Book Reviewed: The lost river: on the trail of Sarasvati, by Michael Danino

The Sindhumata: Searching for the trail of Holy River Sarasvati

The story of the lost river Sarasvati is still being debated by scholars. The current discussion includes evidences from several disciplines; archeology, hydrology, satellite imagery, geology, history and the Vedic literature: Most notably the Rigveda. Brahmanas and itihasas, particularly Mahabharata also offer additional evidence.

A brief summary of the book is as follows: Geological survey in the early 19th century in states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Cholistan where river Sarasvati is known have flown during Vedic times revealed numerous ruined settlements that belonged to either the Harappan civilization or a period prior to, or after Harappan era. The author reviews tremendous amount of literature and discusses all aspects of Sarasvati; where it flew and how it may have vanished. The overwhelming evidence suggests that ecological and environmental factors led to years of drought that drove the river to complete dryness. The Vedic literature and archeology have been combined to construct the best picture for lost river Sarasvati and other tributaries that watered and gave life to Indus civilization. It is on the banks of this river where great Vedic sages may have found solace, serenity and creativity that may have transpired into the hymns of Rigveda.

Rigveda showers praise in 45 hymns on Sarasvati, her name appears 72 times and three hymns are wholly dedicated to her. She is often invoked in the company of two sister-goddesses Ila and Bharati. The waters of river Sarasvati is said to be “great amongst great,” “the impetuous river,” “created vast,” “limitless,” “unbroken,” “swift-moving,” and “she surpasses in majesty and might of all other rivers.” And Sarasvati is indeed is the “mother of rivers (Sindumata).” One of the Vedic clans, the Purus, is said to have dwelled on her grassy banks during the Vedic times. In RV 2.41.16 she is called ámbitame nádītame dévitame sárasvati, "Best mother, Best River, Best goddess". RV 6.61.12 associates the Sarasvati River with the five tribes; and hymn 7.95.6 with the Paravatas and the Purus

Some scholars suggest that the Vedic Sarasvati River is the same as Ghaggar-Hakra River. Rigveda 10.75 mentions Sarasvati River flowing between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west. According to the Mahabharata, the Sarasvati dried up in a desert (at a place named Vinasana or Adarsana) after having disappeared in the desert, but reappears in few other places and finally enters into a communion with the ocean. Many legends have been woven with respect to these descriptions of Sarasvati in Mahabharata and Puranas. Several Puranas describe the Sarasvati River, and also record that the river separated into a number of lakes. In the Skanda Purana, the Sarasvati originates from the water pot of Brahma and flows from Plaksa on the Himalayas. Though Sarasvati initially emerged as a river goddess in the Vedic scriptures, in the Puranas, she was rarely associated with the river. Instead she is described as an independent goddess of knowledge, learning, wisdom, music and the arts.

Currently, there has been a surge of activity due to renewed interest in finding the trail of Holy Sarasvati. In 2015, the Indian government has set up a Sarasvati Research Institute in the state of Haryana at Mughalwali, near Adibadri. A channel of about three miles long has been marked out as Sarasvati Marg. The digging at Adibadri has resulted in some positive results and raising the hopes that Sarasvati flows underground.

This work is an exhaustive review of available literature and I very much enjoyed reading the book. The maps showing the path of ancient rivers and how it evolved over centuries with prehistoric settlements is nicely illustrated. Most notable settlement on its bank was Kalibangan where numerous archeological expeditions have yielded voluminous data on this mature Harappan civilization. The last chapter summarizes the book very effectively. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the trail of lost river Sarasvati, Indus valley civilization, and Rigveda.