Saraswata Kingdom
Saraswata Kingdom was an ancient kingdom, territory or region that was situated on the banks of the river
References in Mahabharata
The regions called Saraswata on the banks of Saraswati River are mentioned at (3:83, 84).
Saraswata kings
Saraswata kings are mentioned as performing a sacrifice (3:129) at Plakshavatarana, a place on the banks of the Sarasvati at its origin from the Himalayas. This place is to the north of Kurukshetra in Haryana. The Saraswata sacrifice is mentioned again at (3:90) as being performed at Plakshavatarana. King Yayati had also constructed many sacrificial fire-altars here.
According to Adi parva of Mahabharata (1.90.25-26), it is mentioned that "King Matinara performed yagya (sacrifice) in Fire altars at the bank of
King Prithu, the son of Vena
King Prithu is mentioned as having Saraswatas for his companions. (12:58)
King
Prithu, the royal son of Vena, gave unto the Sutas the lands lying on the eastern sea-coast (
The Battle-ground of ancient wars
Saraswati valley seems to have witnessed the clashes of many ancient tribes (most times mentioned as
On the banks of the Saraswati River was a place called Aditya. Here
The island-born sage (Vyasa) also having bathed in this place, obtained great Yogic powers and attained great success. Endowed with great ascetic merit, the Sage Asita-Devala also, having bathed in that very Tirtha with his soul rapt in high Yoga meditation, obtained great Yogic powers (9:49).
These passages are from the narration of
Sage Saraswata, the drought and the Vedas
Saraswati valley was the seat of Vedas (knowledge) and Vedic traditions. It was for this reason that the river Saraswati was later considered as the goddess of knowledge. At (9:51) we found mention of the decline of Vedic culture due to the drying up of Saraswati River and its revival by a sage belonging to the same region.
There (in a place called Soma on the banks of Saraswati River), during a drought extending for twelve years, the Sage Saraswata, in former days, taught the
Saraswata was born to family of sage
After the drought of 12 years had died, the great sages solicited one another for lectures on the Vedas. While wandering with famished stomachs, the sages had lost the knowledge of the Vedas. There was, indeed, not one amongst them that could understand the scriptures. It chanced that someone amongst them encountered Saraswata, that foremost of sages, while the latter was reading the Vedas with concentrated attention. Coming back to the conclave of rishis, he spoke to them of Saraswata, of unrivalled splendour and god-like form engaged in reading the Vedas in a solitary forest. Then all the great Rishis came to that spot, and jointly asked him to teach them the Vedas. Those sages duly became his disciples and obtaining from him their knowledge of the Vedas, once more began to practice their rites. A total of 60,000 sages became disciples of the venerable Rishi Saraswata for the sake of acquiring their knowledge of the Vedas from him (9:51). The present day Saraswat Brahmins who are kashmiri pandits, punjabi brahmins, Goud saraswat brahmins, Shenvis, Chitrapur saraswats, bhalvalikar, Rajapur Saraswats, and pednekars, have this event as part of their culture.[citation needed]
This event is repeated again at (3:85):- At the forest of Tungaka in olden days sage Saraswata taught the Vedas to the ascetics. When the Vedas had been lost in consequence of the sages having forgotten them. Here (3:85) he is mentioned as the son of Angirasa. The asylum of Aditya, the place of Soma and the hermitage of Dadhichi were mentioned as adjacent places on the banks of Saraswati at (3:83). Here it is mentioned that Angirasa - a great sage belonging to the Saraswata race. At (13:50) Saraswata is sometimes mentioned as Sage Atri’s son. Saraswata is mentioned as a sage from the western regions of India at (12:207, 13:165).
Saraswatas in the Kurukshetra War
Nakula the son of Madri, hath intended to take as his share the deceitful Uluka.
Post-Mausala Parva
After the Mausala Parva, which claims the lives of almost all Yadavas, the Pandavas bring the survivors with them.
See also
- Kingdoms of Ancient India
- Kurukshetra
- Abhira Kingdom
- Nishada Kingdom
- Sarasvati River
References
- ^ Mhb 1.90.26
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-07. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link); sanskrit verse 1.90.25-26 - ^ http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01096.htm; English translation,page-203,1st paragraph
- ^ Lal, BB (2002). "The Homeland of Indo-European Languages and Culture: Some Thoughts". Puratattva. Indian Archaeological Society. pp. 1–5.
- ^ http://asi.nic.in/asi_exca_imp_rajasthan.asp; First paragraph
- ^ Lal, BB (1984). Frontiers of the Indus civilization. Sir Mortimer Wheeler commemoration volume. pp. 57–58.
- ^ http://asi.nic.in/asi_exca_imp_rajasthan.asp; Last paragraph
- ^ http://www.archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/harappa-mohenjodaro.html; Second last paragraph
- ^ http://www.zeenews.com/Elections08/rajesthanStory.aspx?aid=482985; history,1st paragraph
- ^ Lal, BB (1984). Frontiers of the Indus civilization. Sir Mortimer Wheeler commemoration volume. pp. 57–58.
- ^ http://asi.nic.in/asi_exca_imp_rajasthan.asp; Last paragraph
- ^ Lal, BB (1984). Frontiers of the Indus civilization. Sir Mortimer Wheeler commemoration volume. pp. 57–58.
- Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli