Saraswata Kingdom
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Saraswata Kingdom was an ancient kingdom, territory or region that was situated on the banks of the river Saraswati during the prehistoric ages. This region is mentioned in detail in as many as 20 chapters in Mahabharata from (9:35) to (9:54). Yadava Bala Rama traced the Saraswati river through its partially dried up course from the ocean near Prabhasa (close to Dwaraka) to its origin in the Himalayas.
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[edit] References in Mahabharata
The regions called Saraswata on the banks of Saraswati River is mentioned at (3:83, 84).
[edit] Saraswata king
Saraswata king is mentioned as performing a sacrifice (3:129) at Plakshavatarana a place on the banks of Saraswati at its origin from the Himalayas. This place is to the north of Kurukshetra in Haryana. Saraswata sacrifice is mentioned again at (3:90) as performed at Plakshavatarana. King Yayati also had constricted many sacrificial fire-altars here.
[edit] 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. Descendands 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 have the hills and the forests for their abode, as also those hundreds and thousands of others called Mlechchhas, residing on the Vindhya mountains were all the descendands 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 Sutas the land lying on the sea-coast ( Anga and Vanga), and unto Magadhas the country since known as Magadha. Sutas and Magadhas were till then bards and panegyrists in royal courts. Prithu made the land level (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).
[edit] The battle-ground of ancient wars
Saraswati valley seems to have witnessed the clashes of many ancient tribes (most times mentioned as Devas and Asuras but originally Kshatriya-like tribes). It was the origin of Vedas, Yoga and other Vedic traditions
On the banks of 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 Viswedevas, 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 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 Yoga powers and attained to high success. Endued with great ascetic merit, the sage Asita-Devala also, having bathed in that very tirtha with soul rapt in high Yoga meditation, obtained great Yoga powers (9:49).
These passages are from the narration of Yadava Bala Rama's pilgrimage along the ancient river Saraswati. Saraswati was partially dried up then. It disappeard in to a desert and only the dried river bed can be seen after a place called Vinasana. See Sudra Kingdom for more details.
[edit] 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 Saraswai 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 Sarasvata, in former days, taught the Vedas unto many foremost of Brahmanas (9:51).
Saraswata was born and brought up by sage Dadhica who got him as a child floating in Saraswati River. Deva king Indra made a weapon named Vajra using the skeleton of Daticha, which he used in his battle against his emimies viz the Asuras. In this battle 99 heroes in the army of 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 Saraswati.
After that twelve year’s drought had passed away, 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 Sarasvata, 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 Sarasvata of unrivalled splendour and god-like man engaged in reading the Vedas in a solitary forest. Then all the great rishis came to that spot, and jointly asked him to teach Vedas. Those sages duly became his disciples and obtaining from him their Vedas, once more began to praise their rites. A total of 60,000 sages became disciples of the regenerate rishi Sarasvata for the sake of acquiring their 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 Dadhicha were mentioned as adjacent places on the banks of Saraswati at (3:83). Here it is mentioned that Angiras - a great sage belonging to the Saraswata race - was born in the asylum of Dadhicha. At (13:50) Saraswata is mentioned as sage Atri’s son. Saraswata is mentioned as a sage from the western regions at (12:207, 13:165).
[edit] Saraswatas in Kurukshetra War
Nakula the son of Madravati, 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
