Sacred Sarasvati

The River in Indian Culture

Abstract

Rivers in India has always been sacred and auspicious. They are deified and given the status of mother or mata. Dip in its holy waters purifies human soul when living and provides moksha after death. Nadistuti Sukta, in the tenth Mandala of the Rigveda, mentions Sarasvati, along with Ganga, Yamuna and many other rivers and was considered as pure as the Ganga. In this paper, I look at the socio-cultural aspects of River Sarasvati in India and Hindu traditions. Sarasvati, particularly in the hymns of Rigveda is mentioned as mighty and Holy River. In Hindu traditions, Sarasvati River is also considered sacred since it is considered to be the homeland of the Vedic Aryans and, on the banks of which Vedic as well as many other ancient scriptures were composed. Sarasvati River, therefore, is also seen as the goddess of wisdom and all learning in Indian culture. The paper also looks at the River in the form of goddess. In Hindu pantheon, Sarasvati River is represented as goddess Sarasvati, who is one of the Tridevi- Parvati, Lakshmi and Sarasvati and are consorts of Tridev- Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, respectively. Iconographically, the goddess Sarasvati is seen wearing white saree, signifying purity of her water. I have tried to suggest that even when not physically visible, the Sarasvati remains as a sacred River in the hearts and minds of people across India. The River, though happens to disappear due to geological occurrences, mentioned even in the texts written after about 600 BCE, such as Mahabharata, it continued to find place in mythologies and legends, as well as in Hindu traditions and customs. However, in the recent past geologists, scientists, archaeologists, and other scholars with the help of modern technologies such as satellite imagery and topographical study, have claimed to have identified the river paleo-channel. This discovery has also encouraged scholars to trace roots of existing Hindu cultures and traditions from the Vedic Sarasvati