Page 455 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

236 SAMAGRA TILAK - 2 8 THE ARCTIC HOME
the Kubha, the K.rumu, the Gomati, the Rasa, and the five rivers
of the Panjaub; but nowhere do we find what specific rivers were
included in the group of seven rivers. This has given rise to a diffe-
rence of opinion amongst scholars. Thus Sayana includes the Ganges.
and the Jamuna in the group, which, according to Prof. Max
Muller, is made up by adding the Indus and the Sarasvati to the
five rivers of the Panjaub. On the other hand, Lassen and Lud-
wig hold that the Kubha must be included in the group at the cos}
of the Sarasvati. This shows that we are not on a safe ground in
supposing that the exP.ression " seven rivers " once meant whas
is, by nature, " the land of five rivers. " The expression sapta
sindhava!z occurs in about a dozen places in the ~ig-Veda, and in
five of these it distinctly denotes the seven rivers set free by Indra
along with the release of cows or the recovery of dawn ( I, 32,
12; II, 12,3 and 12; IV, 28, I, etc.); and for reasons given above,.
we cannot suppose that they represent any terrestrial rivers in these
passages. In the remaining cases, there is not a single instance where
the expression may be said to decisively denote only the terrestrial
rivers, nay, it is more likely that celestial rivers are referred to
everywhere by the expression of sapta sindhava!z. I do not mean to
say that sapta sindhava!z, sapta parvata!z, or sapta sravata!z can in
no case denote any terrestrial rivers. For there are three groups
of seven rivers mentioned in the ~ig-Veda-the celestial, the terr-
estrial and the infernal. Thus in X, 64,' 8, " thrice three wander-
ing rivers " are mentioned; while the waters are said " to flow for-
ward triply, seven and seven" in X, 75, 1. It is, therefore, clear
that like the Ganges in the Pura~as, the Vedic bards conceived a
group of seven rivers in the heaven, another on the earth and a third
in the nether world, somewhat after the manner of the eleven gods
in the heaven, eleven on the earth, and eleven in the waters (I, 139,
11; I, 34, 11; X, 65, 9 ). If so, we cannot say that a seven-fold
division of the terrestrial rivers was not known to the Vedic bards.
But, for reasons given above we cannot hold that this seven-fold
division was suggested by the rivers of the Panjaub; and then
extended to the upper and the lower celestial hemisphere. The
Panjaub, as remarked above, is a land of five rivers and not seven;
and though we might raise the· number to seven by adding to the
group any two insignificant tributaries according to our fancy, yet
the artificial character of the device is too apparent to justify us
n holding that the expression sapta sindhavaf.r was originally sugg-