Rivers in Ancient India (study)
by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words
This page relates 鈥楧escriptions of the rivers in the Jambudvipa鈥� 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.
11. Descriptions of the rivers in the 闯补尘产耻诲惫墨辫补
The entire earth is surrounded by the rivers and Mountains from all directions. There are 闯补尘产奴, 笔补濒补办峁, 艢腻濒尘补濒墨, 碍耻艣补, 碍谤补耻帽肠补, 艢补办补 and Pu峁arathe seven continents on this earth. 闯补尘产耻诲惫墨辫补 is as much as one lakh yojana long and 笔补濒补办峁 etc., other continents are proportionately larger in an orderly manner. These 诲惫墨辫补蝉 are surrounded by the oceans known as 尝补惫补峁嘺, (alkaline water) 滨峁谤补蝉补, (sugarcane juice) 厂耻谤腻(wine), 骋丑峁泃补 (ghee), Dadhi(curd), Dugdha (milk) and Suddhodaka (sweet water) more than double as compared to the Dv墨pas. Priy膩vrata, the son of Manu, was the king of these seven 诲惫墨辫补蝉.[1] This 闯补尘产耻诲惫墨辫补 consisting of nine segments is surrounded by holy Mountains and rivers. There are seven Kulaparvatas and seven rivers in India. The seven Kulaparvaras are鈥�惭腻丑别苍诲谤补, Malaya, 艢耻办迟颈尘腻苍, and Yam奴ka, Sahya, Vindhya and 笔腻谤颈测腻迟谤补. The seven rivers here are鈥�狈补谤尘补诲腻, 厂耻谤补蝉腻, 峁氠梗颈办耻濒测腻, 叠丑墨尘补谤补迟丑墨, 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乿别峁嚹�, 颁补苍诲谤补产丑腻驳腻 and 罢腻尘谤补辫补谤峁嚹�. The six rivers, i.e. 骋补峁単腻, 驰补尘耻苍腻, 骋辞诲腻惫补谤墨, 罢耻峁単补产丑补诲谤腻, 碍腻惫别谤墨 and Sarayu are capable of sweeping the evils.[2] This beautiful 闯补尘产耻诲惫墨辫补 is famous for Jambu (闯补尘耻苍腻 fruit) and it is as lengthy as one lakh yojana. This 叠丑腻谤补迟补惫补谤峁 is the best place in this continent.[3] The same description of 闯补尘产耻诲惫墨辫补 is found in the 尝颈峁単补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 础驳苍颈辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 惭补谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also.232
Besides these rivers, there are some important rivers mentioned in the different 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. These are鈥�础谤耻峁噊诲腻, Alak膩nand膩, 峁氠梗ik奴ly膩, 碍峁涐梗峁嚹�, 碍补耻艣颈办墨, 骋补峁囜笉补办墨, 痴颈迟补蝉迟腻, 颁补办谤补苍补诲墨, Carmanvati, 艢辞苍补, 蝉补辫迟补惫补迟墨, 蝉耻峁尘腻, 痴别诲补蝉尘峁泃颈, 惭补苍诲腻办颈苍墨, 惭补丑腻苍补诲墨, Payasin墨, 叠丑墨尘补谤补迟丑墨, 痴补峁璷诲补办腻, 痴补颈丑腻测补蝉墨, 笔补测辞峁ａ箛墨, 罢耻峁単补产丑补诲谤腻, T膩mrapar墨, Candraras膩, 碍补耻艣颈办墨, 碍峁泃补尘腻濒腻 etc. 滨谤腻惫补迟墨, 顿别惫颈办腻, 碍耻丑奴, 痴颈艣腻濒腻, 顿丑奴迟补辫腻辫腻, 叠腻丑耻诲腻, 痴别迟谤补惫补迟墨, 痴峁泃谤补驳丑苍墨, 痴别峁嚹�, 惭补丑墨, S膩n墨r膩, 艢颈辫谤腻, 颁颈迟谤补办奴峁�, 碍补谤补尘辞诲腻, Kramu, 骋补峁囜笉补办墨, 滨办峁, chandrabh膩g膩dy膩, etc. These names of rivers are found in the 骋补谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also.[4] If someone takes bath in these rivers, one is immediately released from the bondage of karmas. Taking bath in these holy rivers is equaled to visiting many holy places.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
narmad膩suras膩峁涐梗ikuly膩bh墨marath墨k峁涐梗峁嚹乿e峁嚹� 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��.. 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��. sarayurityet膩 mah膩nadya岣� p膩paghnya岣� || Ibid.,30.13
[3]:
jambun膩mn膩 ca 惫颈办丑测腻迟补峁� jambudv墨pamida峁� 艣ubham | lak峁yojana vist墨r峁嘺mida峁� 艣谤别峁ａ弓丑补峁� tu bh膩ratam || Ibid., 30.14
[4]:
saukara峁� mathur膩 yatra nitya峁� sannihito hari岣� | pu峁ara峁� satyat墨rtha帽ca jv膩l膩t墨rta峁� dine艣varam || indrat墨rtha峁� kuruk峁tra峁� yatra p膩c墨 sarasvat墨 | tap墨 payo峁ａ箛墨 nirvindhy膩 mala岣� k峁涐梗峁嘺venik膩 || god膩var墨 da峁囜笉aka帽ca t膩mrac奴岣峚峁� sadodakam | dy膩v膩bh奴m墨艣vara峁� d峁涐梗峁璿膩 艣r墨艣aila岣� parvate艣vara岣� | asa峁僰hyali峁単a鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�� 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�� svaya峁� hari岣� || ve峁卥a峁�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹� 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�膩ver墨 ku峁璱l膩calau || candrabh膩g膩 vetravat墨 v墨rabhadra峁� ga峁噀艣varam | gokar峁嘺峁� vilvat墨rtha帽ca karmaku峁囜笉a峁� s膩t膩rakam || sn膩nam膩tre峁嘺 yatr膩艣u mucy膩te karmabandhan膩t |
any膩nyapi ca tirth膩n墨 k峁泃膩ni k峁沺ay膩 tava || Garu岣峚 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, (preta 办丑补峁囜笉补)ch., 6.64,65,74