Rigvedic rivers: Difference between revisions

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by PJsg1011
Last edited March 9, 2026
VisualWikitext
imported>PJsg1011
 
mNo edit summary
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Rivers mentioned in the Hindu Rig Veda}}
{{Redirect|Hindu river|the river known as the Sindhū|Indus River}}
{{Redirect|Hindu river|the river known as the Sindhū|Indus River}}
{{For|the most sacred river in Hinduism|Ganges}}
{{For|the festival|Kumbh Mela}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{More citations needed section|date= January 2018}}
The [[Rigveda]] refers to a number of rivers located in the northwestern [[Indian subcontinent]], from [[Gandhara]] to [[Kurukshetra]].
{{short description|Rivers mentioned in the Rig Veda of Hinduism}}
[[File:Rigvedic geography.jpg|right|thumb|Rivers mentioned in Rigveda]]
[[River]]s, such as the '''Sapta Sindhavah''' ("seven rivers" {{lang-sa|सप्तसिन्धवः}}),<ref>e.g. [[Mandala 2|RV 2]].12; [[Mandala 4|RV 4]].28; [[Mandala 8|RV 8]].24</ref> play a prominent part in the hymns of the '''[[Rig Veda]]''', and consequently in early [[Historical Vedic religion|Hindu religion]]. Vedic texts have a wide geographical horizon, speaking of  oceans, rivers, mountains and deserts. “Eight summits of the Earth, three shore or desert regions, seven rivers.” (asthau vyakhyat kakubhah prthivyam tri dhanva yojana sapta sindhun RV.I.35.8).


The Vedic land is a land of the seven rivers flowing into the ocean. It encompasses the regions from [[Gandhara]] to [[Kurukshetra]].
==Rigvedic geography==
[[File:Sarasvati river.jpg|thumb|Vedic and present-day Ghaggar-Hakra river-course, with [[Āryāvarta|Aryavarta]]/[[Kuru kingdom]], and pre-Harappan Hakra/Shutudri-Yamuna paleochannels as proposed by {{harvtxt|Clift et al.|2012}} and {{harvtxt|Khonde et al.|2017}}.{{refn|group=lower-alpha|See [https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Satellite-image-of-the-Indus-River-system-showing-the-study-sites-Stars-indicate_fig1_229062223 Clift et al. (2012) map] and [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05745-8/figures/1 Honde te al. (2017) map].}}<br />1 = ancient river<br/>2 = today's river<br/>3 = today's Thar desert<br/>4 = ancient shore<br/>5 = today's shore<br/>6 = today's town<br/>7 = dried-up Harappan Hakra course, and pre-Harappan Sutlej paleochannels ({{harvtxt|Clift et al.|2012}}).]]


==Mythology==
Identification of Rigvedic hydronyms has engaged multiple historians; it is the single most important way of establishing the geography and chronology of the early [[Vedic period]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Witzel|first=Michael|title=Aryans and Non-Non-Aryans: Evidence, Interpretation and Ideology|year=1998|editor-last=Bronkhorst|editor-first=James|editor-link=Johannes Bronkhorst|series=Harvard Oriental Series|location=Cambridge|pages=337–404|chapter=Aryan and non-Aryan Names in Vedic India: Data for the linguistic situation, c. 1900-500 B.C|author-link=Michael Witzel|editor-last2=Deshpande|editor-first2=Madhav}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/download/195.1996-sapta-sindhvas-the-landof-seven-rivers/195.1996_SaptaSindhvas-TheLandofSevenRivers.pdf|title=Sapta Sinhavas- The land of seven rivers|work=M. Aslamkhan}}</ref> Rivers with certain identifications stretch from eastern [[Afghanistan]] to the western [[Gangetic plain]], clustering in the [[Punjab]] region. The Rigveda mentions the ''sapta-sindhavaḥ'' ({{langx|sa|सप्तसिन्धवः}}, seven rivers), along with other rivers:
A recurring theme in the [[Yajurveda]] is that of [[Indra]] slaying [[Vritra]] (literally "the obstacle"), liberating the rivers; in a variant of the myth, Indra smashes the [[Vala (Vedic)|Vala]] cave, releasing the cows that were within. Though the two myths are separate,<ref>H.-P. Schmidt, Brhaspathi and Indra, Wiesbaden 1968</ref> rivers and cows are often poetically correlated in the Rigveda, for example in 3.33, a notable hymn describes the crossing of two swollen rivers by the chariots and wagons of the [[Bhāratas|Bharata]] tribe:
{{Blockquote
:3.33.1cd ''Like two bright mother cows who lick their youngling, [[Vipas]] and [[Sutudri]] speed down their waters.'' (trans. [[Ralph T. H. Griffith|Griffith]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv03033.htm|title=Rig Veda: Rig-Veda, Book 3: HYMN XXXIII. Indra.|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref>
|text=“He has surveyed eight summits of the Earth, three shore or desert regions, seven rivers.” (''aṣṭaú vy àkhyat kakúbhaḥ pr̥thivyā́s trī́ dhánva yójanā saptá síndhūn'' RV.I.35.8).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=H.H |title=Rig Veda 1.35.8 [English translation] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/rig-veda-english-translation/d/doc829317.html |website=www.wisdomlib.org |access-date=22 May 2022 |language=en |date=27 August 2021}}</ref>}}


==Seven Rivers==
''Sapta-sindhavaḥ'' is cognate with [[Avestan]] ''hapta həndu'', and is interpreted as referring to Punjab.{{efn|'Seven Rivers' include [[Indus]] and the five rivers of Punjab. Seventh is generally believed to be the legendary [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvati]]; however, [[J. S. Grewal]] considers river [[Kabul river|Kabul]] more likely to be the seventh river instead.<ref name=Grewal/> See also [[Avestan geography#Vendidad references]]}} The region's name comes from پنج, ''panj'', 'five' and آب, [[Ap (water)|''āb'']], 'water' thus "[[Punjab#Etymology|five waters]]", a Persian calque of the Indo-Aryan ''Pancha-nada'' meaning "five rivers".<ref name=Grewal>{{Cite journal |last=Grewal |first=J. S. |author-link=J. S. Grewal |date=2004 |title=Historical Geography of the Punjab |url=https://punjab.global.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/sitefiles/journals/volume11/no1/2_grewal.pdf |journal=Journal of Punjab Studies |publisher=[[University of California, Santa Barbara]] |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=1–18 |issn=0971-5223 |oclc=436148809}}</ref>
The Seven Rivers are a group of seven chief rivers of uncertain or fluctuating identification (the number seven is of greater importance than the exact members of the group)- compare the [[Saptarishi]] of the Avesta (and also the later [[seven seas]] and the seven [[clime]]s) . The [[Avesta]]'s ''{{IAST|hapta həndu}}'' are preemptively equated with the Vedic Sapta Sindhavaḥ or vis-a-vis: in ''[[Vendidad]]'' 1.18 these are described to be the fifteenth of the sixteen lands created by [[Ahura Mazda|Mazda]].<ref>Gnoli 1989 pp.44–46</ref> Note: The term Sapta Sindhava, commonly used in Hindi and other Indian languages, is the nominative plural in Sanskrit (dropping the final visarga in conformity with the convention when expressing Sanskrit words in modern languages). Sapta Sindhu, often seen in English, is in the singular, and is therefore ungrammatical.


===Identity of the Seven Rivers===
The same names were often imposed on different rivers as the Vedic culture migrated eastward from around Afghanistan (where they stayed for a considerable time) to the subcontinent via Punjab.<ref name=":2" />
It is not entirely clear how the Seven Rivers were intended to be enumerated. They are often located in  northern India / eastern Pakistan. If the Sarasvati and the five major rivers of India are included ([[Shutudri]]/Sutlej, [[Parushni]]/Ravi, [[Asikni (river)|Asikni]]/Chenab, [[Vitasta]]/Jhelum, [[Vipasha]]/Beas, the latter all tributaries of [[River Indus|Sindhu / Indus]]), one river is missing, probably the Kubha. Other possibilities include the [[Arjikiya]] or [[Sushoma]]; compare also the list of ten rivers, both east and west of the Indus, in the  [[Nadistuti sukta]], RV 10.75. In  6.61.10, Sarasvati is called "she with seven sisters" (''saptasvasā'') indicating a group of eight rivers, the number seven being more important than the individual members (see also ''[[saptarshi]]'', hapta karšuuar /''[[haft keshvar]]'' in Avestan), so that the list of the Sapta Sindhava may not have been fixed or immutable. In RV 10.64.8 and [[RV 10.75]].1, three groups of seven rivers are referred to (''{{IAST|tríḥ saptá sasrâ nadíyaḥ}}'' "thrice seven wandering rivers"), as well as 99 rivers. The Sapta-Sindhava region was bounded by Saraswati in the east, by the Sindhu in the west and the five in between were Satudru, Vipasa, Asikni, Parusni and Vitasta.


==Geography of the Rigveda==
==List of rivers==
[[File:Map of Vedic India.png|thumb|320x320px|Geography of the Rigveda]]
Multiple hydronyms are located in the Rigvedic corpus; they are slotted according to rough geographical locations, following the scheme of [[Michael Witzel]].<ref name=":2" /> Alongside, opinions of scholars about modern correlates are provided:<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Blažek|first=Václav|author-link=Václav Blažek|date=2016|title=Hydronymia R̥gvedica|journal=[[Linguistica Brunensia]]|publisher=[[Masaryk University]]|volume=64|issue=2|pages=7–54}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Dähnhardt|first=Thomas Wolfgang Peter|year=2009|editor-last=Filippi|editor-first=Gian Giuseppe|chapter=The descent of King Lion: Some considerations on the relations between the Indus and other rivers in the sacred geography and culture of ancient India|series=Indoasiatica|publisher=Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina|volume=6|pages=189–208|title=I fiumi sacri|isbn=9788875432416}}</ref>
Identification of Rigvedic rivers is the single most important way of establishing the geography of the early [[Vedic civilization]]. Rivers with certain identifications stretch from eastern [[Afghanistan]] to the western [[Gangetic plain]], clustering in the undivided Punjab (the region's name means "five rivers").


A number of names can be shown to have been re-applied to other rivers as the center of Vedic culture moved eastward from the central Vedic heartland in undivided Punjab. It is possible to establish a clear picture for the latest phase of the Rigveda, thanks to the [[Nadistuti sukta]] (10.75), which contains a geographically ordered list of rivers. The most prominent river of the Rigveda is the unidentified [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvati]] river, next to the 3249 kilometers (2019 miles) long [[Indus River|Indus]]. The Rig Veda mentions Saraswati river as between Yamuna to the East and river Sutlej to the west. The [[Mahabharata]] talks about the [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvati]] drying up.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UTYlDwAAQBAJ&q=mahabharat+balaram+saraswati+pilgrimage&pg=PT130|title=River and Goddess Worship in India: Changing Perceptions and Manifestations of Sarasvati|last=Prasad|first=R. U. S.|date=2017-05-25|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781351806541|language=en}}</ref>
Indus:


==List==
* Síndhu – Identified with [[Indus River|Indus]].<ref name=":0" /> The central lifeline of RV.<ref name=":1" />
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2015}}
In the geographical organization of the following list, it has to be kept in mind that some names appearing both in early and in late hymns may have been re-applied to new rivers during the composition of the Rigveda.
[[File:Kabulriverinjaa1.jpg|thumb|Kabul River near Jalalabad]]
[[File:Swat River Pakistan.JPG|thumb|Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]
[[File:Jam Qasr Zarafshan.jpg|thumb|Harī Rūd in Afghanistan]]


Northwestern Rivers (western tributaries of the Indus):
Northwestern Rivers:


*    Trstama
*    Tr̥ṣṭā́mā – Blažek identifies with [[Gilgit River|Gilgit]].<ref name=":0" /> Witzel notes it to be unidentified.<ref name=":2" />
*    Susartu
*    Susártu – Unidentified.
*    Anitabha (listed once, in 5.53.9, with the Afghan rivers [[Rasā|Rasa]] (Avestan Rangha/Raŋhā), [[Kubha]], [[Kurram River|Krumu]], [[Sarayu]] (Avest. Harōiiu)
*    Ánitabhā – Unidentified.
*    [[Rasā|Rasa]] (on the upper Indus) (often a mythical river, Avestan Rangha, Scythian Rha)
*    Rasā́ – Described once to be on the upper Indus; at other times a mythical entity.<ref name=":0" />
*   Svetya ([[Gilgit River|Gilgit]])<ref>{{Cite book|title=River and goddess worship in India : changing perceptions and manifestations of Sarasvati.|last=S.|first=Prasad, R. U.|date=2017|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781351806558|location=Abingdon, Oxon|oclc=988293338}}</ref>
* Mehatnū – A tributary of [[Gomal River|Gomatī́]].<ref name=":0" /> Unidentifiable.<ref name=":2" />
*    Kubha ([[Kabul River|Kabul]]), Greek Kophēn
*    Śvetyā́ – Unidentified.
*    Krumu ([[Kurram River|Kurrum]])
*    Kúbhā – Identified with [[Kabul River|Kabul river]].
*    Mehatnu (along with the Gomati and Krumu)
*    Krúmu – Identified with [[Kurrama River|Kurrum]].
*    Srivastu/Suvastu ([[Swat River|Swat]]) in RV 8.19.37)
*    Suvā́stu – Identified with [[Swat River|Swat]].
*   Gauri ([[Panjkora River|Panjkora]])
*Gomatī́ – Identified with [[Gomal River|Gomal]].
*    Kusava ([[Kunar River|Kunar]])
* Saráyu / Harōiiu – Blažek identifies with [[Sarju]].<ref name=":0" /> Witzel identifies with [[Hari (Afghanistan)|Hari]].<ref name=":2" />
*    Kuṣávā – Probably the [[Kunar River]].
* Yavyā́vatī – Noted to be a branch of Gomatī́. Witzel as well as Blažek identifies with [[Zhob River]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /> Dähnhardt comments it to be synonymous to Yamúnā or flowing very close to it.<ref name=":1" />


The Indus and its minor eastern tributaries:  
Eastern tributaries:  
*    Sindhu ([[Indus River|Indus]]; (''sindhu'' also means "stream/Giant River" generically)
*    Suṣómā – Identified with [[Soan River|Soan]].
*    Sushoma ([[Soan River|Sohan]])
*    Arjikiya – Blažek identifies with [[Haro River|Haro]].<ref name=":0" /> Witzel speculates it to be [[Poonch River|Poonch]] or [[Tawi River|Tawi]].<ref name=":2" />
*    Arjikiya ([[Haro River|Haro]])
* Rivers of Jammu :
**    Suryāputrī – Identified with [[Tawi River|Tawi]].
**    Asiknī́ – Identified with [[Chenab River|Chenab]].
**    Iravatī – Identified with [[Ravi River|Ravi]].


Central Rivers (rivers of the Punjab):  
* Rivers of Punjab:
*    Vitasta ([[Jhelum River|Jhelum]])
**    Vitástā – Identified with [[Jhelum River|Jhelum]].
*    Asikni ([[Chenab River|Chenab]])
**    Asiknī́ – Identified with [[Chenab River|Chenab]].
*    Parusni ([[Ravi River|Ravi]])
**    Iravatī – Identified with [[Ravi River|Ravi]].
*    Vipas ([[Beas River|Beas]])
**    Vípāśā – Identified with [[Beas River|Beas]].
*    Sutudri ([[Sutlej]])
**    Śutudrī́ – Identified with [[Sutlej]].
*    Marudvrdha
**    Marúdvr̥dhā – Identified with Mahuvardhavan.<ref name=":0" />


East-central Rivers (rivers of [[Haryana]]):  
[[Haryana]]:  
*    [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvati]] (References to the Sarasvati river in the Rigveda are identified with the present-day [[Ghaggar River]], although originally it might have been the name of the [[Arghandab River|Arghandab]] and [[Helmand River|Helmand]] rivers, as a possible locus of early Rigvedic references.)<ref>{{citation |last=Kochhar |first=Rajesh |chapter=On the identity and chronology of the Ṛgvedic river Sarasvatī |title=Archaeology and Language III; Artefacts, languages and texts |editor1=Roger Blench |editor2=Matthew Spriggs |publisher=Routledge |year=1999 |isbn=0-415-10054-2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h8jfBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA262 |page=262}}</ref>
*    [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvati]]<ref>{{citation |last=Kochhar |first=Rajesh |chapter=On the identity and chronology of the Ṛgvedic river Sarasvatī |title=Archaeology and Language III; Artefacts, languages and texts |editor1=Roger Blench |editor2=Matthew Spriggs |publisher=Routledge |year=1999 |isbn=0-415-10054-2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h8jfBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA262 |page=262}}</ref> (also identified with [[Helmand river|Helmand]] in Afghanistan<ref>{{citation |last=Kochhar |first=Rajesh |chapter=On the identity and chronology of the Ṛgvedic river Sarasvatī |title=Archaeology and Language III; Artefacts, languages and texts |editor1=Roger Blench |editor2=Matthew Spriggs |publisher=Routledge |year=1999 |isbn=0-415-10054-2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h8jfBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA262 |page=262}}</ref>)
*    [[Drsadvati]], Apaya (RV 3.23.4, Mahabharata Apaga.)
**    Āpayā́ and Āpayā́ – Streams/rivers of Sarasvati basin.<ref name=":0" />
**[[Drishadvati River|Drishadvati]]<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kar|first1=Amal|last2=Ghose|first2=Bimal|date=1984|title=The Drishadvati River System of India: An Assessment and New Findings|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/635000|journal=The Geographical Journal|volume=150|issue=2|pages=221–229|doi=10.2307/635000|jstor=635000 |issn=0016-7398|url-access=subscription}}</ref>


Eastern Rivers:
Eastern Rivers:
*    Asmanvati ([[Assan River|Assan]])
*    Áśmanvatī – Identified with [[Asan Barrage|Assan]].
*   [[Yamuna]]
* Yamúnā – Identified with [[Yamuna]].
*   [[Ganges River|Ganga]]
** Aṃśumátī – Probably an epithet for Yamúnā.<ref name=":0" />
*   [[Sarayu]] in Uttar Pradesh
* Gáṅgā – Identified with [[Ganges|Ganga]].
*   Gomati or Adi Ganga in Uttar Pradesh [[Gomti River|(Gomti)]]
*    [[Gandaki River|Gandaki]]
*    Silamavati
*    Urnavati
*    [[Yavyavati]] ([[Zhob river]])


==See also==
==See also==
Line 79: Line 71:
*[[Ap (water)]]
*[[Ap (water)]]
*[[Aryan migration]]
*[[Aryan migration]]
*[[India (Herodotus)]]
*[[Nadistuti sukta]]
*[[Nadistuti sukta]]
*[[Old European hydronymy]]
*[[Old European hydronymy]]
Line 85: Line 78:
*[[River goddess]]
*[[River goddess]]
*[[Samudra]]
*[[Samudra]]
*[[Zhetysu]] - 7 rivers of Central Asia
*[[Jetisu|Zhetysu]] – 7 rivers of Central Asia
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}
==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Blažek, Václav. "[http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/136172 Hydronymia R̥gvedica]". In: ''Linguistica Brunensia''. 2016, vol. 64, iss. 2, pp.&nbsp;7–54. {{ISSN|2336-4440}}; {{ISSN|1803-7410}}.
* {{citation | last1 =Clift | first1 =Peter D. | ref ={{sfnref|Clift et al.|2012}} | last2 =Carter | first2 =Andrew | last3 =Giosan | first3 =Liviu | last4 =Durcan | first4 =Julie | display-authors =etal | year =2012 | title =U–Pb zircon dating evidence for a Pleistocene Sarasvati River and capture of the Yamuna River | journal =Geology | volume =40 | issue =3 | pages =211–214 | doi =10.1130/g32840.1 | bibcode =2012Geo....40..211C | s2cid =130765891 }}
* {{Citation | last1 =Khonde | first1 =Nitesh  | last2 =Kumar Singh | first2 =Sunil | last3 =Maur | first3 =D. M. | last4 =Rai | first4 = Vinai K. | last5 =Chamyal | first5 =L. S. | last6 =Giosan | first6 =Liviu | year =2017 | title =Tracing the Vedic Saraswati River in the Great Rann of Kachchh | journal =Scientific Reports | volume =7 | issue =1 | page =5476 | doi =10.1038/s41598-017-05745-8 | pmid =28710495 | pmc =5511136 | bibcode =2017NatSR...7.5476K | url =|ref={{sfnref|Khonde et al.|2017}}}}
{{refend}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{citation | last=Bryant | first=Edwin | author-link=Edwin Bryant (author) | title=The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2001 | isbn=0-19-513777-9| title-link=The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture }}
;General
*{{cite book |title=The Homeland of the Aryans. Evidence of Rigvedic Flora and Fauna and Archaeology |author=B. B. Lal |publisher=Aryan Books |year=2005|isbn=8173052832  }}
* Gherardo Gnoli, ''De Zoroastre à Mani. Quatre leçons au Collège de France'' (Travaux de l'Institut d’Études Iraniennes de l’Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle 11), Paris (1985).
*{{cite book|author=Braj Basi Lal|title=The Rigvedic People - 'Invaders'?/'Immigrants'? or Indigenous?|year=2015|publisher=Aryan Books International|isbn=978-81-7305-535-5}}
*{{cite book|author=Braj Basi Lal|title=The Sarasvatī flows on: the continuity of Indian culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ultAAAAMAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Aryan Books International|isbn=978-81-7305-202-6}}
* Chakrabarti, D. K., & Saini, S. (2009). The problem of the Sarasvati River and notes on the archaeological geography of Haryana and Indian Panjab. New Delhi: Aryan Books International.
* {{Citation | last =Danino | first =Michel | year =2010 | title =The Lost River - On the trail of the Sarasvati | publisher =Penguin Books India| title-link =The Lost River }}
* {{Citation | last =Eck | first =Diana L. | year =2012 | title=India: A Sacred Geography | publisher=Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony | isbn =978-0-385-53191-7}}
* Gherardo Gnoli, ''De Zoroastre à Mani. Quatre leçons au Collège de France'' (Travaux de l’Institut d’Études Iraniennes de l’Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle 11), Paris (1985)
* Gupta, S.P. (ed.). 1995. The lost Saraswati and the Indus Civilization. Kusumanjali Prakashan, Jodhpur.
*[[K. D. Sethna]] ''[[The Problem of Aryan Origins]]'', 1980, 1992; {{ISBN|81-85179-67-0}}
* S.C. Sharma. 1974. The description of the rivers in the Rig Veda. The Geographical Observer, 10: 79-85.
* [[Shrikant G. Talageri]], ''The Rigveda, a historical analysis'', Aditya Prakashan, New Delhi ([http://www.tri-murti.com/ancientindia/rigHistory/ch4.htm chapter 4])
* [[Michael Witzel]], ''Tracing the Vedic dialects'' in ''Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes'' ed. [[Colette Caillat|Caillat]], Paris, 1989, 97&ndash;265.


{{Rigveda}}
{{Rigveda}}
Line 111: Line 103:
[[Category:Rigvedic rivers| ]]
[[Category:Rigvedic rivers| ]]
[[Category:Rigveda|Rivers]]
[[Category:Rigveda|Rivers]]
[[Category:History of India]]
[[Category:Rivers of Sindh]]
[[Category:Hydronymy]]
[[Category:Hydronymy]]
[[Category:Rivers of Pakistan]]

Latest revision as of 17:46, 9 March 2026


"Hindu river" redirects here. For the river known as the Sindhū, see Indus River.

The Rigveda refers to a number of rivers located in the northwestern Indian subcontinent, from Gandhara to Kurukshetra.

Rivers mentioned in Rigveda

Rigvedic geography[edit | edit source]

Vedic and present-day Ghaggar-Hakra river-course, with Aryavarta/Kuru kingdom, and pre-Harappan Hakra/Shutudri-Yamuna paleochannels as proposed by Clift et al. (2012) and Khonde et al. (2017).[lower-alpha 1]
1 = ancient river
2 = today's river
3 = today's Thar desert
4 = ancient shore
5 = today's shore
6 = today's town
7 = dried-up Harappan Hakra course, and pre-Harappan Sutlej paleochannels (Clift et al. (2012)).

Identification of Rigvedic hydronyms has engaged multiple historians; it is the single most important way of establishing the geography and chronology of the early Vedic period.[1][2] Rivers with certain identifications stretch from eastern Afghanistan to the western Gangetic plain, clustering in the Punjab region. The Rigveda mentions the sapta-sindhavaḥ (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., seven rivers), along with other rivers:

“He has surveyed eight summits of the Earth, three shore or desert regions, seven rivers.” (aṣṭaú vy àkhyat kakúbhaḥ pr̥thivyā́s trī́ dhánva yójanā saptá síndhūn RV.I.35.8).[3]

Sapta-sindhavaḥ is cognate with Avestan hapta həndu, and is interpreted as referring to Punjab.[lower-alpha 2] The region's name comes from پنج, panj, 'five' and آب, āb, 'water' thus "five waters", a Persian calque of the Indo-Aryan Pancha-nada meaning "five rivers".[4]

The same names were often imposed on different rivers as the Vedic culture migrated eastward from around Afghanistan (where they stayed for a considerable time) to the subcontinent via Punjab.[1]

List of rivers[edit | edit source]

Multiple hydronyms are located in the Rigvedic corpus; they are slotted according to rough geographical locations, following the scheme of Michael Witzel.[1] Alongside, opinions of scholars about modern correlates are provided:[5][6]

Indus:

  • Síndhu – Identified with Indus.[5] The central lifeline of RV.[6]

Northwestern Rivers:

  • Tr̥ṣṭā́mā – Blažek identifies with Gilgit.[5] Witzel notes it to be unidentified.[1]
  • Susártu – Unidentified.
  • Ánitabhā – Unidentified.
  • Rasā́ – Described once to be on the upper Indus; at other times a mythical entity.[5]
  • Mehatnū – A tributary of Gomatī́.[5] Unidentifiable.[1]
  • Śvetyā́ – Unidentified.
  • Kúbhā – Identified with Kabul river.
  • Krúmu – Identified with Kurrum.
  • Suvā́stu – Identified with Swat.
  • Gomatī́ – Identified with Gomal.
  • Saráyu / Harōiiu – Blažek identifies with Sarju.[5] Witzel identifies with Hari.[1]
  • Kuṣávā – Probably the Kunar River.
  • Yavyā́vatī – Noted to be a branch of Gomatī́. Witzel as well as Blažek identifies with Zhob River.[1][5] Dähnhardt comments it to be synonymous to Yamúnā or flowing very close to it.[6]

Eastern tributaries:

  • Suṣómā – Identified with Soan.
  • Arjikiya – Blažek identifies with Haro.[5] Witzel speculates it to be Poonch or Tawi.[1]
  • Rivers of Jammu :
    • Suryāputrī – Identified with Tawi.
    • Asiknī́ – Identified with Chenab.
    • Iravatī – Identified with Ravi.
  • Rivers of Punjab:
    • Vitástā – Identified with Jhelum.
    • Asiknī́ – Identified with Chenab.
    • Iravatī – Identified with Ravi.
    • Vípāśā – Identified with Beas.
    • Śutudrī́ – Identified with Sutlej.
    • Marúdvr̥dhā – Identified with Mahuvardhavan.[5]

Haryana:

Eastern Rivers:

  • Áśmanvatī – Identified with Assan.
  • Yamúnā – Identified with Yamuna.
    • Aṃśumátī – Probably an epithet for Yamúnā.[5]
  • Gáṅgā – Identified with Ganga.

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ See Clift et al. (2012) map and Honde te al. (2017) map.
  2. ↑ 'Seven Rivers' include Indus and the five rivers of Punjab. Seventh is generally believed to be the legendary Sarasvati; however, J. S. Grewal considers river Kabul more likely to be the seventh river instead.[4] See also Avestan geography#Vendidad references

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Witzel, Michael (1998). "Aryan and non-Aryan Names in Vedic India: Data for the linguistic situation, c. 1900-500 B.C". In Bronkhorst, James; Deshpande, Madhav (eds.). Aryans and Non-Non-Aryans: Evidence, Interpretation and Ideology. Harvard Oriental Series. Cambridge. pp. 337–404.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ "Sapta Sinhavas- The land of seven rivers" (PDF). M. Aslamkhan.
  3. ↑ Wilson, H.H (27 August 2021). "Rig Veda 1.35.8 [English translation]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Grewal, J. S. (2004). "Historical Geography of the Punjab" (PDF). Journal of Punjab Studies. 11 (1). University of California, Santa Barbara: 1–18. ISSN 0971-5223. OCLC 436148809.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 Blažek, Václav (2016). "Hydronymia R̥gvedica". Linguistica Brunensia. 64 (2). Masaryk University: 7–54.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Dähnhardt, Thomas Wolfgang Peter (2009). "The descent of King Lion: Some considerations on the relations between the Indus and other rivers in the sacred geography and culture of ancient India". In Filippi, Gian Giuseppe (ed.). I fiumi sacri. Indoasiatica. Vol. 6. Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina. pp. 189–208. ISBN 9788875432416.
  7. ↑ Kochhar, Rajesh (1999), "On the identity and chronology of the Ṛgvedic river Sarasvatī", in Roger Blench; Matthew Spriggs (eds.), Archaeology and Language III; Artefacts, languages and texts, Routledge, p. 262, ISBN 0-415-10054-2
  8. ↑ Kochhar, Rajesh (1999), "On the identity and chronology of the Ṛgvedic river Sarasvatī", in Roger Blench; Matthew Spriggs (eds.), Archaeology and Language III; Artefacts, languages and texts, Routledge, p. 262, ISBN 0-415-10054-2
  9. ↑ Kar, Amal; Ghose, Bimal (1984). "The Drishadvati River System of India: An Assessment and New Findings". The Geographical Journal. 150 (2): 221–229. doi:10.2307/635000. ISSN 0016-7398. JSTOR 635000.

Sources[edit | edit source]

Further reading[edit | edit source]

General
  • Gherardo Gnoli, De Zoroastre à Mani. Quatre leçons au Collège de France (Travaux de l'Institut d’Études Iraniennes de l’Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle 11), Paris (1985).
Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rigvedic_rivers&oldid=468153"
Discover more