2. The rivers in the Brāhmaṇas

The centre of gravity of Aryan civilization was shifting from the Northwest to the eastern regions in the later Vedic age. In the Ṛgvedic age, the cradleland of Aryan civilization was located in the land of the traditional Pañca-janas in the Punjab and extended eastward to the region bordered by the rivers Sarasvatī and Dṛṣadvatī, the home of Bharatas. In the Brāhmaṇical era, the civilization shifted from the Indus valley to the Gangetic plain; Aryan civilization is a definite thing in the more eastern regions in that age with Kurukṣetra as its centre bounded on the north by Turghna, on the south by the Khāṇḍava, and on the west by Parīnaḥ.^[1] Śatapathabrāhmaṇa refers to the eastern and western oceans. The Himalayas and the Tṛkakud (three peaked) mountain nestled amidst the Himalayan range are mentioned in the Taittirīyāraṇyaka. So far as the rivers are concerned, the far-famed holy river Sarasvatī of the Ṛgvedic age which is invoked as the greatest among rivers(nadītame), the greatest among mothers(ambitame) and the greatest of goddesses(devitame) in the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā^[2] faded into insignificance and lost her former glory in the Brāhmaṇical era. The name of the Ganges is met with along with other rivers such as Yamunā, Sarasvatī etc. in the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā.^[3]

In the earlier maṇḍalas of the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, the name of the Ganges is never heard; this fact proves that the river Sarasvatī gradually receded into the background and the rivers of the Gangetic plain came into prominence during the later Vedic age. The rivers of the eastern region became prominent in this period. The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa mentions the river Sadānīrā as the boundary line between the Kosalas and Videhas.^[4] A. Weber and J.Eggeling identify this river with Gaṇḍak. The Vedic index lends support to the identification of Sadānīrā with Gaṇḍak. The name Sadānīrā is very significant; it seems this river never ran dry.^[5] The Aryan civilization so long nestled and nutured in the Indus Valley or the Suvāstu region sanctified by the waters of the holy Sarasvatī shifted towards the Gangetic plain crossed the river Sadānīrā, the eastern boundary of Gaṇḍak and reached the land of Videha.

Videha Māthava, the king of the Videha along with his priest Gotama Rāhugaṇa, is described as carrying the sacred sacrificial fire eastward from the banks of the Sarasvatī over Kosala (Oudh) across the river Sadānīrā and finally settling at Videha (Tirhut) after the tribal name of Māthava.^[6] The memorable passage of the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa proves categorically that the Videhas received their culture from the west that Kosala, was Aryanised before Videha and that the territory bordered by the river Sadānīrā was conquered by the Vedic Aryans.

Now, in the following pages, a discussion is made on the various rivers as found in the Brāhmaṇas.Here, it is to be noted that except some information on Sarasvatī, there is a little bit of information on the other rivers in the Brāhmaṇas. Though, the information regarding the river Sarasvatī is very little, but it has given the emphasis on the identification of Sarasvatī with Vāk.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 1.6.3.11

[2]:

ambitame nadītame devitame sarasvatī | Ṛgveda Saṃhitā, 2.41.16

[3]:

imaṃ me gaṅge yamune sarasvati……suṣomayā | Ibid., 10.75.5

[4]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 1.4.1.17

[5]:

cf., Weber, A (ed.), The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, vol. 2, p.422

[6]:

videgho ha māthavo’gnim ……..purahito eṣā | Ś.B .,1.4.1.10