The Rigveda refers to a number of rivers located in the northwestern Indian subcontinent, from Gandhara to Kurukshetra.
Identification of Rigvedic hydronyms has engaged multiple historians; it is the single most important way of establishing the geography and chronology of the early Vedic period. [1] [2] Rivers with certain identifications stretch from eastern Afghanistan to the western Gangetic plain, clustering in the Punjab. The Rigveda mentions the sapta-sindhavaḥ ( Sanskrit: सप्तसिन्धवः, seven rivers), along with other rivers:
“He has surveyed eight summits of the Earth, three shore or desert regions, seven rivers.” (aṣṭaú vy àkhyat kakúbhaḥ pr̥thivyā́s trī́ dhánva yójanā saptá síndhūn RV.I.35.8). [3]
Sapta-sindhavaḥ is cognate with Avestan hapta həndu, and is interpreted as referring to Punjab. [a] The region's name comes from پنج, panj, 'five' and آب, āb, 'water' thus " five waters", a Persian calque of the Indo-Aryan Pancha-nada meaning "five rivers". [4]
The same names were often imposed on different rivers as the Vedic culture migrated eastward from around Afghanistan (where they stayed for a considerable time) to the subcontinent via Punjab. [1]
Multiple hydronyms are located in the Rigvedic corpus; they are slotted according to rough geographical locations, following the scheme of Michael Witzel. [1] Alongside, opinions of scholars about modern correlates are provided: [5] [6]
Indus:
Northwestern Rivers:
Eastern tributaries:
Eastern Rivers:
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cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)
The Rigveda refers to a number of rivers located in the northwestern Indian subcontinent, from Gandhara to Kurukshetra.
Identification of Rigvedic hydronyms has engaged multiple historians; it is the single most important way of establishing the geography and chronology of the early Vedic period. [1] [2] Rivers with certain identifications stretch from eastern Afghanistan to the western Gangetic plain, clustering in the Punjab. The Rigveda mentions the sapta-sindhavaḥ ( Sanskrit: सप्तसिन्धवः, seven rivers), along with other rivers:
“He has surveyed eight summits of the Earth, three shore or desert regions, seven rivers.” (aṣṭaú vy àkhyat kakúbhaḥ pr̥thivyā́s trī́ dhánva yójanā saptá síndhūn RV.I.35.8). [3]
Sapta-sindhavaḥ is cognate with Avestan hapta həndu, and is interpreted as referring to Punjab. [a] The region's name comes from پنج, panj, 'five' and آب, āb, 'water' thus " five waters", a Persian calque of the Indo-Aryan Pancha-nada meaning "five rivers". [4]
The same names were often imposed on different rivers as the Vedic culture migrated eastward from around Afghanistan (where they stayed for a considerable time) to the subcontinent via Punjab. [1]
Multiple hydronyms are located in the Rigvedic corpus; they are slotted according to rough geographical locations, following the scheme of Michael Witzel. [1] Alongside, opinions of scholars about modern correlates are provided: [5] [6]
Indus:
Northwestern Rivers:
Eastern tributaries:
Eastern Rivers:
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)