Saraswata Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Saraswata Kingdom was an ancient kingdom, territory or region that was situated on the banks of the river Sarasvati River
during the pre-historic ages. This region is mentioned in detail in as many as 20 chapters in Mahabharata
from (9:35) to (9:54). The Yadava
Balarama
traced the Saraswati river through its partially dried up course from the ocean near Prabhasa (close to Dwaraka
) to its origin in 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 sarasvati river
,Kalibangan is a town located on the left or southern banks of the Ghaggar (Ghaggar-Hakra River
),identified with sarasvati river
,At Kalibangan fire Vedi (altar)
s have been discovered similar to those found at Lothal
,This lonely structure may perhaps have been used for ritual purposes.
King Prithu was the son of King Vena, in the line of Kardama. His lineage is described at (12:58) as follows:- Virajas - Krittimat - Kardama - Ananga - Ativala - Vena. Descendants of Vena became the Nishadas
who established themselves close to the Saraswati valley (in Rajasthan
to the north of Anarta Kingdom
in Gujarat). Those tribes that had the hills and the forests for their abode, as also those hundreds and thousands of others called the Mlechchhas, residing on the Vindhya mountains were all the descendants of Vena. However Prithu became a great king. Clad in mail, armed with scimitars, bows and arrows, and well-versed in the science of weapons, he was fully acquainted with the Vedas
and their branches. Sukra
, the great scholar of Brahma
-knowledge, became his priest. The Valakhilyas became his counsellors, and the Saraswatas his companions. The great and illustrious Rishi Garga became his astrologer (12:58).
Prithu, the royal son of Vena, gave unto the Sutas the lands lying on the eastern sea-coast (Anga
and Vanga
), and unto the Magadhas the country since known as Magadha
. Sutas and Magadhas were till then bards and panegyrists in royal courts. Prithu made the land levelled for making roads. Vena’s son removed the rocks and rocky masses lying all around. He cultivated 17 kinds of crops for producing food (12:58).
and Asuras but originally Kshatriya
-like tribes). It was the origin of Vedas
, Yoga
and other Vedic traditions
On the banks of the Saraswati River was a place called Aditya. Here Varuna
the son of Aditi
had performed a great Rajasuya
sacrifice. Upon the commencement of that foremost of sacrifices, a battle ensued between the Devas
and the Danavas (who were mentioned here as Kshatriyas (9:49)). It is mentioned as the place where all the Devas
, the Vishwadevas, the Maruts, the Gandharvas
, the Apsaras, the Yakshas
, the Rakshasas
, and the Pisachas
could be seen (9:49). Here Vishnu
himself, having in days of yore slain the Asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, had performed his ablutions (9:49). Another place on the banks of the Saraswati River called Soma, is mentioned as the place where King Soma performed his Rajasuya
sacrifice. Here a great battle was fought in which Taraka
was the enemy (9:51).
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 Yadava
Balarama
's pilgrimage along the ancient river Saraswati. Saraswati was partially dried up then. It disappeard in to the desert and only the dried river bed can be seen after a place called Vinasana. See Sudra Kingdom
for more details.
(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 rivival 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 Vedas
unto many foremost of Brahmanas (9:51).
Saraswata was brought up by Sage Dadhichi who found him as a child floating in the Saraswati River. Deva
king Indra
made a weapon named the Vajra using the skeleton of Dadhichi, which he used in his battle against his enemies, the Asuras. In this battle 99 heroes in the army of the Daityas, (a clan of Asuras) where slain. After this great war there was a drought extending for 12 years. During that drought extending for twelve years, the great sages (who practiced Vedic traditions and who were settled on the banks of Saraswati River) for the sake of sustenance, migrated from the river valley (9:51). However, Sage Saraswata continued to live on the banks of the Saraswati.
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).
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 - was born in the ashram
of Dadhichi. At (13:50) Saraswata is mentioned as Sage Atri’s son. Saraswata is mentioned as a sage from the western regions of India at (12:207, 13:165).
the son of Madri
, hath intended to take as his share the deceitful Uluka and the tribes of the Saraswatas:- This reference at (5:57) indicates a Saraswata tribe which took part in the Kurukshetra War
siding with the Kauravas.
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
during the pre-historic ages. This region is mentioned in detail in as many as 20 chapters in Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
from (9:35) to (9:54). The Yadava
Yadu
Yadu is one of the five Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda . The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas mention Yadu as the eldest son of king Yayati and his queen Devayani. The prince of King Yayati, Yadu was a self-respecting and a very established ruler...
Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
traced the Saraswati river through its partially dried up course from the ocean near Prabhasa (close to Dwaraka
Dwaraka Kingdom
In the Mahabharata, Dvārakā is the capital of the Yadus who ruled the Anarta Kingdom....
) to its origin in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
.
Saraswata kings
Saraswata kings are mentioned as performing a sacrifice (3:129) at Plakshavatarana a place on the banks of Sarasvati at its origin from the HimalayasHimalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. This place is to the north of Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...
in Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. The Saraswata sacrifice is mentioned again at (3:90) as being performed at Plakshavatarana. King Yayati
Yayati
Yayati was a Puranic king and the son of king Nahusha and one of ancestors of Pandavas. He was a great scholar of Vedas. He had five brothers, Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. He had two wives, Devayani and Sharmishtha. Devayani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the priest of Asuras ....
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 sarasvati river
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
,Kalibangan is a town located on the left or southern banks of the Ghaggar (Ghaggar-Hakra River
Ghaggar-Hakra River
The Ghaggar-Hakra River is an intermittent river in India and Pakistan that flows only during the monsoon season. The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage and as the Hakra downstream of the barrage...
),identified with sarasvati river
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
,At Kalibangan fire Vedi (altar)
Vedi (altar)
Vedi is the term for "sacrificial altar" in the Vedic religion. Such altars were an elevated enclosure, generally strewed with Kusha grass, and having receptacles for the sacrificial fire; it was of various shapes, but usually narrow in the middle....
s have been discovered similar to those found at Lothal
Lothal
Lothal is one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization. Located in Bhāl region of the modern state of Gujarāt and dating from 2400 BCE. Discovered in 1954, Lothal was excavated from February 13, 1955 to May 19, 1960 by the Archaeological Survey of India...
,This lonely structure may perhaps have been used for ritual purposes.
King Prithu, the son of Vena
King Prithu is mentioned as having Saraswatas for his companions. (12:58)King Prithu was the son of King Vena, in the line of Kardama. His lineage is described at (12:58) as follows:- Virajas - Krittimat - Kardama - Ananga - Ativala - Vena. Descendants of Vena became the Nishadas
Nishada Kingdom
Nishada was the kingdom of the Nishada Tribe, a tribe of people who the Vedic people considered valour and courageous.Ekalavya was a king of a Nishada tribe. He attacked Dwaraka once, and was killed by Vasudeva Krishna in the battle. This kingdom was located in Aravalli ranges in Rajasthan state of...
who established themselves close to the Saraswati valley (in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
to the north of Anarta Kingdom
Anarta Kingdom
Anarta was a kingdom of ancient India, roughly forming the northern Gujarat state of India. It was ruled by Yadavas after they fled from Mathura of Surasena Kingdom, due to the attacks of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha. The Yadava chiefs like Vasudeva Krishna, Bala Rama , Kritavarma and Satyaki,...
in Gujarat). Those tribes that had the hills and the forests for their abode, as also those hundreds and thousands of others called the Mlechchhas, residing on the Vindhya mountains were all the descendants of Vena. However Prithu became a great king. Clad in mail, armed with scimitars, bows and arrows, and well-versed in the science of weapons, he was fully acquainted with the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
and their branches. Sukra
Sukra
Shukra may refer to:*The Sanskrit name for Venus, also Shukra*A Montserratian spirit or ghost...
, the great scholar of Brahma
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
-knowledge, became his priest. The Valakhilyas became his counsellors, and the Saraswatas his companions. The great and illustrious Rishi Garga became his astrologer (12:58).
Prithu, the royal son of Vena, gave unto the Sutas the lands lying on the eastern sea-coast (Anga
Anga Kingdom
Anga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...
and Vanga
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
), and unto the Magadhas the country since known as Magadha
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
. Sutas and Magadhas were till then bards and panegyrists in royal courts. Prithu made the land levelled for making roads. Vena’s son removed the rocks and rocky masses lying all around. He cultivated 17 kinds of crops for producing food (12:58).
The Battle-ground of ancient wars
Saraswati valley seems to have witnessed the clashes of many ancient tribes (most times mentioned as DevasDeva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
and Asuras but originally Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
-like tribes). It was the origin of Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and other Vedic traditions
Historical Vedic religion
The religion of the Vedic period is a historical predecessor of Hinduism. Its liturgy is reflected in the mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites...
On the banks of the Saraswati River was a place called Aditya. Here Varuna
Varuna
In Vedic religion, Varuna is a god of the sky, of water and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld...
the son of Aditi
Aditi
Aditi in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. In the Vedas Aditi is mother of the gods from whose cosmic matrix the heavenly bodies were born...
had performed a great Rajasuya
Rajasuya
Rajasuya was a sacrifice, described in detail in the Mahabharata, performed by the ancient kings of India who considered themselves powerful enough to be an emperor...
sacrifice. Upon the commencement of that foremost of sacrifices, a battle ensued between the Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
and the Danavas (who were mentioned here as Kshatriyas (9:49)). It is mentioned as the place where all the Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
, the Vishwadevas, the Maruts, the Gandharvas
Gandharva Kingdom
Gandharva Kingdom refers to the territory inhabited by a people called the Gandharvas, who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They were well versed in music and dance. Gandarvas were also powerful warriors who roamed in Indian kingdoms disregarding any Indian king or Kshatriya warrior...
, the Apsaras, the Yakshas
Yaksha Kingdom
Yaksha Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Yakshas who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They had kinship with another similar tribe, the Rakshasas. Yaksha king Vaisravana and Rakshasa king Ravana were both sons of the sage Visrava Paulastya. Kubera is sometimes...
, the Rakshasas
Rakshasa Kingdom
Rakshasa Kingdom refers to the territory of Rakshasas who were a tribe, mentioned along with others like Devas , Asuras , Pisachas, Gandharvas, Kimpurushas, Vanaras, Suparnas, Kinnaras, Bhutas and Yakshas...
, and the Pisachas
Pisacha Kingdom
Pisacha kingdom refers to the territory of Pishachas who were a group of mountain dwellers who lived in the mountains around the Kashmir Valley. These tribes were mentioned in the epic Mahabharata along with other exotic tribes. The Kashmiri language is considered to be a language in the group of...
could be seen (9:49). Here Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
himself, having in days of yore slain the Asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, had performed his ablutions (9:49). Another place on the banks of the Saraswati River called Soma, is mentioned as the place where King Soma performed his Rajasuya
Rajasuya
Rajasuya was a sacrifice, described in detail in the Mahabharata, performed by the ancient kings of India who considered themselves powerful enough to be an emperor...
sacrifice. Here a great battle was fought in which Taraka
Taraka
' was the second wife of Hindu God Brihaspati, God of planet Jupiter. According to the Puranas, Tara sired or mothered child named Budha through Chandra ....
was the enemy (9:51).
The island-born sage (Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
) 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
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
meditation, obtained great Yogic powers (9:49).
These passages are from the narration of Yadava
Yadu
Yadu is one of the five Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda . The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas mention Yadu as the eldest son of king Yayati and his queen Devayani. The prince of King Yayati, Yadu was a self-respecting and a very established ruler...
Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
's pilgrimage along the ancient river Saraswati. Saraswati was partially dried up then. It disappeard in to the desert and only the dried river bed can be seen after a place called Vinasana. See Sudra Kingdom
Sudra Kingdom
The Sudra Kingdom is mentioned as one of the kingdoms of ancient India mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. They were mentioned along with another tribe called the Abhiras along the banks of Sarasvati River where it dried up in the desert. The Yadava Balarama visited this place during his pilgrimage...
for more details.
Sage Saraswata, the drought and the Vedas
Saraswati valley was the seat of VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
(knowledge) and Vedic traditions. It was for this reason that the river Saraswati was later considered as the goddess of knowledge
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
. At (9:51) we found mention of the decline of Vedic culture due to the drying up of Saraswati River and its rivival 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 Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
unto many foremost of Brahmanas (9:51).
Saraswata was brought up by Sage Dadhichi who found him as a child floating in the Saraswati River. Deva
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
king Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
made a weapon named the Vajra using the skeleton of Dadhichi, which he used in his battle against his enemies, the Asuras. In this battle 99 heroes in the army of the Daityas, (a clan of Asuras) where slain. After this great war there was a drought extending for 12 years. During that drought extending for twelve years, the great sages (who practiced Vedic traditions and who were settled on the banks of Saraswati River) for the sake of sustenance, migrated from the river valley (9:51). However, Sage Saraswata continued to live on the banks of the Saraswati.
After the drought of 12 years had died, the great sages solicited one another for lectures on the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
. 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).
This event is repeated again at (3:85):- At the forest of Tungaka in olden days sage Saraswata taught the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
to the ascetics. When the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
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 - was born in the ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
of Dadhichi. At (13:50) Saraswata is 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
NakulaNakula
Nakula, also spelt "Nakul" was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. Nakula and Sahadeva were fraternal twins born to Madri, who had invoked the Ashvins using a mantra for a son, the mantra shared by Kunti...
the son of Madri
Madri
In the Mahābhārata epic, Madri was a princess of the Madra kingdom and the second wife of Pandu.On his way to Hastinapur, King Pandu encountered the army of Shalya, King of Madra. Very soon, Pandu and Shalya became friends and Shalya gave his only sister, Madri to Pandu, as a gift of their...
, hath intended to take as his share the deceitful Uluka and the tribes of the Saraswatas:- This reference at (5:57) indicates a Saraswata tribe which took part in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
siding with the Kauravas.
See also
- Kingdoms of Ancient IndiaKingdoms of Ancient IndiaEpic India is the geography of Greater India traditionally around early 10th century BC and later on from the Sanskrit epics, viz. the Mahabharata and the Ramayana as well as Puranic literature ....
- Sudra KingdomSudra KingdomThe Sudra Kingdom is mentioned as one of the kingdoms of ancient India mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. They were mentioned along with another tribe called the Abhiras along the banks of Sarasvati River where it dried up in the desert. The Yadava Balarama visited this place during his pilgrimage...
- Abhira KingdomAbhira KingdomSura and Abhira tribe were mentioned as two kingdoms where the river Saraswati existed only as a dried up river bed during the time of Kurukshetra War. They were sometimes referred to as Surabhira also, combining both Sura and Abhira kingdoms...
- Nishada KingdomNishada KingdomNishada was the kingdom of the Nishada Tribe, a tribe of people who the Vedic people considered valour and courageous.Ekalavya was a king of a Nishada tribe. He attacked Dwaraka once, and was killed by Vasudeva Krishna in the battle. This kingdom was located in Aravalli ranges in Rajasthan state of...
- Sarasvati RiverSarasvati RiverThe Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...