Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

rivers

Rivers played a great role in early Vedic

religion, where they were hymned as life

giving. The SAPTASINDHU, the seven

rivers, are a constant point of reference,

among which the (now dried out)

SARASVATÏwas praised as the greatest

and the mother of all. When the Hindu

heartland moved eastwards, the

YAMUNÄ and the GA¢GÄbecame the

two most important and holy rivers.

Many tïrthas (places of pilgrimage) are

located along them, and the confluence

of Yamunä and Gaögä (together with

the invisible Sarasvatï) at Präyäga is one

of the holiest spots in India. In South

India the KAUVERÏ is also called the

‘Southern Ganges’. The NARBADÄ in

Central India enjoys the unique distinc-

tion among the Indian rivers of purify-

ing a person on sight. Most rivers are

treated as female (although Indus,

Brahmaputra, Sone, Gogra and Sutlej

are male) and personified as goddesses.

In many temples images of Gaögä (with

the makara, alligator) and Yamunä

(with the kürma, tortoise) flank the

entrance. Rivers were worshipped as

nourishers as well as purifiers: ablutions in

them cleansed a person from many sins.

øk

A hymn in general; a verse in the

Øgvedaas well as the entire Øgveda;

worship, praise.

Roy, Ram Mohan (1772–1833)

Early Indian religious and social

reformer, founder of the Brahmo Samäj,

called ‘father of Modern India’. Born

into an orthodox Hindu family, he

received a liberal education that includ-

ed the study of Persian and Arabic,

Sanskrit and later English. He was one

of the first Indian employees of the

British East India Company. Following

a religious calling he left service and got

in touch with the Christian missionaries

at Serampore. He published many

essays and tracts and worked towards

establishing a Hindu monotheism. His

153 Roy, Ram Mohan

Daily life by the river Ganges.

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