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Rivers in Ancient India (study)

by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words

This page relates ‘Meaning of the term Purana� 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.

1. Meaning of the term ʳܰṇa

The term ܰṇa originally did not mean the literature of this name. It stood for old narrative or ancient legend. According to the etymology, as mentioned in the Vāyuܰṇa,[1] the term ܰṇa means ‘tradition or that which exists from the ancient times.� It is also observed in the Matsyaܰṇa[2] that the term ܰṇa denotes the records of the past events. Kautilya, in his ٳśٰ,[3] used the term ܰṇa in the sense of old narrative.

Though, formerly the term ܰṇa was used to mean the old narrative, yet in course of time the same term was applied to mean a specific branch of literature. As is observed in the early ṛt texts like Gautama[4] and ۲ñⲹ,[5] the term ܰṇa was used to mean a branch of literature. It is to be noted that the Ѳٲ[6] has referred to the Vāyuܰṇa which implies that the ʳܰṇa literature at least partially, was in existence prior to the Ѳٲ. The modern scholars are of the opinion that the process of composition of ʳܰṇas passed from the days of the 󳾲ṇa till the age of the Guptas and even after.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

ܰ hi anati ida� ܰṇam | Vāyu ʳܰṇa,1.203

[2]:

ܰtanasya kalpasya ܰṇāni vidurbudhām | Matsya ʳܰṇa, 53.63

[3]:

ܰṇam ākhyānam | ٳśٰ., 1.5

[4]:

G.S., (Ჹ󲹰 ṇaԲ�)

[5]:

ܰṇānyāyamīmāṃsā dharmaśāstrāṅgamiśrita� | sthānāni vidyānā� dharmasya ca ٳܰ岹ś || Yājñavalkyasmṛti., 1.3

[6]:

Ѳٲ, (Āṇy첹 Parvan, 189.14)

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