavenly Mountain 笔颈艣补峁単补 that abounds in red arsenic. It is abundant with auspicious animals and medicinal herbs. At the foot of Lohita Mountain, there is a great divine lake called Lohita. From that issue out the sacred river Lauhitya. It is the modern Brahmaputra.[14]
痴补颈迟补谤补峁嚹�
The river 痴补颈迟补谤补峁嚹� is found in the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 and it is full of pus and blood. This is a mighty river at the threshold of yama鈥檚 city and it is hundred yojanas wide. The river is impenetrable and foul-smelling. It is terrifying river even at the first sight for the sinner. In the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, it is stated that the river is full of decayed blood with sediments and marshy deposits of flesh. In the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, it is stated that on seeing a sinner it assumes the form of melted 驳丑墨 in a vessel. It abounds in worms and flesh brought by vultures.[15]
痴颈谤补箩腻
This river flows in between the spaces of ether and spreads over five yojanas all round. It is the most sacred river that wards of rebirth. Those who bathe herein go to Brahmaloka where they rejoice with the four-faced 叠谤补丑尘腻. Those who take bath in the 痴颈谤补箩腻 river abandon their subtle bodies and attain liberation. Those alone who have realized the Self and abide in 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 can cross the 痴颈谤补箩腻 river. The river 痴颈谤补箩腻 does not disappear even at the time of dissolution. The river 痴颈谤补箩腻 is identical with 尝补办峁墨 and it has the function of destroying the subtle bodies.[16]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
te vai tad膩艣rama峁� jagmurhim膩dre岣� par艣va uttare | 辫耻峁补产丑补诲谤腻 苍补诲墨 yatra citr膩khy膩 ca sila vibho || 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺.,12.8.17
[2]:
ast膩da艣edine t膩rk峁ya tatpura峁� pr膩pnuy膩dasau | 辫耻峁补产丑补诲谤腻 苍补诲墨 yatra 苍测补驳谤辞诲丑补岣� 辫谤颈测补诲补谤艣补苍补岣� || 骋补谤耻岣峚 笔耻谤腻峁嘺,5.97 (Preta 碍丑补峁囜笉补)
[3]:
tato d峁涐梗advati峁� t墨rtv膩 mukundo鈥檛ha sarasvat墨m | pa帽c膩l膩natha matsy膩峁兣沜a 艣akraprasthamath膩gamat || 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺., 10.71. 22
[4]:
Vide.,Sircar, D.C., Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India, p.50
[5]:
at膩s膩mpo bh膩ratya岣raj膩 苍腻尘补bhireva | punant墨n膩m膩tman膩 copasp峁浥沘nti || 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺.,5.19.17
[6]:
seda sm峁泃isukh膩dy膩艣ca p膩rip膩trodbhav膩 mune | 苍补谤尘补诲腻 suras膩dy膩艣ca nadya vindhy膩dirnirgata岣� || 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, 2.3.10
[8]:
atha tairabhyanuj帽膩ta岣� kau艣ik墨m墨tya br膩hmanai岣� | 蝉苍腻迟惫腻 sarovaramag膩dyata岣� saray奴r膩sravat || 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺.,10.79.9-10
[9]:
[11]:
腻谤测腻峁� 诲惫补颈辫腻测补苍墨峁� 诲峁涐梗峁璿腻 艣奴rp膩rakamag膩dbala岣� | 迟腻辫墨峁� 辫补测辞峁ａ箛墨峁� 苍颈谤惫颈苍诲丑测腻mupasp峁泂y膩tha da峁囜笉akam || 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺.,10.79.20
[12]:
t膩p墨 payo峁ａ箛墨苍颈谤惫颈苍诲丑测腻pramukh膩 峁沰峁mbrav膩岣� | 驳辞诲腻惫补谤墨 产丑墨尘补谤补迟丑墨 k峁涐梗峁嘺ve峁噛膩dik膩stath膩 || 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, 2.3.11
[13]:
颈苍诲谤补迟墨谤迟丑补 办耻谤耻办峁迟谤补峁� yatra 辫谤腻肠墨 sarasvat墨 | t膩p墨 payo峁ａ箛i 苍颈谤惫颈苍诲丑测腻 尘补濒补测补岣� k峁涐梗峁嘺ve峁噄k膩 || 骋补谤耻岣峚 笔耻谤腻峁嘺,6.65(Preta 碍丑补峁囜笉补)
[14]:
lohito hemas峁涐箙gastu 驳颈谤颈岣� s奴ryaprabho尘补丑腻苍 | tasya p膩de mahaddivya峁� 濒辞丑颈迟补峁� 苍腻尘补 tatsara岣� | tasm膩tpu峁噛a岣� prabhavati 濒补耻丑颈迟测补岣� sadano 尘补丑腻苍 诲别惫腻谤补峁噛补峁� 惫颈艣辞办补峁� ca tasya t墨re mah膩vanam || 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺.,47.10-11
[15]:
bhagavandevadevesa k峁沺ay膩 paray膩 vada | 诲腻苍补峁� 诲腻苍补蝉测补 尘腻丑腻迟尘测补峁� vaitara峁噛膩岣� pram膩峁嘺kam || y膩 s膩 vaitara峁嚹� nama yamam膩rga mahasrit | ag膩dh膩 dustar膩 papird峁涐梗峁璦m膩tr膩 bhy膩vah膩 || p奴ya艣o峁嚹玹atoy膩岣峢y膩 m膩峁僺akarddamasa峁僰ul膩 | papinancagat膩n诲峁涐梗峁璿腻 n膩n膩bhayasam膩v峁泃膩 || kvathyate satvara峁� 迟辞测补峁� 辫腻迟谤补尘补诲丑测别 驳丑峁泃补峁� yath膩 | krimibhi岣� 蝉补峁卥耻濒补峁� 辫奴测补峁� vajratu峁囜笉ai岣� sam膩v峁泃am || 骋补谤耻岣峚 笔耻谤腻峁嘺,47.1-4(Preta 碍丑补峁囜笉补)
[16]:
a峁ａ弓am膩vara峁嘺峁� vyomnora峁僼ar膩 viraj膩 苍补诲墨 | pa帽cayojanavist墨r峁嚹� sa峁僼膩tparidh墨k峁泃膩 || aparok峁d峁浥浤乵eva峁� brahma峁嚹� saha g膩min膩m | viraj膩tara峁嘺峁� viddhi n膩nye峁Ｄ佱箖 vinat膩suta || tepi pratyeka艣a岣� 蝉补峁僼颈 hyana峁僼膩艣ca p峁泃hagg峁嚹佱弗 | p峁泃hakp峁泃hak ca taih 蝉腻办补峁� 尘辞办峁 测辞驳测腻岣� khage艣vara || Ibid., 10.17-20,24,25,26,27