Changes

Rivers mentioned in Rgveda have a great geographical importance attached to them. Nadi-sukta (नदीसुक्तम्) is a sukta dedicated to the rivers in this veda. According to Shrikant Talageri,<ref name=":1">Talageri. Shrikant. G, (2000) The Rigveda - A Historical Analysis (Chapter 4, Pages 149 - 175)</ref>rivers named in the Rgveda can be classified into five geographical categories:  

Rivers mentioned in Rgveda have a great geographical importance attached to them. Nadi-sukta (नदीसुक्तम्) is a sukta dedicated to the rivers in this veda. According to Shrikant Talageri,<ref name=":1">Talageri. Shrikant. G, (2000) The Rigveda - A Historical Analysis (Chapter 4, Pages 149 - 175)</ref>rivers named in the Rgveda can be classified into five geographical categories:  

# '''The Northwestern rivers''' (tributaries of the Indus flowing through Afghanisthan and the north): Trshtama (Gilgit), Susartu, Anitabha, Rasaa, Sveti, Kubha (Kabul), Krumu (Kurrum), Gomati (Gomal), Sarayu (Siritoi), Mehatnu, Svetyaavari, Prayiyu (Bara), Vayiyu, Suvaastu (Swat), Gauri (Panjkora), Kushavaa (Kunar).

*'''The Northwestern rivers''' (tributaries of the Indus flowing through Afghanisthan and the north):  

# '''The Indus river''' and its eastern tributaries: Sindhu (Indus), Sushoma (Sohan), Arjikiya (Haro)  

*# Trshtama (Gilgit)

# '''The Central rivers''' (rivers of the Punjab):  

*# Susartu

## वितस्ता - Vitasta (Jhelum)

*# Anitabha

## असिक्नी - Asikni or Chandrabhaga (Chenab) मरुद्वृधा - Marudvrdha (Maruvardhvan) is said to be small river, a western tributary of Chenab.

*# Rasaa

## परुष्णी - Parishni (Ravi)

*# Sveti

## विपाश - Vipaash or Vyas (Beas),  

*# Kubha (Kabul)

## शतुद्री (शतद्रू) - Shatudri or Shatadru (Sutlej)  

*# Krumu (Kurrum)

*# Gomati (Gomal)

*# Sarayu (Siritoi)

*# Mehatnu

*# Svetyaavari

*# Prayiyu (Bara)

*# Vayiyu

*# Suvaastu (Swat)

*# Gauri (Panjkora)

*# Kushavaa (Kunar)

*'''The Indus river''' and its eastern tributaries:  

*# Sindhu (Indus)

*# Sushoma (Sohan)

*# Arjikiya (Haro)

*'''The Central rivers''' (rivers of the Punjab):  

*# वितस्ता - Vitasta (Jhelum)

*# असिक्नी - Asikni or Chandrabhaga (Chenab) मरुद्वृधा - Marudvrdha (Maruvardhvan) is said to be small river, a western tributary of Chenab.

*# परुष्णी - Parishni (Ravi)

*# विपाश - Vipaash or Vyas (Beas),

*# शतुद्री (शतद्रू) - Shatudri or Shatadru (Sutlej)

#'''The East-Central rivers''' (rivers of Haryana): Drshadvati and Apayaa

*'''The East-Central rivers''' (rivers of Haryana):  

#'''The Eastern rivers''': Ashmanvati (Assan, a tributary of the Yamuna), Yamuna/Amshumati, Ganga (Jahnavi)

*#Drshadvati  

*#Apayaa

*'''The Eastern rivers''':  

*#Ashmanvati (Assan, a tributary of the Yamuna)

*#Yamuna/Amshumati, Ganga (Jahnavi)

Many names given above are under investigation and evidences pertaining to transfer of river-names and places in geographical context are being considered. For example, JahnAvi is the name of river Ganga mentioned in the Rgveda. The key rivers in the Rgveda may be studied under the following headings<ref name=":1" />  

Many names given above are under investigation and evidences pertaining to transfer of river-names and places in geographical context are being considered. For example, JahnAvi is the name of river Ganga mentioned in the Rgveda.  

 

The key rivers in the Rgveda may be studied under the following headings<ref name=":1" />  

# The Indus river to the west of the five rivers of Punjab

# The Indus river to the west of the five rivers of Punjab

तृ॒ष्टाम॑या प्रथ॒मं यात॑वे स॒जूः सु॒सर्त्वा॑ र॒सया॑ श्वे॒त्या त्या । त्वं सि॑न्धो॒ कुभ॑या गोम॒तीं क्रुमुं॑ मेह॒त्न्वा स॒रथं॒ याभि॒रीय॑से ॥६॥ (Rg.Veda. 10.75.5-6)<ref>Rg Veda ([https://vedicheritage.gov.in/samhitas/rigveda/shakala-samhita/rigveda-shakala-samhita-mandal-10-sukta-075/ Mandala 10 Sukta 75])</ref></blockquote>O Ganga (गङ्गा), Yamuna (यमुना), Sarasvati (सरस्वती), Shutudri (शुतुद्रि) or Shatudri, Parushni (परुष्णी), Asikni (असिक्नी), Marudvrdha (मरुद्वृधा), Vitasta (वितस्ता) along with Sushoma (सुषोमा) and Arjikiya (आर्जीकीय), accept and hear my praise for you. O Sindhu (सिन्धू), you, to meet the swift-flowing Gomati, first joined with river Trshtama (तृ॒ष्टामा). Later you join with Susarta (सुसर्ता), Rasa (रस), Sveta (श्वेता), Kubha (कुभ), Krumu (क्रुमु), and Mehatnu (मेह॒त्नु) and travel in the same chariot (i.e., flow as one river merging along with them).

तृ॒ष्टाम॑या प्रथ॒मं यात॑वे स॒जूः सु॒सर्त्वा॑ र॒सया॑ श्वे॒त्या त्या । त्वं सि॑न्धो॒ कुभ॑या गोम॒तीं क्रुमुं॑ मेह॒त्न्वा स॒रथं॒ याभि॒रीय॑से ॥६॥ (Rg.Veda. 10.75.5-6)<ref>Rg Veda ([https://vedicheritage.gov.in/samhitas/rigveda/shakala-samhita/rigveda-shakala-samhita-mandal-10-sukta-075/ Mandala 10 Sukta 75])</ref></blockquote>O Ganga (गङ्गा), Yamuna (यमुना), Sarasvati (सरस्वती), Shutudri (शुतुद्रि) or Shatudri, Parushni (परुष्णी), Asikni (असिक्नी), Marudvrdha (मरुद्वृधा), Vitasta (वितस्ता) along with Sushoma (सुषोमा) and Arjikiya (आर्जीकीय), accept and hear my praise for you. O Sindhu (सिन्धू), you, to meet the swift-flowing Gomati, first joined with river Trshtama (तृ॒ष्टामा). Later you join with Susarta (सुसर्ता), Rasa (रस), Sveta (श्वेता), Kubha (कुभ), Krumu (क्रुमु), and Mehatnu (मेह॒त्नु) and travel in the same chariot (i.e., flow as one river merging along with them).

Following are more details about the rivers in Rgveda.<ref name=":2">Upadhyaya, Baldev (1958) Vaidik Sahitya</ref>

Following are more details about the rivers in Rgveda.<ref name=":2">Upadhyaya, Baldev (1958) Vaidik Sahitya (Pages 373 - 381)</ref>

*Rivers flow towards and empty into the sea (Rgveda 1.190.7, 6.19.5, 8.6.4)

*Rivers flow towards and empty into the sea (Rgveda 1.190.7, 6.19.5, 8.6.4)

*Seven rivers emptying into the sea has been referred in Rgveda 1.71.7.

*Seven rivers emptying into the sea has been referred in Rgveda 1.71.7.

=== 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. It is possible that the five rivers in Punjab, शुतुद्री (Sutlej), विपाश (Beas), पुरुष्णी (Iravati present Raavi river), वितस्ता (Jhelum), असिक्नी (Chandrabhaga presently Chenab river) along with Sindu and Sarasvati are the rivers that are accounted for the term Sapta Sindhu.

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" />

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 ===

=== Sarasvati River ===