Rivers in Ancient India (study)
by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words
This page relates ‘Different epithets of Sarasvati’ of the study on the rivers in ancient India as reflected in the Vedic and Puranic texts. These pages dicsusses the elements of nature and the importance of rivers (Nadi) in Vedic and Puranic society. Distinctive traits of rivers are investigated from descriptions found in the Vedas (Samhitas), Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads and Puranas. The research is concluded by showing changing trends of rivers from ancient to modern times.
2(b). Different epithets of Sarasvatī
[2. The river Sarasvatī in the Vājasaneyī-saṃhitā, (b): Different epithets of Sarasvatī]
Sarasvatī is described as the goddess of speech and eloquence—
sarasvatyai yaśobhaginyai svāhā in the Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā.[1]
Mahīdhara takes yaśobhaginī as the sister of the fame of living beings; later makes the sense more clear while taking it as ‘the words imbodying the fame of living beings.’[2] R.T.H.Griffith interprets the word as ‘Sarasvatī enriched with glory.’[3] Here, it is explained that sarasvatī in the form of speech is the source of fame. If invoked properly with devotion, Sarasvatī bestows on devotee all sorts of knowledge, intellect and happiness resulting in prosperity, or if she is invoked with oblations, she, as the presiding deity of the production of children makes them famous.
Again in this Saṃhitā, it is found that the epithet jāgṛvi used for Sarasvatī. Jāgṛvi[4] is a very remarkable epithet. Mahīdhara explains it as ‘one who keeps awake day and night and is careful in bringing her work to a success.[5] In this mantra, Sarasvatī has been considered as a physician attending on Indra, accompanied by the Aśvins. The word Jāgṛvi purports that Sarasvatī, in the capacity of a physician, keeps herself awake day and night, and i.e. remains always alert in treating her patients.[6]
Besides these, the epithet havismatī is used for Sarasvatī in the Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā.[7] It means Sarasvatī is full of oblation or with oblation.’
Uvaṭācārya interprets it as—
The Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā predominantly deals with the sacrifices performed in honour of various deities. The sacrifices are reward. Here, in the last line of the mantra, Sarasvatī apparently seems to be eulogized by her devotee with rich oblations. While offering oblations to Sarasvatī he takes it for granted that whatever is offerd to her would be accepted. The word havismatī may also imply the simple nature of Sarasvatī who, without fail, accepts everyone’s offerings and has been consequently named after it.[9]
Sarasvatī is also known as a name of the cow–
In the Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā, Sarasvatī has been mentioned many times as a milch–cow (dhenu). The milch-cow, as the word itself suggests, is the cow that yields sufficient milk. At one place,[11] Sarasvatī, the milch-cow, has been described as pouring the soma for Indra. The reference is obviously to the sacrifice when the fire has been kindled and the soma has been pressed. The soma has been pressed by Sarasvatī, conceived as a dhenu on account of her pleasing nature. On account of her pleasing nature, Sarasvatī invokes gods to the sacrifice. In another mantra,[12] Sarasvatī is described to get the desires accomplished by the heaven and the earth.
Mahīdhara explains it as:
ubhe rodasī dyāvāpṛthivyau kāmān duhe dugdhe… ……….
dyāvāpṛthivībhyāṃ sakāśāt kāmān dogdhi[13] ………….
It means Sarasvatī is equally munificent towards both mankind and gods. She helps mankind as well as gods in need. While rendering help to gods, she is accompanied by other gods also.
She provides Indra with his rich food. In this act, she is assisted by god Vanaspati and the Aśvins. When Vanaspati accords him with the liquor, she as a milch-cow, accompanied by the Aśvins, provides him with madhu.[14] Thus, Sarasvatī yields sweet beverage (madhu).[15] Since Sarasvatī is easily yielding, she is affectionately called sudughā.[16] The same notion is also attached to her as a physician, as she at that time became a cow and drained out the pure splendour and power for Indra.[17]
Thus, Sarasvatī has been presented in the Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā as a milchcow figuratively as well as literally.
In the Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā, Sarasvatī has been several times described as a physician.[18] The Aśvins stretched out the healing sacrifice for Indra, while Sarasvatī infused strength into his body.[19] They drained out the milk-like medicine or medical balm for Indra so that he could regain his vigour.[20] One mantra describes the Aśvins as the sacred hearth (agnidhram [agnidhra]).[21] The supposition of the Aśvins as the store of the soma seems to suggest that they are the restores of the soma from the enemy of Indra. Sarasvatī as agnidhram, the receptacle for keeping the sacred fire, is referred to in her capacity of Vāk, identified with the sacrifice.[22]
It also presents the Aśvins as the cloud and Sarasvatī as the Madhyamikā Vāk. Elsewhere, Sarasvatī and the Aśvins are accompanied by Savitṛ and Varuṇa at the time of curing of the form of Indra.[23] The Aśvins are called the lords of splendour (śubhaspatī),[24] while Sarasvatī is said to employ speech (Vāk) in curing and infusing strength into Indra.[25]
Waters are the very life of Indra. When his strength, i.e. waters was stolen away or drank up by Asuras who respresented drought and inclement weather became lifeless. Without the life-strength, his body (i.e., cloud, according to the naturalistic interpretation) was disfigured, and was later on reconstructed by the Aśvins and Sarasvatī. As the Asuras steal the light of the life-strength of Indra, they also represent darkness.
The Vājasaneyīsaṃhitā describes Sarasvatī as a mother too who bears in her womb an infant as a result of her union with the Aśvins—
sarasvatī yonyāṃ garbham antar aśvibhyāṃ patnī sukṛtaṃ vibharti.[26]
Mahīdhara understands garbham as—garbham indralakṣanam, i.e. an embryo indicating Indra.[27] R.T.H.Griffith takes it as—“the infant she has helped to recreate.”[28] It makes Sarasvatī the mother of Indra and wife of the Aśvins. Sarasvatī and the Aśvins who represent thunder (pāvīravī) and the lords of splendour (śubhaspati)[29] respectively jointly create Indra, i.e. rain. The Aśvins are also described as the store of the soma.[30] The soma may, here, be supposed to stand for waters which the Aśvins create and restore in the clouds.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, 2.20
[2]:
Mahīdhara’s com.on Ibid
[3]:
cf.,Griffith’s note on Ibid,
[4]:
hotā yakṣaddaivyā hotārā bhiṣajā’śvinedraṃ na jāgṛvi…madhu vyantvājyasya hotaryaja || Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, 21.36
[5]:
[6]:
hotā yakṣaddaivyā ……….na jāgŗvi divā naktaṃ na bheṣajaiḥ———hotaryaja || Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, 21.36
[7]:
Ibid., 20.74
[8]:
Uvaṭācārya’s com. on Ibid.
[9]:
sarasvatī havismatīndra karmasu no’vat | Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, 20.74
[10]:
Ibid.,8.43
[11]:
[12]:
kavaṣyo na vyacasvatīraśvibhyāṃ na duro diśaḥ | indro na rodasī ubhe duhe kāmāntsrasvatī || Ibid., 20.60
[13]:
Mahīdhara’s com. on Ibid
[14]:
ṛtuthendro vanaspatiḥ śaśamānaḥ parisrutā | kīlālamaśvibhyāṃ madhu duhe dhenuḥ sarasvatī || Ibid.,20.65;also Mahīdhara’s com.on Ibid.
[15]:
cf.,Griffith’s notes on Ibid., 2.34; 20.65
[16]:
tā bhiṣajā sukarmaṇā sā sududhā sarasvatī | sa vṛtrahā śatakraturindrāya dadhurindriyam || Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, 20.75
[17]:
Ibid., 21.34
[18]:
hotā yakṣannarāśaccaṃsaṃ na nagnahuṃ……parisrutā gṛtaṃ| madhu vyantvājyasya hotaryaja || Ibid., 21.31, 33, 36, 38, 39.
[19]:
[21]:
havirdhānaṃ yadaśvinā’gnīdhraṃ yatsarasvatī | indrāyaindraccaṃ sadaskṛtaṃ patnīśālaṃ gārhapatyaḥ || Ibid., 19.18
[22]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 3.1.4.9, 14
[24]:
yuvaccaṃ surāmaśvinā namucāvāsure sacā | vipipānā śubhaspati indraṃ karmasvāvatam || Ibid., 10.33
[25]:
vācā sarasvatī bhiṣagindrāye’ndriyāṇi dadhataḥ| Ibid.,19.12
[26]:
sarsvatī yonyāṃ garbhamantaraśvibhyāṃ patnī sukṛtaṃ bibharti | apāccaṃ rasena varuṇo na sāmnandraccaṃ śriyai janayannapsu rājā || Ibid, 19.94
[27]:
Mahīdhara’s com. on Ibid
[28]:
cf.,Griffith’s note on Ibid,19.94
[29]:
Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, 10.33
[30]:
Ibid.,19.18