2. The Geographical Facts of the river 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨

Rivers in Ancient India (study)

by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words

This page relates 鈥楾he Geographical Facts of the river Sarasvati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.

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2. The Geographical Facts of the river 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨

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In the 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, there are various references to 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 as a river. It describes it as flowing from the mountains and reaching the sea.^[1]

The Indian Peninsula may be broadly divided into three parts, namely,

The triangular plateau of the Peninsula.
The mountainous region of the Himalayas and
The great Indo-Gangetic Plan of Punjab and Bengal.^[2]

The 峁歡vedic mantra referred to above, tells us that the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 originated in the mountains; but it has to ascertain which mountain it was. In the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 has been considered one of the rivers issuing from the foot of the Himalayas. This shows that the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 originated from the foot of the Himalayas. The Himalaya has a long range extending from the border of India and that of Baluchistan to the south is of the Brahmaputra in Assam.

It falls under the following geographical divisions.

The Great Himalayas,
The Lesser Himalayas,
The Outer Himalayas.

Similarly, it has been geologically divided into different Zones as鈥�

The Northern Zone,
The Central Zone,
The Outer Zone

The Outer Himalayas fall under the Outer Zone and is the same as the Siwalik ranges. Rivers mostly flow from this division. The 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 too, has been considered to have out fringed from the foot of the Siwalik ranges.^[3]

In the 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, there is the mention of two seas that Eastern and Western.^[4] In the mantra, the word 辫耻谤补惫补岣� refers to the sea situated in the East and 辫补谤补岣� to the one existing in the West. Geological evidences show that whole of Rajputana was previously the bed of a large sea which had extended even up to the South East of the Aravalli.^[5] When the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 is said to flow from the mountains into the sea,^[6] it points to the fact that it flowed from the Siwalik ranges into this sea of Rajputana. The 驰补尘耻苍腻 and the 骋补峁単腻 flowed into the Eastern sea, which is obviously different from the Rajputana sea. Sri V.P Ketkar, on astronomical as well as pur膩峁噄c grounds called the Eastern sea 鈥榯he Gangetic sea.鈥�^[7]

In the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 is said to be 辫谤腻肠墨^[8] and 辫补艣肠颈尘腻尘耻办丑墨.^[9] These attributes clearly show a change in its course from East to West. Owing to the geological changes, there was a change in the Rajputana sea and because of this change in the sea the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨, which was once flowing into the Rajputana sea along with the 顿峁涐梗补诲惫补迟墨 in the East, turn to the West. It is also corroborated by evidence. This sea of Rajputana was extended up to the South and East of the Aravalli mountains. It seems true that its decomposition during the catastrophic times must have been carried by erosion to all directions irrespective of the Rajputana Sea and the Eastern Sea. As a result, rivers falling into the Rajputana Sea would have diverted their way to South and west and the rivers falling into the Eastern Sea would have become more easterly. From the above observation, it can be concluded that the river 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 was previously in the East, and, later on change its course towards the West and flowing through the Eastern Nara entered the Rann of Kutch.^[10]