Rivers in Indian Literature 4 The Sarasvati.

Even though the river does not physically exist today, there are several references to the Sarasvati in the ancient Indian literature of the Vedic and post-Vedic period. It is the only river with entire hymns (6.61, 7.95 and 7.96) dedicated to it in the Rigveda.
The awe and reverence the Sarasvati inspired is best summed by the three-word tribute to her in the Rigveda - Ambitamé, the best of the mothers; Naditamé, the best of the rivers; and Devitamé, the best of the goddesses.
From his base in Kotagiri (The Nilgiris), where I hail from, Ralph T.H. Griffith had translated the Rigveda. Here are some verses, exalting the river:
Pure in her course from mountains to the ocean, alone of streams Sarasvatī hath listened.
Thinking of wealth and the great world of creatures, she poured for Nahuṣa her milk and fatness. (RV 7.95.2)

An ISRO image of River Saraswati's course

Marked out by majesty among the Mighty Ones, in glory swifter than the other rapid Streams,

Created vast for victory like a chariot, Sarasvatī must be extolled by every sage. (RV 6.59.13)

Coming together, glorious, loudly roaring - Sarasvatī, Mother of Floods, the seventh -

With copious milk, with fair streams, strongly flowing, full swelling with the volume of their water. (RV 7.36.6)

From copiousness to her drying up, we move to post-Vedic literature. According to the Mahabharata, the Sarasvati dried up in a desert at a place named Vinasana or Adarsana (MB 3.82.111; 3.130.3; 6.7.47; 6.37.1-4; 9.34.81 and 9.37.1-2); reappears in some places (MB 3.80.118); and joins the sea "impetuously" (MB 3.88.2).

We have references too in the Skanda Purana, Vamana Purana, Manu Smriti, Vasistha Dharmasutra and Baudhayana Dharmasutra.

In the literary context, it’s interesting to note that the Sarasvati is associated with speech. Such epithets as Vagdevl (goddess of speech), Jihvagravasini (dwelling in the front of the tongue), Kavijihvagravasini (she who dwells on the tongues of poets), Sabdavasini (she who dwells in sound), Vagisa (mistress of speech) and Mahavani (possessing great speech) abound.

Contribution - Suresh Yesuthasen

(Team - The Indian Me)