>Joshua Jonathan at 07:18, 17 March 2021

2021-03-17T07:18:39Z

New page

[[File:Sarasvati river.jpg|thumb|232px|alt=Map of prehistoric river, with modern rivers overlaid|The [[Sarasvati River]]; the Drishadvati was probably a tributary<br />
orange and blue lines indicate ancient rivers<br />
green dotted and blue lines indicate modern rivers]]
The '''Drishadvati river''' ([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]:{{IAST|''dṛṣad-vatī''}}, "She with many stones") is a river hypothesized by [[Indology|Indologists]] to identify the route of the [[Vedic]] river [[Sarasvati River|Saraswati]] and the state of ''[[Brahmavarta]]''. According to ''[[Manusmriti]]'', the ''Brahmavarta'', where the [[Rishi]]s composed the Vedas and other [[Sanskrit]] texts of the [[historical Vedic religion|Vedic religion]], was at the confluence of the Saraswati and Drishadwati rivers during the Vedic period.

=={{anchor|Location of Drishadwati}}Location==
Although the Drishadvati is mentioned several times in Sanskrit [[Grantha alphabet|Granthas]], a detailed description of the river is not found in other ancient literature and this has generated speculation about its source and route. The ''[[Latyayana Srautasutra]]'' (10.17) describes it as a seasonal river, with the Saraswati a perennial river until its ''[[vinasana]]'' (10.15-19).

The Drishadwati is mentioned in Brahmanas written primarily in the state of [[Brahmavarta]]. According to these texts, the river originated in the pot of [[Brahma]]: [[Pushkar Lake]], near [[Ajmer]]. The Sarasvati, with four branches flowing in different directions, originated in the hills near [[Pushkar]]. Drashadwati was the branch flowing north. Most of the [[ashram]]s of the Rishis who compiled the [[Rigveda]] were on the river, between Pushkar and [[Dhosi Hill]] in Brahmavarta.<ref>Sudhir Bhargava; Saraswati-a perspective, 2009</ref> According to the Rigveda, the Drashadwati was preferred for religious sacrifices by the Vedic people.

In the ''[[Manu Smriti]]'', the Drishadwati and the Sarasvati define the boundaries of the Vedic state of [[Brahmavarta]]:<ref>Manusmriti, Chapter 2, Shalok 17</ref> "It says that the land, created by the Gods, which lies between the two divine rivers Sarasvati and Drishadvati, the (sages) call Brahmavarta." The text also says that although the Sarasvati formed the northern boundary of Kuru Pradesh, the Drishadwati flowed in south of [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru Pradesh]] and north of Brahmavarta. According to the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the southern boundary of Kuru Pradesh was [[Guru]] [[Drona]]'s ashram (present-day [[Gurgaon]] at one end and [[Rohtak]] and [[Jhajjar]] at the other); therefore, the Drishadwati flowed in the southern portions of these cities. Although about 100 [[stream]]s flowed south to north in the {{convert|200|km|adj=on}}-wide [[Aravalli Range]] during the [[Vedic period]], the only large river is the present-day [[Sahibi River|Sahibi]].<ref>Sudhir Bhargava, Convenor, Brahmavarta Research Foundation, Rewari, "Location of Brahmavarta and Drishadwati river is important to find earliest alignment of Saraswati River", Presentation in Seminar 'Saraswati River-a perspective', on Nov. 20-22, 2009, Kurukshetra university, Kurukshetra, pages 114-117, Seminar report, published by Saraswati Nadi Shodh Sansthan, Haryana.</ref> The Sahibi has a lower flow at present because of low rainfall in its catchment area and has a wide, dry bed which carries water from the districts of [[Jaipur]], [[Sikar]], [[Alwar]] [[Rewari]], [[Jhajjar]], [[Rohtak]] and [[Delhi]] in [[Yamuna]].

The Drishavati is mentioned in the Rigveda ([[Mandala 3|RV 3]].23.4) with the Sarasvati and Apaya. According to the [[Rigveda]], the [[Brahmana]]s and the [[Kalpa (Vedanga)|Kalpa]], Vedic sacrifices were performed on this river and on the Sarasvati. In the ''[[Bhagavata Purana|Srimad Bhagavatam]]'', the Drsadvati is a transcendental river.

=={{anchor|Origin of Drishadvati}}Origin==
The Drishadvati was identified by Oldham as the [[Chautang River]],<ref>e.g. Keith and Macdonell. 1912. Vedic Index of Names and Subjects.; Oldham: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 25, 58; see Amal Kar and Bimal Ghose 1984</ref> and in 2000 Talageri identified it with the Hariyupiya and [[Yavyavati River]]s. In 1871 [[Alexander Cunningham]] identified the Rakshi River as the old Drishadvati and demonstrated its flow to have been from [[Chunar]], near [[Varanasi]]. According to the Brahman Granthas, before its confluence with the Saraswati the Drishadwati flowed from the east to west. The Saraswati flowed from north to south during the Vedic period close to Aravallies, and the Drishadwati flowed from south to north through the Aravallis from Pushkar Lake in [[Rajasthan]] to Nangal Chaudhery in southern [[Haryana]]. The river then turned to reach Satnali and meet the Saraswati. After major tectonic/seismic activity in the Aravalli Range some 6500 years ago, the river Saraswati changed its course, to what is now known as Ghaggar-Hakra river bed at present times, and dried up later.<ref>Sudhir Bhargava, "Location of Brahmavarta and Drishadwati river is important to find earliest alignment of Saraswati river" Seminar, Saraswati river-a perspective, Nov. 20-22, 2009, [[Kurukshetra University]], Kurukshetra, organised by: Saraswati Nadi Shodh Sansthan, Haryana, Seminar Report: pages 114-117</ref>

According to [[Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar]],<ref>''Namah Shivaya Shantaya'', English edition, chap. 7, Ananda Marga Publications, 1982 (written under the spiritual name of P. R. Sarkar, that is, Shri Anandamurti).</ref> the Drishadwati originated in the [[Vindhya Range|Vindya Mountains]] of [[Baghelkhand]] and joined the [[Charmanwati]]. After an earthquake, it flowed north to join the [[Son River]]. Sarkar believes that the Drishadvati is the [[Ghaghara]].

==See also==
*[[Ghaggar-Hakra River]]

==References ==
{{reflist}}
* Amal Kar, Bimal Ghose: Drishadvati River System of India: An assessment and new findings. The Geographical Journal, Vol 150, No 2, 1984.
* [[Shrikant G. Talageri]], ''The Rigveda, a historical analysis'', Aditya Prakashan, New Delhi (2000), [http://www.tri-murti.com/ancientindia/rigHistory/ch4.htm chapter 4]

{{Rigveda}}

[[Category:Rigvedic rivers]]

Drishadvati river - Revision history

>Joshua Jonathan at 07:18, 17 March 2021