Rivers in Ancient India (study)

by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words

This page relates ‘Conclusion’ 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.

Chapter 7 - Conclusion

The present work entitled ‘The Rivers in ancient India: A Vedic and Purāṇic study’ gives emphasis on various information regarding the significance of river reflected in the Vedic and Purāṇic literature. The river is a very prestigious word for the Indian civilization as well as world civilization. Every great civilization of the world has been grown on the bank of a particular river. In India, almost all renowned societies have been developed with the help of a particular river. From the ancient time, people of India gave respect to these rivers and gave them status as mother (mātā).[1] Rituals were also done for the wellbeing of these rivers. Covering the vast geographical area, Indian rivers have been an important factor for the rural as well as urban prosperity of India. The numerous rivers of India are of great value in India carrying a wider importance in cultural, economical, geographical as well as religious development.

A river civilization in an agricultural nation flourished beside a river. In fact, all great civilization grew up in river valleys. Rivers constitute the lifeline for any country and some of the world’s great civilization (Indus Valley, Mesopotamian and Egyptian) have all prospered on the banks of the river system. Civilization tended to grow up in river valleys for a number of reasons. The most obvious is access to a usually reliable source of water for agriculture and human needs. Plentiful water, and the enrichment of the soil due to annual floods, made it possible to grow excess crops beyond what was needed to sustain an agricultural village. This allowed some members of the community to engage in non agricultural activities such as construction of buildings and cities, metal working, trade and social organization.

The Hindu consider rivers as sacred and have personified them as deities and sung their praises in their religious literature, viz. the Vedas (Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda), the Purāṇas etc.These cited names of several rivers that existed during the Vedic period and which had their origin in the Himalayas. Hindu mythology records several legends and anecdotes that are interwined with the rivers. Every aspect of the river life, right from its birth to each journey down the Himalayas and over the plains towards the Sindhu Sāgara (ancient Arabian sea), have found mentioned in one religious text or other, like Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, Brāhmaṇa literature and the Purāṇas.These descriptive legends have often provided helpful in cataloguing some of the natural events of the period and linking some of them with the rivers perturbation. Today, since the Vedas came into existence; some of the rivers mentioned therein have become defunct or have shifted their original path.

There are ample references of rivers in Vedic and Purāṇic literature. In the Vedas, waters are mentioned not merely as divine waters or river but as the very source of the creation of the world. It is closely associated with Prajāpati and Prajāpati is identified with Brahmā in the Purāṇic literature.Sarasvatī is identified with Vāk in the Brāhmaṇas. Brahmā is supposed to be the creator of Sarasvatī. Some of the rivers in Vedic and Purāṇic age have changed their names in different states and these rivers are discussed in a comprehensive manner. In our present research work, the changing trend of the rivers from the Ṛgveda to the Purāṇic period has also been analyzed.

The work consists of seven chapters. The first chapter is the introductory chapter. In this chapter, a short discussion regarding the Vedic literature, derivation of the word nadī, and the synonymous words of nadī has been analyzed. Some of the river based civilizations are also discussed in this chapter.

The second chapter contains information regarding the various features of rivers in the Saṃhitā literature. The Ṛgvedasaṃhitā is a book of poetry which is fundamentally lyrical. Nature was the vital source of inspiration for the Vedic seers. For them it was not an inert, insensate, brute matter, but was rather endowed with conscious life. Nature as the subject matter of poetry has found in each expression in the form of personification in the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā. Water of the sky has been personified as an impetuous warrior. Several rivers are personified and invoked as deities in the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā.

Rivers are connected with the mother goddess cult from time immemorial. The rivers are generally conceived as females and are regarded as Mother Goddess.

In the Yajurvedasaṃhitā, there are references of rivers also. In the thirtyfourth Adhyāya of the Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā, there is a mention of Saptasindhu, the seven rivers. In this Saṃhitā, it is found that five rivers flowed on to the river Sarasvatī and then became Sarasvatī, a fivefold river in the land.[2]

The Atharvavedasaṃhitā gives us many references about places, rivers and mountains. Seven rivers are mentioned at many places in the Atharvavedasaṃhitā. At one place, in the Atharvavedasaṃhitā, ninety rivers are mentioned and it is said that the black magic mantras of Aṅgīrasa and the devils may go across ninety rivers.

In the third chapter, there is a discussion on the various rivers as revealed in the Brāhmaṇa literature. Brāhmaṇas stands for a huge mass of prose texts which contains speculations on the mantras, precepts for the application of mantras in different sacrifices, details of sacrificial as paraphernalia and theological, philosophical, grammatical, etymological and metrical speculations.

The Śatapathabrāhamaṇa says that the Samudra swells round the earth. In the Aitareyabrāhmaṇa, Samudra has been mentioned several times. Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa refers to the saline water of the sea. According to the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, the waters of the Sarasvatī were used for consecration. It is also told that the consecration was done with Speech. Śatapathbrāhmaṇa informs us that the mantras chanted in the sacrifice are taken to be Vāk, and owing to the predominance of the chanting of the mantras, the sacrifice itself has been identified with Vāk. The Sāṅkhāyaṇabrāhmaṇa identifies Sarasvatī with speech.

The fourth chapter discusses the various rivers found in the post Brāhmaṇic literature, i.e. Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣads. Though Āraṇyakas are the forest literature, still there are no descriptions of rivers in it,but only the name of one or two rivers are found. In the Sāṅkhāyaṇāraṇyka, there is only mention of the name of a river called Vijarā. In the Aitareyāraṇyka, there is a mention of water.

In the Upaniṣad, a little bit of information are found regarding the rivers. All the rivers of India are symbolized as goddesses except the river Brahmaputra. The Hindus have been revering rivers since the Vedic times. The Indus people also might have worshipped rivers and had some associate rituals. In the Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad, the rivers are described as the group of his rivers. In one mantra of the Praśnopaniṣad, it is found that the rivers flow towards the ocean. The same descriptions of rivers are also found in the Muṇḍakopaniṣad also.[3] In the minor Upaniṣads, there are some references that related to the rivers.

The fifth chapter has dealt with rivers as depicted in the Purāṇic literature. In the Purāṇas, rivers occupy an important place. In the Purāṇas, it is found that rivers originate in lakes. Each river has, in their accounts, invariably a lake visible or invisible as its source. In its turn, this lake lies at a foot of a mountain and collects the rain which runs down its slopes. Thus, according to the Purāṇas, each river has a corresponding lake and an associated mountain. The Purāṇas believe that a river can infiltrate, through subterranean channels mountain ranges or minor impediments, which lie across its course. As a consequence, the water of a lake could filter through the bounding ridges and give rise to streams on opposite slopes. Thus, in the Purāṇas, it is found a river could flow in as many as two, three or more channels, separated by intermediate ridges. The authors of the Purāṇas consider a river with all its tributaries as one river. They do not usually give separate names for tributaries while describing the main river.

In the Purāṇas, various epithets are used for rivers in general. Such adjectives imply the munificence and benevolent nature of rivers. They flow and give water to the earth. The rivers bring along with them many beneficial boons for human happiness. It is due to this fact that they are affectionately called mothers of the world.[4]

In the sixth chapter, the changing trends of the rivers from Vedic to Purāṇic age have been thoroughly discussed. In this chapter, attempts have been made to describe the dynamics of the river streams, their earlier courses, changes in these courses, processes responsible for such changes and a host of other related matters. Some rivers are lost and some are existing with the same name or the other. In due course of time, some of the river changes their courses. In present time, though some rivers are lost, some organizations are trying to discover the reasons and hence taken some steps to dig such river once again.

The seventh chapter consists of a concluding remark on the work. After reviewing all the chapters, it can be summed up that the rivers in India are considered and worshipped as god and goddess among the Hindus. The rivers were a great source of water for the civilization and they provided a reliable transportation system. As in many parts of the world, civilization in India also flourished around rivers and rivers remain an enduring symbol of national culture. Different generations have considered rivers as sacred and personified them as deities and sung in their praises in their religious literature. Several rivers existed during the Vedic period and had their origin in the Himalayas. The rivers are not considered merely a flowing mass of waters but they are regarded life protecting divine mothers except the Lauhitya river. The Lauhitya river can not be called mother because this river is masculine in gender but the other rivers are feminine.

The rivers are the life-line of India. From the time immemorial, the rivers played a constructive role to build the Indian culture, history and civilization. For that reason, the rivers enjoyed a respected position in the literature, history and culture of India. In the Vedic literature, rivers are stated as the mother of human civilization. From ancient to modern literature, the rivers always played a significant role and will earn honour from the future literature and culture. In conclusion, it may be stated that if rivers are survived, civilization will be continued.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ṛgveda Saṃhitā, 7.36.6

[2]:

Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, 34.11

[3]:

M.U., 3.2.8

[4]:

cf., Bhaṭṭācārya, Rāmaśaṅkara, Itihāsa-Purāṇakā Anuśīlana, p.219

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