Nadistuti sukta
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.) |
The Nadistuti sukta (Sanskrit: नदिस्तुति सूक्त), "hymn of praise of rivers", is hymn 10.75 of the Rigveda.
It is important for the reconstruction of the geography of the Vedic civilization. Sindhu (the Indus) is addressed as the mightiest of rivers and addressed specifically in verses 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9.
Enumeration of the rivers in Nadistuti sukta
In verse 5, the rishi enumerates ten rivers, beginning with the Ganga River and moving westwards:
O Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Shutudri (Sutlej), Parushni (Iravati, Ravi), follow my praise! O Asikni (Chenab) Marudvridha, Vitasta (Jhelum), with the Arjikiya (Haro River) and Sushoma (Sohan River), listen!
Translation: Ralph T.H. Griffith
नदिस्तुति सुक्त
Verse 5 of this Sukta mentions rivers Ganga, Yamnua Sarasvati, Sutudri Parusni, Asikni, Marudvrdha, Vitasta, Arjikiya, Susoma... Seven from these 10 rivers are called Sapta Sindhu. In all there is mention of 99 rivers in Nadistuti Sukta...
Last verse of the Sukta praises the rivers as 'Chariot of Permanent Joy'.
Here is the Nadistuti Sukta as it is...
Nadistuti Sukta (Sanskrit: नदिस्तुति सुक्त) :
- पर सु व आपो महिमानमुत्तमं कारुर्वोचाति सदनेविवस्वतः |
- पर सप्त-सप्त तरेधा हि चक्रमुः परस्र्त्वरीणामति सिन्धुरोजसा ||...1
- पर ते.अरदद वरुणो यातवे पथः सिन्धो यद वाजानभ्यद्रवस्त्वम |
- भूम्या अधि परवता यासि सानुना यदेषामग्रं जगतामिरज्यसि ||...2
- दिवि सवनो यतते भूम्योपर्यनन्तं शुष्ममुदियर्तिभानुना |
- अभ्रादिव पर सतनयन्ति वर्ष्टयः सिन्धुर्यदेति वर्षभो न रोरुवत ||...3
- अभि तवा सिन्धो शिशुमिन न मातरो वाश्रा अर्षन्तिपयसेव धेनवः |
- राजेव युध्वा नयसि तवमित सिचौ यदासामग्रं परवतामिनक्षसि ||...4
- 'इमं मे गङगे यमुने सरस्वति शुतुद्रि सतोमं सचता परुष्ण्या |
- असिक्न्या मरुद्व्र्धे वितस्तयार्जीकीये शर्णुह्यासुषोमया ||...5
- तर्ष्टामया परथमं यातवे सजूः ससर्त्वा रसयाश्वेत्या तया |
- तवं सिन्धो कुभया गोमतीं करुमुम्मेहत्न्वा सरथं याभिरीयसे ||...6
- रजीत्येनी रुशती महित्वा परि जरयांसि भरते रजांसि |
- अदब्धा सिन्धुरपसामपस्तमाश्वा न चित्रावपुषीव दर्शता ||...7
- सवश्वा सिन्धुः सुरथा सुवासा हिरण्ययी सुक्र्तावाजिनीवती |
- ऊर्णावती युवतिः सीलमावत्युताधि वस्तेसुभगा मधुव्र्धम ||...8
- सुखं रथं युयुजे सिधुरश्विनं तेन वाजं सनिषदस्मिन्नाजौ |
- महान हयस्य महिमा पनस्यते.अदब्धस्यस्वयशसो विरप्शिनः ||...9
संदर्भ: http://yogiarwind.blogspot.com/2011/09/
Tributaries of the Indus
Verse 6 adds northwestern rivers (tributaries of the Indus flowing through Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan),
"First thou goest united with the Trishtama on this journey, with the Susartu, the Rasa ( Ramha Araxes ?), and the Sveti, O Sindhu with the Kubha (Kophen, Kabul River) to the Gomati (Gomal), with the Mehatnu to the Krumu (Kurum) with whom thou proceedest together."
Translated by Max Mueller.
Ralph T.H. Griffith translates:
"First united with the Trishtama in order to flow, with the Susartu and Rasa, and with this Svetya (you flow), O Sindhu (Indus) with the Kubha (Kabul R.) to the Gomati (Gomal), with the Mehatnu to the Krumu (Kurram), with whom you rush together on the same chariot."
According to Max Mueller on 10.75.5 in the book India: What Can It Teach Us? :
"Satadru (Sutlej)". "Parushni (Iravati, Ravi)". "Asikni, which means black". "It is the modern Chinab". " Marudvridha, a general name for river. According to Roth the combined course of the Akesines and Hydaspes". Vitasta, the last of the rivers of the Punjab, changed in Greek into Hydaspes"."It is the modern Behat or Jilam". "According to Yaska the Arjikiya is the Vipas". "Its modern name is Bias or Bejah". "According to Yaska the Sushoma is the Indus".
Ralph T.H. Griffith|Griffith (1896) in his footnote to 10.75.5, explains this arrangement as follows:
- "the poet addresses first the most distant rivers. Ganga: the Ganges is mentioned, indirectly, in only one other verse of the Rigveda, and even there, the word is said by some to be the name of a woman. See 6.45.31."
More recent interpretations take the arrangement to corresponds to the eastward expansion of the Vedic culture. Recent linguistic reconstruction suggests that Book 6 is one of the earliest of the Rigveda, while book 10 is one of the youngest, so that it would appear that the Ganges still fell within the area of Vedic culture before the codification of the Rigveda.
The list of ten rivers in the Nadistuti sukta should not be confused with the Sapta Sindhu, the "Seven Rivers" of uncertain identification of the earlier Rigveda.
External links
References
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