3c. The sacred aspect of the river Sarasvatī

According to the Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, there were sixteen rivers, the Kāverī, the Kṛṣṇaveṇā, the Narmadā, the Yamunā, the Godāvarī, the Candrabhāgā, the Īrāvatī, the Vipāśā, the Kauśikī, the Śatadru, the Sarayu, the Sītā, the Sarasvatī, the Hrādinī and the Pāvanī, which were all married to Agni.^[1] Agni is a symbol of light and sacredness. The identification of Agni with Sarasvatī speaks of the attachment of the former’s qualities to the latter.^[2] All these rivers had acquired a very sacred position by virtue of their connection with the sacrificial fire lit on their banks by Aryans. A list of sacred rivers has also been found in the Agnipurāṇa.^[3] These are—the river Phalgu, the Vindusāra, the Ganges, the Sarasvatī, the Śatadru, the Gaṇḍakī, the Acchodha, the Vipāśā, the Vitastā, the Devikā, the Kāverī, the Varuṇa, the Niścirā, the Gomatī, the Pārā, the Carmaṇvatī, the Rupā, the Mandākinī, the Mahānadī, the Tāpī, the Payoṣṇī, the Veṇā, the Gourī, the Vaitaraṇī, the Godāvarī, the Bhīmarathī, the Tuṅgabhadrā, the Araṇī, the Candrabhāgā etc. An another list of rivers is also found in the Bhāgavatpuraṇā.^[4] These are the Candravaśā, Tāmraparṇī, Avatodā, Kṛtamālā, Vaihāyasī, Kāverī, Veṇī, Payasvinī, Śarkarāvartā, Tuṅgabhadrā, Kṛṣṇā, Veṇyā, Bhīmarathī, Godāvarī, Nirvindhyā, Payoṣṇī, Tāpī, Revā, Surasā, Narmadā, Carmaṇvatī, Sindhurandhaḥ, Śoṇa, Vedasmṛti, Trisāmā, Ṛṣikulyā, Kouśikī, Mandākinī, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Dṛṣadvatī, Gomatī, Sarayu, Rodhasvatī, Saptavatī, Suṣomā, Śatudru, Candrabhāgā, Marudvṛdhā, Vitastā, Asiknī and the Visveti.

The Matsyapurāṇa describes the sacred aspects of some of the rivers. It says that the Gaṅgā is sacred at Kanakhala, the Sarasvatī at Kurukṣetra; but Narmadā is sacred everywhere. Besides these, this Purāṇa says that the waters of the Sarasvatī river purify one within three days, of the Yamunā in seven days, of the Gaṅgā instantaneously and of the Narmadā just by the mere sight.^[5]

The river Sarasvatī is called the killer of all the sins because it annihilates all the sins with its sacredness.^[6] Not only the water of this river is sacred but also its banks equally deserve this sacredness. Hence, it is called the auspicious one (śubhataṭa).^[7] Many tīrthas are situated on the banks of the river Sarasvatī due to the auspiciousness. Sarasvatī is full of sacred waters and, therefore, is called puṇyatoyā,^[8] puṇyajalā^[9] etc. Because of these qualities, it is considered to be all pure and auspicious. Therefore, Sarasvatī is called śubhā,^[10] puṇyā,^[11] atipuṇyā etc.^[12]

The banks of the Sarasvatī had a calm and peaceful atmosphere. That is why; the holy sages lived on the bank of this river.^[13] They performed their daily religious rites on its banks and drank its holy waters. The sage Kardama lived on the banks of Sarasvatī river and practised hard austerities for ten thousand years.^[14] On its banks, Lord Kṛṣṇa also practised his self denial sitting under an aśvattha tree.^[15]

In the Bhāgavatapurāṇa, there are many references to the holy places and tīrthas situated on the banks of the river Sarasvatī. They all prove the sanctity of the river. It is found that a fierce battle took place between the Devas and the Asurus, when Lord Viṣṇu destroyed the progeny of Diti. So, Diti went to Syamantapañcaka, a holy place situated on the banks of the Sarasvatī. Diti practised hard penance for a long time worshipping her husband.^[16] In the twelve chapter of the Matsyapurāṇa, there is an enumeration of the sacred tīrthas for Srāddhas, in which the Pitṛtīrtha, Nīlalakuṇḍa, Rudrasarovara, Mānasarovara, Mandākinī, Acchoda, Vipāśā, Sarasvatī, all are taken to be sacred tīrthas.^[17]

Thus, the Sarasvatī has been a very sacred river in many respects, such as having pure waters of spiritual sanctity, sacred banks and sacred tīrthas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Brṇ.P., 2.12.13-16

[2]:

tvamagne aditirdeva dāśuṣe tvaṃ hotra bhāratī vardhase girā | tvamiḍā śatahimāsi dakṣase tvaṃ vṛtrahā vasupate sarasvatī || Ṛgveda Saṃhitā, 2.1.11

[3]:

phalgutīrthaṃ bindusaraḥ karavīrāśramastathā || nadyau gaṅgāsarasvatyau śatadrurgaṇḍakī tathā || acchodā ca vipāśā ca vitastā devikā nadī || kāverī varuṇa caiva niscirā gomatī nadī || Agni Purāṇa, 219.69-72

[4]:

Bhāgavata Purāṇa.,5.19.18

[5]:

puṇyā kanakhale gaṅgā kurukṣetre sarasvatī | rāme vā yadi vā’raṇye puṇyā sarvatra narmadā || Matsya Purāṇa,186.10-11

[6]:

plakṣavṛkṣātsamudbhūtā saricchreṣṭhā sanātanī || sarvapāpakṣayakārī smaraṇādapi nityaśaḥ || Vāmana Purāṇa,32.3; Skanda Purāṇa,7.34.31

[7]:

syamantapañcake kṣetre sarasvatyāstate śubhe | bharturārādhanaparā tapa ugraṃ cacāra ha || Matsya Purāṇa,7.3

[8]:

tatra sā rantukaṃ prāpya puṇyatoyā sarasvatī || kurukṣetraṃ samāplāvya prayātā paścimāṃ diśam | samāyātā kurukṣetraṃ puṇyatoyā sarasvatī || gayāsya yajamānasya gayāyāṃ ca mahākratau || Vāmana Purāṇa, 33.2;37.29,38

[9]:

Padma Purāṇa,5.27.119

[10]:

Vāmana Purāṇa,32.2;Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, 23.30

[11]:

Vāmana Purāṇa,32.24,34.6;Brṇ.P.,3.14-83

[12]:

tato gacccedvijaśreṣṭhā madanasya mahātmanaḥ | tīrthaṃ trailokyavikhyātaṃ vihāraṃ nāma nāmataḥ || Vāmana Purāṇa,42.9

[13]:

ubhayorṛṣikulyāyāḥ sarasvatyāḥ surodhasoḥ | ṛṣīṇāmupaśāntānāṃ paśyannāśramasaṃpadaḥ || Bhāgavata Purāṇa., 3.22.27

[14]:

prajāḥ sṛjeti bhagavān kardamo brahmaṇoditaḥ sarasvatyāṃ tapastepe sahasrāņāṃ samā daśa || Ibid., 3.21.6

[15]:

bhagavānsvātmamāyāyā gatiṃ tāmavalokya saḥ | sarasvatīmupaspṛśya vṛkṣamūlamupāviśat || ahaṃ cokto bhagavatā prapannārtihareṇa ha | badarīṃ tvaṃ prayāhīti svakulaṃ saṃjihīrṣurṇā || Ibid., 3.4.3-8

[16]:

syamantapañcake kṣetre sarasvatyāstate śubhe| bharaturārādhanaparā tapa ugraṃ cacāra hā || Ibid.,7.2.3

[17]:

tathā rudrasaraḥ puṇyaṃ saromānasameva ca | mandākinī tathācccodā vipāśāthā sarasvatī || Matsya Purāṇa, 22.22-23