Sapta Sindhu

Sapta Sindhu (सप्त सिंधु), Hapta Hindu in Avestan, "seven rivers" are the seven sacred rivers in Sanskrit mythology. The Rig Veda often refers to the seven rivers. In RV 7.36.6, the Sarasvati is the seventh river, whose mother is the Sindhu. The Avesta's hapta həndu are generally equated with the Vedic Sapta Sindhavahá; in Vendidad 1.18 these are described to be the fifteenth of the sixteen lands created by Mazda.

It is unclear how exactly the seven rivers were intended to be enumerated. They are often located in the Punjab region in northwestern India / northern Pakistan. If Sarasvati's membership is taken for granted, and the five major rivers of the Punjab are included (Sutudri, Parusni, Asikni, Vitasta, Vipas all tributaries of Sindhu), one river is missing (or perhaps two, since the Sindhu is a special case, having feminine or masculine gender and in this case not being invoked as a goddess), perhaps Arjikiya or Sushoma compare also the list of ten in the Nadistuti sukta, RV 10.75. David Frawley extends the Sapta Sindhu region from the Punjab to the Gangetic plain, specifically suggesting Sindhu, Ashikni, Parushni, Sarasvati, Yamuna, Ganga and Sarayu. (Frawley 2000) In 6.61.10, Sarasvati is called "she with seven sisters" (saptasvasā) which would logically indicate a group of eight rivers, but which probably is just due to the number seven being more important than the individual members (see also saptarshi, haft keshvar), so that the list of the Sapta sindhu may not have been fixed or immutable. In RV 10.64.8 and RV 10.75.1, three groups of seven rivers are referred to (tríḥ saptá sasrâ nadíyaḥ "thrice seven wandering rivers"), as well as 99 rivers.