Iravati River

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Indus and its tributaries

Iravati River (इरावती नदी) is mentioned in Mahabharata, Ramayana, Nadistuti sukta. It has been identified with Ravi River, one among the five rivers of Punjab.

Variants

• Iravati (इरावती नदी) (AS, p.79)
• Irawati (इरावती नदी)

Jat History

Kishori Lal Faujdar writes that there was a tribe named Kath in Punjab. Brahma's one son named vaishampayan was preacher of Yajurveda. His son was named Kath who was author of kathopanishada. He quotes some author Raja Ram who has written about the kath tribe as ruler near river Irawati. The capital of Kath people was at Sankala/sangala when Alexander attacked. These Jats oppossed Alexander very bravely. Some 17 thousand kath kshatriyas died in this war. The kath people were defeated but they impressed Greeks. The Greek authors have written about many traditions of this tribe. One of the rites mentioned is that a child was inspected after birth by these people and if not found strong and handsome he was killed. Probably this tradition of kath people finds reflection in the story of Nachiketa in Kathopanishada where Nachiketa was handed over to Yama.

The Kataria clan of Jats are considered to be descendants of Kath people.

Kathi (कठी) were the ancient people, basically Scythians (Jats), who migrated to Surashtra around second century B.C. The Kathi people and Janapada is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi. The ruling family of Bharatpur of Sinsinwar clan are associated with the Kathi people. The Kathi people had war with Alexander the Great at Sangala in 326 BC.

Mention by Panini

Iravati has been mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi.

In Mahabharata

Iravati (इरावती) (River) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II.9.19), (III.13.30), (VI.10.15), (VIII.30.21),(VIII.30.35)

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Sabha Parva, Mahabharata/Book II Chapter 9 mentions rivers in verses:18-20. Iravati (इरावती) (River) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II.9.19)......the Vipasha, the Shatadru, the Chandrabhaga, the Saraswati; the Iravati, the Vitasta, the Sindhu, the Devanadi;....

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Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 13 mentions Arjuna's recites to angry Krishna the feats achieved in his former lives. Iravati (इरावती) (River) is mentioned in Mahabharata (III.13.30). ....At Iravati thou hast slain king Bhoja equal unto Kartavirya in battle, and both Gopati and Talaketu also have been slain by thee!

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Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata/Book VI Chapter 10 describes geography and provinces of Bharatavarsha. Iravati (इरावती) (River) is mentioned in Mahabharata (VI.10.15). .....of the river Vetravati, and that other one called Krishna-vena; of Iravati, and Vitasta, and Payoshni, and Devika;....

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Karna Parva/Mahabharata Book VIII Chapter 30 mentions the tribes who are not followers of Brahmanism. Iravati (इरावती) (River) is mentioned in Mahabharata (VIII.30.21) ....."Alas, that (Vahika) maiden of large proportions, dressed in thin blankets, is thinking of me,--her Vahika lover--that is now passing his days in Kurujangala, (VIII.30.19) at the hour of her going to bed." Crossing the Shatadru and the delightful Iravati, and arriving at my own country, when shall I cast my eyes upon those beautiful women....

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Karna Parva/Mahabharata Book VIII Chapter 30 again mentions Iravati (इरावती) (River) in Mahabharata VIII.30.35).... I must, however, speak again to thee about what another brahmana had said unto us in the Kuru court, 'There where forests of Pilus stand, and those five rivers flow, viz., the Shatadru, the Vipasha, the Iravati, the Chandrabhaga, and the Vitasa and which have the Sindhu for their sixth, there in those regions removed from the Himavat, are the countries called by the name of the Arattas.

In Ramayana

Aranya Kanda/Aranya Kanda Sarga 14 describes genealogy, Jatayu narrates to Rama, Iravati (इरावती) is mentioned in Ramayana (3.14.24)..... Then Bhadramada gave birth to the girl named Iravati and her son is elephant the great, Airavata, the protector of world. [3-14-24]

इरावती

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...1. इरावती नदी (AS, p.79): पंजाब की प्रसिद्ध नदी रावी है। रावी इरावती का ही अपभ्रंश है। इरावती का वैदिक नाम परुष्णी था। 'इरा' का अर्थ मदिरा या स्वादिष्ट पेय है। महाभाष्य 2,1,2 में इरावती का उल्लेख है।

महाभारत, भीष्मपर्व 9,16 में इसको वितस्ता और अन्य नदियों के साथ परिगणित किया गया है- 'इरावतीं वितस्तां च पयोष्णीं देवकामपि'।

सभा पर्व महाभारत 9,19 में भी इसी प्रकार उल्लेख है- 'इरावती वितस्ता च सिंधुर्देवनदी तथा।'

ग्रीक लेखकों ने इरावती को हियारावटाज लिखा है।

2. इरावती नदी (AS, p.79): इरावती पूर्व उत्तर प्रदेश की राप्ती का भी प्राचीन नाम इरावती था। यह नदी कुशीनगर के निकट बहती थी जैसा कि बुद्धचरित 25, 53 के उल्लेख से सूचित होता है- 'इस तरह कुशीनगर आते समय चुंद के साथ तथागत ने इरावती नदी पार की और स्वयं उस नगर के एक उपवन में ठहरे जहाँ कमलों से सुशोभित एक प्रशान्त सरोवर स्थित था'। अचिरावती या अजिरावती इरावती के वैकल्पिक रूप हो सकते हैं। बुद्धचरित के चीनी-अनुवाद में इस नदी के लिए कुकु शब्द है जो पाली के कुकुत्था का चीनी रूप है। बुद्धचरित 25, 54 में वर्णन है कि निर्वाण के पूर्व गौतम बुद्ध ने हिरण्यवती नदी में स्थान किया था जो कुशीनगर के उपवन के समीप बहती थी। यह इरावती या राप्ती की ही एक शाखा जान पड़ती है। स्मिथ के विचार में यह गंडक है जो ठीक नहीं जान पड़ता। बुद्धचरित 27, 70 के अनुसार बुद्ध की मृत्यु के पश्चात् मल्लों ने उनके शरीर के दाहसंस्कार के लिए हिरण्यवती नदी को पार करके मुकुटचैत्य (देखें मृकुटचैत्यवंधन) के नीचे चिता बनाई थी। संभव है महाभारत सभा 9, 22 का 'वारवत्या' भी राप्ती ही हो।

3. इरावती नदी (AS, p.79): ब्रह्मदेश की इरावदी. इरावदी नाम प्राचीन भारतीय औपनिवेशिकों का दिया हुआ है।