River Saraswathi and Aryan Invasion Dilemma

[Hellraiser007]

Indus-Saraswati Civilization and Vedic India​

Interestingly, archaeological sites discovered on the banks of Saraswati, mirror the descriptions from ancient Vedic texts as well.

According to Mahabharat 1.90.25-26, many great kings used to perform Yagnya on Saraswati's banks, which co-relates well with the abundance of fire-altars discovered at places like Kalibangan, a major Harrapan town located on the southern banks of the Ghaggar.

Fire-altars discovered at Kalibangan

Traditional historians had refused to put faith in the abundant descriptions of Saraswati and had declared the date of arrival of the Aryans in India around 1500 BCE (Before Common Era). Also, they envisioned the Aryans as marauding forces who wiped out the resident Harrapans and branded them as Dasyus!!(Aryan Invasion Dilemma)

However, the findings mentioned above throw up some very important questions viz.-

Saraswati is related to the Rig Veda and is worshiped by the Aryans, so how is it that more than 400 Harrapan sites co-relate so perfectly with its course???
If the river had dwindled to a stream around 3000 BCE, how does it fit in with the traditional dating of Aryans entering India around 1500 BCE???

The artificial dating of Aryans in India is questioned in what is known as the Frawley's Paradox given by Professor David Frawley, the Founder-Director of American Institute of Vedic Studies at Santa Fe, New Mexico. The paradox brings to fore an extremely pertinent point viz.-

On one hand we have the vast Vedic literature without any Archaeological evidence to support it, while on the other hand we have almost 2500 Archaeological sites associated with the Indus-Saraswati civilization without any literature associated with it.

For any sane person, the logical conclusion would be pretty obvious-

The Rig Veda was composed while the Saraswati was in full flow much before 3000 BCE and the Vedic AND Harrapan cultures belonged to the SAME civilization!

Vedic kingdoms around Saraswati

There is NO need to assume that Indus-Saraswati people were DIFFERENT from the Vedic Aryans. This assumption was created out of thin air by early British historians who found it difficult to believe the existence of an Asian civilization pre-dating the Hellenistic civilizations of Europe.

Indeed Harrapan Seals show a preponderance of Hindu motifs such as the Swastika, the Bull, and the Peepal leaf. Numerous figurines display Yogic postures and various seals have been identified with Shiva and the Goddess.



Harrapan seal identified with Shiva

Seals with Trident, Bull and Peepal motifs

The Mahabharat describes Saraswati as a disappearing river, and names the place she vanished at as Vinashana or Upamajjana. There is also a mention of Balrama traveling from Dwarka to Mathura, on river Saraswati, to immerse the ashes of the Yadavs after the battle.

This implies, the river was still navigable at the time of the Mahabharat War and the Epic was written BEFORE it had dried up i.e. at least before 3000 BCE (instead of 300 BCE given by older historians). Quite fittingly, this corresponds with the astrological dating of the War in 3rd Millenium BCE.

More than 300 sites have been discovered along the ancient course of saraswathi

Decode Hindu Mythology: Finding River Saraswati

 

[Hellraiser007]

According to Aryan Invasion theory Aryans came to India around 1500 BC, but according to Rigveda river saraswathi is main source to the civlization and saraswathi dried around 3000 BC, which completely nullifies the Aryan invasion theory.

Rigveda did not came to India it was composed on the banks of river saraswathi in India. And Rigveda dates much older than the proposed dates by British and Germans.

 

[veekysingh]

thanks for it mate. awesome reading.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

So Saraswati river is as old as IVC. More evidence and stud should be done on Saraswati river. it will also help us to understand the climate and courses of rivers

 

[Hellraiser007]

So Saraswati river is as old as IVC. More evidence and stud should be done on Saraswati river. it will also help us to understand the climate and courses of rivers

The sites on the Saraswathi river banks are much older than IVC sites since people move from Sarasathi river after the drying up of the river.

It is said that Seetha of Ramayana belong to people who migrated to Mythila nagara(currently Nepal) when Saraswathi dried up.

Similarly people migrated to various regions after the river dried.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

The sites on the Saraswathi river banks are much older than IVC sites since people move from Sarasathi river after the drying up of the river.

It is said that Seetha of Ramayana belong to people who migrated to Mythila nagara(currently Nepal) when Saraswathi dried up.

This info about Seetha seems new to me. But there was also some studies saying Saraswati had become a underground river.

 

[Hellraiser007]

This info about Seetha seems new to me. But there was also some studies saying Saraswati had become a underground river.

True

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Saraswati The Lost River::Indian Culture And Traditions

Saraswati underground | Down To Earth

These links are good

 

[Hellraiser007]

Saraswati The Lost River::Indian Culture And Traditions

Saraswati underground | Down To Earth

These links are good

Sure ,I will go through those links

 

[Yogi]

the Indian civilization is the oldest civilization, here r some interesting videos which talk about the relation between pre-harappan civilization like Dwarka n the IVC n Saraswati River n the Vedic culture, it might answer many of ur questions...

 

[Bang Galore]

The underground river is largely a myth. Rivers don't simply disappear underground. The most famous belief is that the Sarasvati flows underneath at the sangam where Ganga & Yamuna meet. The reason for the mythical presence of the Sarasvati there is simply as a way to incorporate what was the Rg veda's most famous river. The Rg veda speaks primarily of the Sarasvati especially when contrasted to the now holiest river of Hinduism, the Ganga. To make sense of the Rg veda, it was necessary to somehow create a Sarasvati & the most imaginative way was to propose that it ran beneath the now holiest river.

 

[Hellraiser007]

The underground river is largely a myth. Rivers don't simply disappear underground. The most famous belief is that the Sarasvati flows underneath at the sangam where Ganga & Yamuna meet. The reason for the mythical presence of the Sarasvati there is simply as a way to incorporate what was the Rg veda's most famous river. The Rg veda speaks primarily of the Sarasvati especially when contrasted to the now holiest river of Hinduism, the Ganga. To make sense of the Rg veda, it was necessary to somehow create a Sarasvati & the most imaginative way was to propose that it ran beneath the now holiest river.

The assertion is that some of the tributaries of river Saraswathi have joined because of tectonic plate shift and so it is called Triveni Sangam.

 

[sanddy]

Satellite imagery by Researcher have proven existence of Saraswati river .

Sarasvati River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Bang Galore]

The assertion is that some of the tributaries of river Saraswathi have joined because of tectonic plate shift and so it is called Triveni Sangam.

Only if you take the Yamuna as a possible tributary..... the Sarasvati was far away from the Ganga and if the theory that the Yamuna & Sutlej merged into it is taken as accurate, then the flow must have been tremendous & the corresponding flows of the Ganga & the Indus, much less.

 

[Yogi]

Only if you take the Yamuna as a possible tributary..... the Sarasvati was far away from the Ganga and if the theory that the Yamuna & Sutlej merged into it is taken as accurate, then the flow must have been tremendous & the corresponding flows of the Ganga & the Indus, much less.

definitely thats why the Vedas called it as the most might river of its time...