Rivers in Ancient India

Tewari, D. P.

doi:10.1007/978-981-10-2984-4_2

D. P. Tewari²

Part of the book series: Springer Hydrogeology ((SPRINGERHYDRO))

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Abstract

India is the land of rivers. These were not treated merely as a flow of water or as a drain. The Nadī Sūkta of the Rigveda highlights them as mother and goddesses. As the water itself was regarded as the most powerful means of purity in Indian culture, rivers got honor to be the source of purification of all types of sins. Ancient Rishis constructed their Ashramas and started teaching on its banks which developed as educational centers. Many tīrthas and temples were built on its banks. The ancient lawgivers made strict rules for keeping the water of these rivers pure.

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Notes

1.
www.ecoindia.com/rivers.
2.
Laha B.C., PrāchīnBhāratkāBhugol, 1972, pp. 48–64.
3.
Rigveda 10/75/2–3.
4.
Ibid, 10/75/1.
5.
Reu FanishvarNath, Rigveda par ek Aitihasik Drishti, 1967, P. 114–117.
6.
Rigveda 2/41/16; KatyāyanShraut Sūtra 12/3/20, 24/6/22; LātyāyanShraut Sūtra 10/15/1, 18/13, 19/4; AśvalāyanShraut Sūtra 10/15/2, 18/13, 9/4; Sānkhyāyan Shraut Sūtra 12/6/23.
7.
Gupta S.P., The Indus Saraswati Civilization an Over View of Problems and Issues, Itihās Darpaņ, Year 4, No. 2, 1998, P. 51.
8.
Chaturvedi Rekha, AmbitamenadītamedevitameSaraswatī, VaidikSanskritiAurUsakāSātatya, Editor SitārāmDubey, P. 70.
9.
Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva, 80/118, 82/96; Laha B.C., 1972, as above, pp. 51–52.
10.
Tāndya Brāhmaņa 25/10/16.
11.
Rigveda 10/75/5 Imam me GangeYamuneSaraswatiShutudristomamsachatāParushnyā.
12.
Rigveda 7/18/19.
13.
Bhāgavat Purāņa 3/4/36, 4/8/43, 6/16/16.
14.
Gopath Brāhmaņa 1/1/29; Jaiminīya Brāhmaņa 1/140; Kaushītaki Brāhmaņa 25/1; Śatapath Brāhmaņa 11/1/6/1; ShuklaVimal Chandra, Vaidik Samskriti Me JalTatva, Vaidik Samskriti aur Uskā Satatya, Editor SitārāmDubey, p. 77.
15.
Rigveda 10/17/10; Atharva Veda 1/1/4-5, 15, 17; 1/6/ 33/1; 3/3/13.
16.
Manushmriti 9/279
17.
Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva 85/88-97
18.
Rigveda 7/95/1
19.
Manushmriti 2/17
20.
Apasadha Inscription of Adityasena, Line 8-9 Śauryasatyavratdharo yah prayāgagatodhane, Ambhashīvakarīshāgnaumagnahsapushpapūjitah. B.L. Rajpurohit, PrāchīnBhartīyaAbhilekh, 2007, P. 187.
21.
EpigraphiaIndica, Vol. I, P. 146; PāthakVishuddhānand, Uttar BhāratkāRājnaitik Itihās, 2002, P. 397; Alexander Cunningham, The Ancient Geography of India, 1975, P. 328.
22.
Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva 80/79-80; 80/119, 130–32; 81/3-4; 81/91; 82/34, 59.
23.
Skanda Purāņa, Prabhāsh Khand; Mahābhārata, Shalya Parva and Vana Parva; Padma Purāņa, Shriti Khand.
24.
Padma Purāņa, Uttar Khand, Verse 77; Mahābhārata,Āranyak Parva 82/53-55 refers that Brahmā, surrounded by Siddha rishis resides always at Naimishāraņya. It is shelter of all tīrthas. Those who goes to Naimishāraņya become free from all type of sins. The Gods perform fire sacrifices here. Yama also performed a sacrifice here. The river Gomtī flows through this forest (Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva 85/5-6).
25.
Brahma Purāņa, Chapter 80.
26.
Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva, 81/52; 83/30; 86/2.
27.
Bhattacharya N.N., The Geographical Dictionary, New Delhi, 1991, P. 140.
28.
Ibid, P., 272.
29.
Vālmīki Rāmāyan, Bālkāņd, 42/12
30.
Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva, 82/114; 83/142.
31.
SamyuktaNikāya, BauddhaBhārti, Varaņasī, 2008, 4/19;Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva 82/84; 85/8; 93/9-10; Alexander Cunningham, Archaeological Survey of India Reports, 1962–63-64-65, P. 2.
32.
Laha B.C., 1972, as above, P. 433 and 505.
33.
Vālmīki Rāmāyan, Bālkāņd, 14/1-2.
34.
Vālmīki Rāmāyan, Uttar Kāņd, 91/15-17; 92/2
35.
Kālidās, Raghuvamsa, 9/72
36.
Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva 82/70; Padma Purana, Chapter 16.
37.
Vālmīki Rāmāyan, Kishkindhā Kāņd 43/37.
38.
Laha B.C., 1972, as above, P. 347.
39.
Ibid, P. 375.
40.
Brihaddharma Purāņa, Chapter 22; Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva, Chapter 106.
41.
Laha B.C., 1972, as above, P. 453.
42.
Ibid, P 453.
43.
Mahābhārata, Āranyak Parva 3/99, 86/50; Laha B.C., 1972, as above, P. 122.
44.
ChaturvediRekha, Ibid, P. 73.
45.
Rigveda 6/61/1-14
46.
Rigveda 10/30/12.
47.
Rigveda 10/184/2.
48.
Manushmriti 2/176.
49.
Manushmriti 4/56
Nāpsumūtrampurīshamvāshthīvanamvāsamutsrijet
Amedhyaliptamanyadvālohitamvāvishaņivā.
50.
Manushmriti 4/109
Udake Madhya rātrechaivaviņmūtrasyavisarjanam
Uchchhishtahsrāddhabhukchaivamansāpinachintayet.
51.
Manushmriti 9/279-81.

Reference

Laha BC (1972) Prachin Bharat Ka Aitihasik Bhugol. Uttar Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy, Lucknow, p 49; Rigveda 10/75/5
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Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, UP, India
D. P. Tewari

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Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Dhruv Sen Singh

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Tewari, D.P. (2018). Rivers in Ancient India. In: Singh, D. (eds) The Indian Rivers. Springer Hydrogeology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2984-4_2

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2984-4_2
Published: 03 January 2018
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-2983-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-2984-4
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