Topic started by amresh vashisht (@ 202.140.155.56) on Fri Oct 12 02:57:53 .
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THEMAHANADI MATA SARASWATI-BARAM BAR PRANAM
In India, all the rivers are given a divine status. The civilization of India was nurtured in the river basins:
The river Saraswati is described in three parts in Puranas. The first of her source in Plaksha Prasarvana in Siwalik range of Himalayas and disappearing at Vinashna (attributed to volcano eruption.); the second when she rises near Mount Abu on the Arasur Hills by the side of the temple of Koteshwara Mahadeva, goes past Sidhpur and disappears in the desert of kutch; the third is when she rises in the jungles of Gir in Saurashtra and meets the western sea near Prabhas Paatan. In Ramayana, River Sarswati is mentioned as tributary of Ganga, which joins it in Prayaga.
Information on Prehistoric India comes from two distinct sources:
(i) the literary tradition represented in the main by the faithfully preserved corpus of Vedic texts headed by the Rigveda (Griffith 1896; Macdonell and Keith 1912); and
(ii) the archaeological tradition ranging from the Aceramic Neolithic of Mehrgarh and the various phases of the Harappan civilization to the Iron Age Painted Grey Ware and the Northern Black Polished Ware cultures (Agrawal 1982; Shaffer 1992).
At the current level of scholarship the Rigvedic and the pre-Iron Age archaeological traditions remain mutually exclusive; it is not possible to place the two in a self-consistent spatial and temporal context. In view of the inherent limitations of the Rigveda and associated texts as historical documents, it is important to critically examine the geographical references in them with a view to determining the region of their composition. The Rigveda mentions a number of rivers. The Indus and its tributaries, eastern and some western, are easily recognised. There are others, which are merely named and so provide no clues to their identification.
The only river to be described in some detail is the Sarasvati, on whose banks the bulk of the Rigveda was composed and whose name was given to the Hindu Goddess of Learning. The general practice has been to identify it with the Old Ghaggar lying in the region between the Satluj in the west and the Yamuna in the east. The river Ghaggar is also important from the Harappan point of view. There are more than 1000 Harappan sites on its bank as against only 50 on the Indus The Ghaggar river system is therefore in a unique position to permit an examination of the archaeological and literary tradition vis-à-vis each other.
Naditama versus Vinasana Sarasvati:
One must distinguish between the celebrated Sarasvati of the old mandalas and the Sarasvati mentioned in passing in the River Hymn (Rv. 10.75) of the tenth mandala (Hildebrandt 1927: I.343; Kochhar 1997). The former has been described in detail in one exclusive hymn (Rv 6.61) by the vashisht vanshes and in various other passages. It is described in superlatives.
It is called 'naditama, the best of the rivers' (Rv 2,41.16), which surpasses 'in majesty and might all other rivers' (Rv 7.95.2). It is 'fierce' (Rv 6.62.7), and 'swifter than the other rapid streams' (Rv 6.61.13). It 'comes onward with tempestuous roar' (Rv 6.61.8) 'bursting the ridges of the hills with its strong waves' (Rv 6.61.2). Sarasvati springs from a 'three-fold source' (Rv 6.61.12) in the mountains (Rv 7.95.2), and finally ends in a samudra (literally 'the gatherer of the waters' or sea) (Rv 7.95.2). It is a long river because many kings live on its banks (Rv 8.21.18) and the five tribes (Rv 6.61.12) derive their prosperity from it. It also has a number of tributaries; it is 'sindhu-mata, the mother of rivers (Rv 7.36.6).
It swells with rivers (Rv 6.52.6), said to be seven in number (Rv 6.61.12), Sarasvati being the seventh (Rv 7.36.6). Two rivers, Drishadvati and Apaya, are explicitly named in (Rv 3.23.4) in conjunction with Sarasvati. In addition, it is called 'sapta-svasa', 'with seven sisters' (Rv 6.61.10). Another verse (Rv 8.54.4) speaks of Sarasvati and seven rivers (Sapta-sindhavah). These must be the 'seven mighty rivers' that 'seek the seas' (Rv 1.71.7).
The picture that emerges is as follows.
The long and mighty, partly mountainous river Sarasvati receives a number of tributaries and is called their mother. In addition, there are rivers in the region, which flow and Sarasvati if referred to as their sister. So far we have depended only on the Rigveda for information on the Sarasvati. For additional details, we now turn to the secondary Vedic literature that though linguistically younger, seems to contain material belonging to an earlier era. Pancavimsa Brahmana (25.10, etc.) introduces us to the region Kuruksetra in which Sarasvati, Drishadvati, and Apaya flowed. In it were located the lake and district of Saryanavant and the district of Arjika mentioned in Rv (1.84.14). Another lake, Anyatah-plaksa, is also placed in Kuruksetra (Satapatha Brahmana (11.5.1.4.).
The well-respected Baudhayana Srauta-sutra (18.45) says that in Kuruksetra there are lotus lakes called Bisavatis and hills named Ausanasas. The Srauta-sutras of Asvalayana (12.6.1) and Sankayana (13.29.24) tell us that the source of the river Sarasvati is a place called Plaksa-prasarvan. Rv (6.61.1) talks of a people, Paravatas, slain by Sarasvati. These Paravatas are placed on the river Yamuna by Pancavimsa Brahmana (9.4.11). Yamuna in turn is associated with Drishadvati, as can be seen from the Latyayana Srauta-sutra (10.19.8.9): 'He should proceed on the southern bank of Drishadvati. When he has reached the arma whence from she springs, he should offer his offering and descend into Yamuna in the vicinity of the place [called] Triplaksa-vaharana.’
The above passages suggest that Yamuna is a tributary of Sarasvati in the hilly areas where the Drishadvati also originates. The River Ganga must also be part of this network as can be seen from the exploits of the celebrated king Bharata, son of Dushyanta. Bharata won his victories on the Sarasvati (Aitareya Brahmana 8.23) as well as on the Ganga and the Yamuna (Satapatha Brahmana 13.5.4.11).
We shall refer to this river as the naditama Sarasvati. On the other hand the later Vedic texts contain descriptions that are inconsistent with the above data. Pancavimsa Brahmana (25.10.1), Jaiminya Upanisad Brahmana (4.26.12) and the associated Srauta-sutras say that Sarasvati disappears in the desert sands at a place called Vinasana (literally disappearance). We shall henceforth refer to this river as Vinasana Sarasvati.
The well-documented Himalayan rivers and the vast artificial irrigation network in the alluvial plain make Sarasvati the identification of the naditama more difficult. Between the Satluj and the Yamuna the inconsistent Ghaggar River system comprises from the west to east, the Wah, the Ghaggar, the Dangri, the Markanda, the Sarsuti and the Chautang.
These rivers are formed by a junction of small rivulets rising from low-lying hills of the Sivaliks and act as a rainwater drainage system for these hills. The water collected is however not sufficient to flow down to the sea, some 1400 km away and the Ghaggar lose its way in the Thar Desert. The now-dry lower bed of Ghaggar is locally known as the Hakra. Fieldwork conducted in the19th century supplemented by recent satellite imagery suggests that in the past, the snow-fed Satluj and Yamuna both flowed into the Ghaggar, making it a very powerful river. Geological changes subsequently diverted the Satluj westwards into the Indus and the Yamuna eastwards to flow into the Ganga, thus converting the Ghaggar into a seasonal stream.
It has been often implicitly assumed that changes in the Ghaggar took place during Vedic times. It is also a long established belief that the Ghaggar is identical with the Sarasvati of literary texts; the Old Ghaggar with the naditama Sarasvati and the present-day Ghaggar with the Vinasana Sarasvati of the later texts. Superficially the identification of the naditama Sarasvati with the Old Ghaggar appears plausible. In fact any long river which flows from a mountain to the sea and receives tributaries on its way can fit the general description of the naditama Sarasvati. It has indeed been suggested, in all seriousness, that in some Rigvedic passages Sarasvati is another name for the Indus. If such identification is to be accepted, it should not be superficial but should conform to the recorded description down to the minutest detail.
If the Ghaggar system was already defunct in Rigvedic times or otherwise considered unworthy of description, we must look further west to locate the naditama Sarasvati. For a clue we turn to the Avesta. The Avestan Harahvaiti, phonetically the same as Sarasvati, was known to the Greeks as Etymander and is now called Arghandab. The naditama Sarasvati however is to be equated not with Arghandab but with Helmand of which Arghandab is the main tributary (Hildebrandt 1929, II:210). Another instance of transfer of the name from the main river to a tributary is provided by Oxus (Amu Darya). Oxus corresponds to the Sanskrit name Vaksu which now survives in Vakhsh, a tributary of Oxus (Burrow 1973). The name Vaksu however does not figure in the Rigveda. Helmand, whose Avestan name is Haetumant (Setumant), is a 1300 km long river in Afghanistan (Dupree 1980:37). It rises in the recesses of the Koh-e-Baba range, about 80 km west of Kabul, and flows in a generally south-westerly direction. (The three major rivers of Afghanistan, the Helmand, the Kabul and the Hari-rud, all get their waters from the same geographical area, that is central Hindu Kush ranges. The Kabul and the Helmand start from within 50 km of each other. Since the Rigvedic people knew the Kabul(Kubha), they can be reasonably expected to have known the Helmand also). In the mountains the Helmand flows in narrow valleys with gorge-like cliffs. About 65 km above Girishk the topography changes. The Helmand enters a flat country and flows over a gravely bed. Near the Iranian border, it takes a sharp turn north and empties into an inland lakein Seistan called Hamun-e-Sabari.
Several tributaries join the upper Helmand; Kaj-rud, Tirin, Rud-e-Musa, Gala, etc. The only other major river in the system is the 560 km long Arghandab which also rises in the mountains. A low line of hills separates the river from the city of Qandhar. Arghandab joins Helmand at Qala Bist, 70 km below Girishk. Two intermittent streams, Kushk-e-Nakhud and Garm Ab, join Arghandab from the north. The 280 km long Arghastan runs east of and parallel to Arghandab. Arghastan receives Lora No.1 and Kushk-e-Rud and itself falls into Dori which joins Arghandab. Tarnak, 320 km in length, lies between Arghandab and Arghastan and finally joins Dori. Helmand always has plenty of water. In ancient times when there were no dams, it was subjected to spring floods when snow melted in the mountains.
There is an uncanny similarity between the Rigvedic description of Sarasvati and Avestan description of Helmand. Rigveda (Rv 6.61.8) talks of Sarasvati 'whose limitless unbroken flood, swift moving with a rapid rush, comes onward with tempestuous roar', whileYasht(10.67) refers to 'the bountiful, glorious Hetumant swelling its white waves rolling down its copious floods'. This suggests that the same river is meant in both the cases.
If we identify naditama Sarasvati with the Helmand we can consistently account for all its attributes. Arghandab can then be equated with Drishadvati and Tarnak with Apaya. Sarasvati is the mother of minor tributaries like the Kaj-rud. Other rivers in the region like Farah-rud and Khash-rud will then be the sisters mentioned in the Rigveda. These rivers, we suggest, define the Rigvedic and Avestan region Sapta-sindhavah. There have already been suggestions that Arjikiya be identified with Arghastan. Lakes like Saryanavant and Anyatah-plaksa can easily be placed in the hilly areas of Koh-e-Baba from where Helmand starts. The place name Girishk in the region is probably an old name connected with Giri, the mountain. The Rigveda also refers to a person named Giriksit. In this situation the original Ganga and Yamuna are the tributaries of Helmand lying between the Helmand and the Arghandab. It is now easy to understand the association of Paravatas, the mountain people, with Yamuna and Sarasvati. These Paravatas are probably related to the people called Paroyetai mentioned by Ptolemy and believed to have been located near the southern border of Paropanisadae (Kabul).
Its not easy to find the orignal Saraswati.Now a number of people, NGO and The Government agencies are trying to solve this mystery. Every finding gives a new path to her.Our view towards the identification of Saraswati wasthe movements of the inhabitants i.e The Saraswat Brahmins.That's why Shri Ram Saraswati Ved Raj Foundation had taken a project known as
'AWAKE SARASWATI FLOW SARASWATI"
In this project,i Amresh Vashisht and a team visited a number of places in the Shavalik ranges.. The reasons for take up the project were
-We are the Saraswat Brahmins and in my view its the first duty of the Saraswat Brahmins to work for the restoration of the Saraswati nadi.From the uncertain long period, one thing is established that the Saraswat brahmins were dependent for their livelihood generations to generations and were part of the culture of the Saraswati that nourished them .
-As we mention that the Saraswati as a Goddess of Learning was not very old and if we could rely our project finding that It had been created for a uninterupted flow not of the water but of the education.Then too, The education sector has a first laibility to put back the flow of saraswati. That's why the Project named as with a prayer to the Goddess saraswati; i.e. AWAKE SARASWATI FLOW SARASWATI.
-As per our study that Source of the saraswati is 12Km from The Yamnotri,A place of Yamuna origin.The River is Tons which flows from that place. As per skand purana the saraswati was flowed to two directions. The east and West.This flow is associated with Rishi Vashisht.
- the western flow of the saraswati was in the shivalik hills ,this is a same place where we found the temple of Saraswati.This flow still exists. The upper river is known as TONS river which lands in the plains at a place called Narayan Garh.Again another renowed Devi Temple is there Known as Mata Devi Ka Temple.That could also be associated with saraswati mata.On the way this flow is added by the RIVER GIRI,RIVER MARKANDEY AND A PRESENT DAY RIVER BATA.This Bata river is submerging into Yamuna at the village BataMandi , near Paunta Sahib. The Other rivers i.e Giri etc had submerged in to Hydel Projects on the Rivers.
Our finding were as follows.
1.We have found a old temple in one of a village of Tehsil Paunta Sahib of District Sirmour ,Himachal Pradesh.The stone idol of that place is MAA SARASWATI idol. That place is not recognised as Mandir. The big Stone wall of few stone is placed here. No one knows about its origion.Through the close view ,it could be identified as Maa Saraswati.
2.Our finding match with a established saying that most of the Vedas were authored at Saraswati Bank. Though its my personal opinion that the inhabitants of that time were in great danger, no rains were there, it was a hunger for all and bhahmins being the mouthpiece of the society called a yagna, which lasted ten months praying for the food, water and non displacing from the places of their pitras. It seems that at the end of that yagna, the brahmins, the saraswat brahmins decided not to give up their love for saraswati, and through the prayers which were noted by them during the yagna, compiled it as vedas and transform the river saraswati into the river of education. An idol has been created and vedas had been put on her left hand. (This is my very personel opinion)
3. The wetern flow could be revived by diverting the water of river Tons, Added by the water of Giri River and Bata River. All the water be taken to a season river at Narayan Garh route to Markandey river. This river flows up to Kurushetra and thereafter this river shall submerged in to a dry channel of the river Gaghar. This Gaghar goes down right upto Gujrat and thereafter to the sea.This river belt shall be a unique one .
4.The eastern part of the river could also be revived through a route From the River Tons origin.The eastern flow of water shall run in between the Ganga and the Yamuna.This water shall reach Dehradoon and shall move forward by the River Song Path. It shall carry the water to the place of origin of River Hindon at Muggaffarnagar. This Hindon River goes right up to Allahabad with the possible water flow from the River Kali.
55.The revival through these two routes shall establish a Nadi tama river Saraswati. Not much money is required in the project and it could be achieved through less money in the rainy season.However the coopearation of Haryana,Himachal Uttar Pradesh and Utranchal shall be require.Even if it fail to carry much water through out the year, it shall be a symbolic gesture towards the culture of Hinduism.
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