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In the Rgvedic times Sarasvati was worshipped both as a deity of learning as well as a deity of a river. It was revered as the most sacred and is the most well-known river in these texts. In the past eras the vast river gradually dried up in the desert areas of the northwestern region of India. It now remains as a small well-known river by the name 'Sarsuti'. It flowed between Yamuna and Shutudri (Sutlej) and drained into the ocean as per Rgvedic texts. However, the Brahmana literature points to the evidence that drying up of Sarasvati has started. Tandya Brahmana (25.10.16) mentions that Sarasvati river has disappeared in a place called Vinashana. Puranas mention that this river disappears outside but flows beneath the earth to meets Ganga and Yamuna rivers at Prayaga (the modern Prayagraj). In the Jaiminiya Brahmana (4.26.12) Sarasvati river is said to reappear in a place called Plaksha praasravana (प्लक्ष प्रास्रवण), Ashvalayana shrautasutra (12.6.1) mentions this place as Plaksha prasravana (प्लक्ष प्रस्रवण).<ref name=":2" />  

In the Rgvedic times Sarasvati was worshipped both as a deity of learning as well as a deity of a river. It was revered as the most sacred and is the most well-known river in these texts. In the past eras the vast river gradually dried up in the desert areas of the northwestern region of India. It now remains as a small well-known river by the name 'Sarsuti'. It flowed between Yamuna and Shutudri (Sutlej) and drained into the ocean as per Rgvedic texts. However, the Brahmana literature points to the evidence that drying up of Sarasvati has started. Tandya Brahmana (25.10.16) mentions that Sarasvati river has disappeared in a place called Vinashana. Puranas mention that this river disappears outside but flows beneath the earth to meets Ganga and Yamuna rivers at Prayaga (the modern Prayagraj). In the Jaiminiya Brahmana (4.26.12) Sarasvati river is said to reappear in a place called Plaksha praasravana (प्लक्ष प्रास्रवण), Ashvalayana shrautasutra (12.6.1) mentions this place as Plaksha prasravana (प्लक्ष प्रस्रवण).<ref name=":2" />  

The Sarasvati river has been referred to many times in the three oldest mandalas of the Rgveda. Three whole suktas are dedicated to this river, viz., 6.61, 7.95 and 7.96.

The Sarasvati river has been referred to many times in the three oldest mandalas of the Rgveda. Three whole suktas are dedicated to this river, viz., 6.61, 7.95 and 7.96. It has been referred to in nine out of the ten mandala except the 4th mandala. The Sarasvati is so important in the whole of this veda that we see it's worship as one of the three great deities in the AprI-suktas, and Indus river finds no place.<ref name=":1" /> 

 

 

According to Shri. A. C. Das, in the Rg vedic times Sarasvati river flowed and ended its journey in what was once a vast water body in area where we now see the desert sands of Rajasthan. The Mahabharata also describes the Sarasvati as flowing westward and getting "lost in the desert". It was, according to some scholars, in this sea that Sarasvati joined and drained into. Dr. P. L. Bhargava has called this water body as Sarasvat sea of the Rgvedic times. There are at least two suktas in which Sarasvat and Sarasvati are described and that Sarasvat is that sea into which Sarasvati river had drained into. In the Rg veda we find several occurrences about the vast, swift flowing Sarasvati river.<blockquote>एकाचेतत्सरस्वती नदीनां शुचिर्यती गिरिभ्य आ समुद्रात् ।.... (Rg. Veda. 7.95.2)</blockquote>

According to Shri. A. C. Das, in the Rg vedic times Sarasvati river flowed and ended its journey in what was once a vast water body in area where we now see the desert sands of Rajasthan. The Mahabharata also describes the Sarasvati as flowing westward and getting "lost in the desert". It was, according to some scholars, in this sea that Sarasvati joined and drained into. Dr. P. L. Bhargava has called this water body as Sarasvat sea of the Rgvedic times. There are at least two suktas in which Sarasvat and Sarasvati are described and that Sarasvat is that sea into which Sarasvati river had drained into. In the Rg veda we find several occurrences about the vast, swift flowing Sarasvati river.<blockquote>एकाचेतत्सरस्वती नदीनां शुचिर्यती गिरिभ्य आ समुद्रात् ।.... (Rg. Veda. 7.95.2)</blockquote>

=== River Ganga ===

=== River Ganga ===

Ganga as the name of a river finds very scarce mention in the Rgveda, in  one context of उरुकक्षो न गाङ्ग्यः (Rgveda. 6.45.31). Here in this mantra the word गाङ्ग्यः can be considered as a person originating on the banks of river Ganga. However, it is not very clear. It can be said that people of those times were not familiar with this river as much as they were with Sindhu or Sarasvati rivers, according to Pt. Baldev Upadhay.<ref name=":2" /> References to Ganga are amply found in the subsequent [[Brahmana (ब्राह्मणम्)|Brahmana]] and [[Aranyaka (आरण्यकम्)|Aranyaka]] texts such as in Shatapatha Brahmana (13.5.4.11) and Taittriya Aranyaka (2.10).

Ganga as the name of a river finds very scarce mention in the Rgveda; in  one context उरुकक्षो न गाङ्ग्यः (Rgveda. 6.45.31) the word गाङ्ग्यः can be considered as a person originating on the banks of river Ganga. However, it is not a clear explanation. It can be said that people of those times were not familiar with this river as much as they were with Sindhu or Sarasvati rivers, according to Pt. Baldev Upadhay. References to Ganga are amply found in the subsequent [[Brahmana (ब्राह्मणम्)|Brahmana]] and [[Aranyaka (आरण्यकम्)|Aranyaka]] texts such as in Shatapatha Brahmana (13.5.4.11) and Taittriya Aranyaka (2.10).<ref name=":2" />

 

JahnAvI (जह्नावी) or JAhnavI (जाह्नवी) in the modern times is clearly another name of the Ganga. JahnAvI is clearly the earlier Rgvedic form of the later word JahnAvI, the former word is not found after the Rgveda and the latter word is not found in the Rgveda. The word clearly belongs to a class of words in the Rgveda which underwent a particular phonetic change in the course of time.<ref name=":2" />

== Other Rivers in the Rgveda ==

While the rivers, Sindhu, Sarasvati and to a lesser extent Ganga are familiar geographical landmarks in the Rgveda, there are many other rivers described in the veda, such as those mentioned in the Nadi-sukta.  

== References ==

== References ==

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[[Category:Rigveda]]

[[Category:Rigveda]]