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=== Saptasindhu ===

=== Saptasindhu ===

While many rivers are mentioned in the Rigveda, the term "Sapta-sindhu" appears in many instances in this veda. In in the present day conditions, finding these seven rivers has been a little challenging owing to renaming them as well as disappearance or change of course. Many questions around the "seven rivers" have to be resolved; such as if it refers to important rivers or seven particular rivers. However, it is difficult to arrive at the rivers said to be important in those days. Next, we come across more than seven rivers; which of these are counted as important? Many versions about what constitute the "seven rivers" are given by various scholars. Most notably, it is possible that the five rivers in Punjab, शुतुद्री (Sutlej), विपाश (Beas), पुरुष्णी (Iravati present Raavi river), वितस्ता (Jhelum), असिक्नी (or Chandrabhaga presently Chenab river) along with the Sindu and the Sarasvati - are the rivers that are accounted for the term Sapta Sindhu.<ref name=":2" />

While many rivers are mentioned in the Rigveda, the term "Sapta-sindhu" appears in many instances in this veda. In in the present day conditions, finding these seven rivers has been a little challenging owing to renaming them as well as disappearance or change of course. Many questions around the "seven rivers" have to be resolved; such as if it refers to important rivers or seven particular rivers. However, it is difficult to arrive at the rivers said to be important in those days. Next, we come across more than seven rivers; which of these are counted as important? Many versions about what constitute the "seven rivers" are given by various scholars. Most notably, it is possible that the five rivers in Punjab, शुतुद्री (Sutlej), विपाश (Beas), पुरुष्णी (Iravati present Raavi river), वितस्ता (Jhelum), असिक्नी (or Chandrabhaga presently Chenab river) along with the Sindhu and the Sarasvati - are the rivers that are accounted for the term Sapta Sindhu.<ref name=":2" />

According to Shrikant Talageri, the word Sindhu in the Rgveda primarily means river or even sea; it is only secondarily a name of the Indus river (thus Saptasindhava can mean seven rivers but not seven Induses).<ref name=":1" />  

According to Shrikant Talageri, the word Sindhu in the Rgveda primarily means river or even sea; it is only secondarily a name of the Indus river (thus Saptasindhava can mean seven rivers but not seven Induses).<ref name=":1" />  

=== Sarasvati River ===

=== River Sarasvati ===

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 is

 

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.

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>

Dr. Michel Danino, who authored the chapter: The Sarasvati River - Issues and Debates<ref name=":0">S. K. Acharya, Kunal Gosh, and Amal Kar (2020) ''Saraswati: The River par Excellence.'' Kolkata: The Asiatic Society (Pages 217-234)</ref>, mentions that the identification of the Ghaggar river as the Sarasvati river of the Vedic times was initially proposed in 1855 by a French geographer, Louis Vivien de Saint-Martin. He proposed this based on the surveys of the Thar Desert by British topographers, who reported the presence of a huge dry bed (the Ghaggar) between the Yamuna and Sutlej, precisely where in the Rgveda is located the Sarasvati. Many British maps (from 1760 onwards) also showed a small river named 'Soorsuty' or 'Sursooty' or 'Sarsuti' in the same location. Local tradition describes a seasonal river 'Sarsuti' as one of Ghaggar's tributaries and that there was once a vast river whose drying up caused the region's desolation. The gradual disappearance of Sarasvati is also known from the later Vedic literature, the Brahmanas, in which it is mentioned that Sarasvati breaks up at a point called Vinashana or Adarshana; and it a sacred tirtha.<ref name=":0" />

Dr. Michel Danino, who authored the chapter: The Sarasvati River - Issues and Debates<ref name=":0">S. K. Acharya, Kunal Gosh, and Amal Kar (2020) ''Saraswati: The River par Excellence.'' Kolkata: The Asiatic Society (Pages 217-234)</ref>, mentions that the identification of the Ghaggar river as the Sarasvati river of the Vedic times was initially proposed in 1855 by a French geographer, Louis Vivien de Saint-Martin. He proposed this based on the surveys of the Thar Desert by British topographers, who reported the presence of a huge dry bed (the Ghaggar) between the Yamuna and Sutlej, precisely where in the Rgveda is located the Sarasvati. Many British maps (from 1760 onwards) also showed a small river named 'Soorsuty' or 'Sursooty' or 'Sarsuti' in the same location. Local tradition describes a seasonal river 'Sarsuti' as one of Ghaggar's tributaries and that there was once a vast river whose drying up caused the region's desolation. The gradual disappearance of Sarasvati is also known from the later Vedic literature, the Brahmanas, in which it is mentioned that Sarasvati breaks up at a point called Vinashana or Adarshana; and it a sacred tirtha.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==

== References ==

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[[Category:Rigveda]]

[[Category:Rigveda]]