Drishadvati river

Prehistoric Sarasvati River. Drishadvati River was probably a tributary of Sarasvati (dotted lines indicate the modern river flows)

The Drishadvati river (IAST:dṛṣad-vatī, meaning "she with many stones") is a river hypothesized by Indologists to identify the route of the revered Vedic river, Saraswati, and the state of Brahmavarta. Brahmavarta was situated on the confluence of the revered rivers Saraswati and Drishadwati during the Vedic period. This was where the Rishis composed the Vedas and other Sanskrit Granths, which are the basis of Vedic Sanatana Dharma, presently called Hinduism.

Location

Though the Drishadvati River has several mentions in the Sanskrit Granths, a clear source of the Drishadwati is not mentioned anywhere. This generates much speculation on the source and route of the Drishadwati river. However, new research, backed by various scientific techniques, is becoming useful in locating the route of the Drishadwati River. Latyayana Srautasutra (10.17) has described it as a seasonal river, while Saraswati as a perennial river up to Vinasana (10.15-19). This indicates that the Drishadwati did not have its source in the Himalayas. Indeed, according to Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, the Drishadwati might have had its source in the Vindhya mountains.

Origin of Drsadvati

The Drsadvati River has been identified by Oldham with the Chautang River. Talageri 2000 identifies it with the Hariyupiya River and the Yavyavati River. In 1871, Sir Alexander Cunningham identified the Rakshi River as the old Drishadwati River and showed its flow from Chunar near Varanasi. Although, Brahman Granths had mentioned that before making a confluence with the Saraswati River, the Drishadwati had flowed from east to west. Rakshi cannot be the river, as it does not fulfill the second description that both Saraswati and Drishadwati had flowed in opposite directions too, before making confluence and boundaries of the Vedic state of Brahmavarta. While Saraswati had flowed from north to south during the Rig Vedic period, the Drishadwati had flowed from south to north in Aravalies from the pot of Lord Brahma, Pushkar Lake, near Ajmer, to Nangal Chaudhery in South Haryana and took a left turn to reach Satnali to meet Saraswati coming from north to move to Didwana Lake and further south. After major seismic activities in Aravallies, mentioned by several geologists, during 4- 5000BCE, the Drishadwati River changed its route and from Nangal Chaudhery. Instead of moving towards the east, it took a route to the north which is the present Sahibi River route, passing through KotKasim in the Alwar District, Rewari District. According to Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, the Drishadwati River originates in the Vindya Mountains, in the Baghelkhand area. It joined the formerly named Carmanvati River coming from the west - afterwards diverted as a result of a large, ancient earthquake and today called Chambal- in the south of Prayag (Allahabad). The combined flow, named Sarasvati, was then crossing the current archeological Kosambi site (then a prosperous city), to merge with the Yamuna and the Ganges at Prayag. After that famous ancient earthquake where the Carmanvati River went to join directly in the Yamuna instead of joining the Drishadvati, the Drishadvati went to join the Son. Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar mentions that the Drishadvati is today passing at Rewa city where it has been renamed Ghaghar (masc.) or Ghaghra (fem.) (Ghághará), which expresses the idea that it makes a rough sound because it contains large rocks and pebbles (Drsad).

Brahmanas often mention the Drishadwati River. These Granths were written mostly in the state of Brahmavarta, the descriptions of rivers is most appropriate. Brahmanas point out that Drishadwati River had its origin from the pot of Brahma i.e. Pushkar lake, near Ajmer. Pushkar has the most revered Brahma temple in India. The Pushkar lake website confirms the four branches of revered river (they call them Saraswati) had originated from the hills near Pushkar in different directions. The name Drashadwati has been assigned to one of the branches of this river, which had flown towards the north, because this branch near Brahmavarta had too many stones on the bed. Also, most of the Ashrams of Rishis who compiled Rigveda were on this river only in between Pushkar and Dhosi Hill in Brahmavarta. Rigveda also mentions that Drashadwati River was preferred for making religious sacrifices by Vedic people.

In the Manu Smriti, this river and the Sarasvati River define the boundaries of the Vedic state of Brahmavarta. "It says that the land, created by the Gods, which lies between the two divine rivers Sarasvati and Drishadvati, the (sages) call Brahmavarta." Manu Smriti also says that while Saraswati made the northern boundary of Kuru Pradesh, Drishadwati had flowed in the south of Kuru Pradesh and north of 'Brahmavarta'. This makes identification of Kuru Pradesh and Brahmavarta important. Mahabharata explains the southern boundaries of Kuru Pradesh up to Guru Dronacharya's Ashram, present day Gurgaon on one end and Rohtak Jangla on other southern end, which comes up to present day Jhajjar city. So Drishadwati should be considered to be flowing in the southern parts of these cities. Though about 100 rivulets and small rivers had flown from south to the northern side in the 200 km wide Aravali Ranges at the northern end during the Vedic period 10,000 years ago. The only huge river, which can claim the description of voluminous tributary of Saraswati in the south of Kuru Pradesh, as mentioned in Sanskrit books, is present day Sahibi River. The Sahibi has much lower flow at present time because of low rainfall in its catchment area in Aravalis, has wide dry beds at places, which carry the water from south to north from Districts of Jaipur, Sikar, Alwar Rewari, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Delhi in Yamuna.

The river is also mentioned in the Rig Veda (RV 3.23.4) together with Sarasvati and Apaya. According to Rigveda and Brahmin Granths, Vedic sacrifices were performed on this river and on the Sarasvati River (Pancavimsa Brahmana; Katyayana Sratua Sutra; Latyayana Srauta Sutra).

According to the major religious work Srimad Bhagavatam, the Drsadvati is one of the many transcendental rivers in India.

See also

• Ghaggar-Hakra River

References

• 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), chapter 4