Length of course of Sarasvati from Vinashan to Plaksa Prasravana

Mrugendra Vinod

Anandvan Bhakt Samudaya

(Institute for advanced studies in Shraut and Sciences)

 ABSTRACT

The number forty four has been given as the distance from Vinashan to Plaksa Prasravana.
The word Ashwinam has been used as unit but the actual physical distance for one
Ashwinam was not known. Various values have been suggested which lead to the length to
being anything in the range of few hundred to 1600 miles.

This work tries to associate a physical distance to unit Ashwinam which is consistent with the
interpretations based on description of Sarasvati Satra in Tandya Brahman and other Vedic
literature.

The Sarasvat Satra is described as a Yaga performed while moving along the southern bank
of the river Sarasvati. The Yagna Vihara including Sadah, Havirdhan, Agnidhra and
Patnishala are on wheels. A Shamya is thrown standing at the Ahavaniya (eastern end) and
the Vihara of 36 Prakram length is pushed to its landing place and the Yaga of the next day is
performed there. This process is called Shamyapras. It is performed till one reaches Plaksa
Prasravana or till a herd of 100 young pregnant cows with a bull left at a pasture grows to
1000 etc.

Our interpretation of Ashwinam in based on the movement of the solar disc on ground from
sun rise to sunset. This value can be taken from one horizon to the opposite horizon. The
physical distance from horizon to horizon for a person of medium height (1.69m) is about 9.2
km which can be taken as one Ashwinam. This study shows this interpretation to be
consistent with the descriptions in the Vedic texts.

INTRODUCTION

Need for establishing bridge to the ancient through the eyes of reliable literary source, viz.
Veda, cant be overstated.

Veda has two major divisions: Mantra and Brahmanam

Mantra has significance for recital while Brahmanam is the actual practical
guide to Yajnya.

In the search of physical facts about past it is obvious that Brahmanam is the
gateway.

The intricacy of details of rituals have been forbidding for the experts of contemporary
disciplines as also certain not too well-founded notions about antiquity of this Brahmanam
literature.

It is well known in the tradition of vedics that Shakha Pravachan is the process by which a
fluid Shruti literature got its present frozen form which has been preserved ever since through
an unbroken chain of oral transmission.

In case of studies on Sarasvati as an ancient river much stress has been on the Rik- part of the
Rigveda with scant regard for a very practical performance called Sarasvat Satra.

However, there have been a few problems on getting a clear picture out of the numerous
passages detailing the ritual. One most significant from the view of practical utility is thus:

Forty four Ashwinani is Plaksh Prasravana from Vinashana (Tandya Br. 25/10/16)
 HYPOTHESIS

H1: Ashvinam means the distance traveled by a horse in a day night.

H2: Ashwinam is the Shastram to be recited in the Tritiya Savanam of Atiratra Paryaya.

H3: Ashwinam means the month of Ashwin, which comes once a year. Hence the distance
traveled by the Shamya-Prasa procedure in one year is one Ashwinam.

H4: Ashwinam means Ashu-Ayanam i.e. quick or brisk walking.

H5: Ashwin is the deity of pre-dawn but coming in pair with sakarant paksh word saying
Pakshasa would mean half year. Hence 44 Ashwinam would mean the distance covered in
44 half years or Ayanam.

H6: Ashwinam means the distance traveled by a horse but not earthly, rather the horse of the
chariot of God or the horseman of the Sun. It is the distance traveled by the sun in a day from
the point of sunrise to the point of sunset, as seen by the Yajaman in standing position.
Ashvinam is an alternate word for the standard measure of long distance in Veda. The other
alternative terms are Devratham and Yojan.
 ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

H1: Ashvinam means the distance traveled by a horse in a day night.

At present, the passage in Tandya Mahabrahman of Samavedas is being interpreted on the

basis of Sayana Bhashya which defines it as follows:

The distance traveled by a horse in a day-night is one Ashvinam.

This distance would be roughly 60km to 100 km.

This will amount to the length of course of Sarasvati from Vinashan to Plaksh Prasravan to be
44*(60 or 100) = 2600km to 4400 km.

This length of Sarasvati is too long to fit on the actual geographical ground, such a Sarasvati
would be mythological.

Therefore this interpretation of the term Ashwinam presented by the Sayan Bhashyam
becomes doubtful.

H2: Ashwinam is the Shastram to be recited in the Tritiya Savanam of Atiratra

Paryaya.

If so, then every Parva i.e Amavasya and Pournima might require this Ashwinam. Thus 44
Ashwinam would mean the distance traveled by Shamya Prasa procedure in one month or
one fortnight.

This would be true only if Goshtom and Ayasthtoma to be performed on Amavasya and
Purnima were of Atiratra Samstha but actually they are of Ukthya Samstha so this option is
ruled out.

H3: Ashwinam means the month of Ashwin, which comes once a year. Hence the
distance traveled by the Shamya-Prasa procedure in one year is one Ashwinam.

Approximate distance of Shamya Throw = 30m (verified experimentally)

Length of Vihar from Garhapatya to Ahavaniya = 36 Prakram = 20m.

Then, distance traveled in a day = 30m +20m = 50m

This implies, distance traveled in an year = 50*360 = 18km

Thus length of course = 18*44 = 792 km

Now, another option of Utthan (terminating the ritual) is till a herd of 100 young pregnant
cows with a bull left at a pasture grows to 1000. The rate of increase of cows in the herd
would be as follows:

Years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
New 0 50 50 50 75 100 125 162 212 274
Additions
Total 100 150 200 250 325 425 550 712 924 1198
Female
Cattle

Here the reproduction cycle is assumed to repeat in every one year, so 10 years is the most
optimistic time for ten folding. A practically reasonable estimation would be about 16 years.

Thus, unless some great mishap occurs with the cows, most of the times only this option for
termination will mature and Plaksh Prasravana and other upstream regions, which are known
to be the most sacred, will never witness the Yaga.

H4: Ashwinam means Ashu-Ayanam i.e. quick or brisk walking

The distance would be

1 Ashwinam = 40 Km

This makes the course as 1760 km long, still too large to fit. Even if somehow Vinashana is
the sea or dessert in Kutch, the time taken to cover this distance by the prescribed method
(Shamya Prasa) would be around 100 years, which would make Sarasvat Satra unfeasible.
Hence, it would lead to an unreasonable assumption that Vedas are prescribing rituals for
contemplation only, not for actual practice.

H5: Ashwin is the deity of pre-dawn but coming in pair with sakarant paksh word
saying Pakshasa would mean half year. Hence 44 Ashwinam would mean the distance
covered in 44 half years or Ayanam.

This distance is reasonable as

44 half years = 22 years.

22*18km/year = 396 (around 400km)

Fits well with the description as well as the other chance of cows ten folding in 16 years is
also comparable. However the explanation for Ashwinam as half years is rather not
convincing.

H6: Ashwinam means the distance traveled by horse but not earthly, rather the horse of
chariot of God or the horseman of the Sun in a day from the point of sunrise to the
point of sunset, meaning twice the horizon as seen by the yajaman in standing position.
Ashvinani is an alternate word for the standard measure of long distance in veda. The
other alternative terms are devrathanyani and yojan.

An alternative explanation of the term Ashwinam is proposed here.

Ashwin is indeed the travel of a horse, but not earthly.

It is the divine allegorical horse pulling the chariot of God; the Sun. It could be read as
devrath.

That the Sun is devrath (chariot of gods) is evident from many passages in Vedas.
(Brihdaranyak Up. 3/3/1)

Its travel as perceived by a standing yajaman from sunrise in the east to sunset in the west,
probably marked by a distant tree or a flag post, is the chosen unit of geographical distance.
This is also the points of Dyava-Prithivyo Sandhi , or what we presently call the horizon.

Let us calculate the Horizon distance for Yajaman height:

The horizon distance depends upon the height of the Yajaman. Based upon the work of
Michel Danino, the height of Yajaman could be from 1.48m (short man) 1.69m (medium
man) 1.90m (tall man).

The height up to eye level would be obviously a few inches less.

Height 1.48 1.69 1.90

Corresponding 4.3 km 4.6 km 4.9 km
Horizon distance

From the above data, we have taken the value of 4.6 km as the horizon.

Thus the distance from one horizon to another = Devarathanyam = Ashwinam

Thus 1 Ashwinam = 9.2 km

This leads to course length = 44*9.2 = 404.8 km

By the Shamya-Prasa method, 18km are covered in a year. Covering 400 km would take
about 22 years. This time period is comparable with the time required for the other option of
termination (number of cows increasing by ten folds) which is approximately 20 years.

Throughout Vedas, it is evident that the unit of measurements of time and distance are such
that no artificial agency is required for standardization. For example, Angula, Prakram etc.
are the units for small distances, which could be measured by everyone without much
external aid. Even the Amavasya and Purnima are to be determined by actual observation
rather than use of tabulated records. Thus the use of this horizon distance as the unit for
measurement makes a lot of sense, as it is accessible to everyone without much external aid,
and is non-changing over time.
Let us take a look at the Brihdaranyak part of Shatpat Brahman of Vajasaneya Shakha. An
interesting passage in an altogether different context, but with precisely the same information.
It has an anecdote of debate between Yagnyawalkya and other Kuru Panchal Brahmins. In
the third dialogue, Bhujyu Lahyayani questions Yagnyawalkya about the abode to which the
sons of Parikshit have gone. In answer Yagnyawalkya says - 32 Devrathanyani is This Loka
and twice is the Prithivi around it.

Shankar Bhashya explains this as 32 times the space covered by the Suns chariot in a day is
This World (Ayam Loka); around it, covering twice the area is the Earth (Prithivi).

Now what can this Loka be, which is surrounded by Prithvi? It could be none other than the
ubiquitous Kurukshetra - the most often referred to territory of sacred importance in the
Vedic text.

Let us try to place this measure of 32 Devrathanyani on the physical ground.

Parinath is the western boundary of Kurukshetra. (Taitriya Aranyak 5/1)

This place is situated very close to the confluence of Drushadvati and Sarasvati. The
confluence of Drushadvati and Sarasvati is a very firm point which has not shifted
significantly over time. In the search of lost river Sarasvati and Drushadvati it is very
heartening to see the confluence clearly even in the images provided by Google earth. The
ground observation suggests that Parinath is located in the vicinity of Rangmahal (near
Suratgarh).

On the other end, Uttarvedi or Prachisthali is the eastern boundary of Kurukshetra. The
present day Thanesar could be a good candidate for this. (Taitriya Aranyak 5/1)

Based upon our interpretation of Devrathahnyani/ Ashwinam, the distance between Parinath
and Prachisthali should be 32*9.6 = 307 km.

The actual distance between Rangmahal and Thanesar, as measured by Google maps, turns
out to be around 300 km. This is quite a good match.

Thus, we can infer that Ashwinani of Tandya passage is same as Devrathahnyani of Shatpat
Brahman and it is 9.2 km.
 APPLICATIONS

Based upon the hypothesis, the distances mentioned at different places in Vedic literature can
be used to estimate the physical location of certain places.

Firstly, taking this measure of Ashwinam, the distance from Vinashan to Plaksh Prasravana
comes out to be 44*9.6 around 400 km. (Tandya Br. 25/10/16)

Secondly, 32 Devrathahnyani or 32 Ashwinani is the distance from confluence to Thanesar.

(Brihdaranyak Up. 3/3/1)

This distance would be around 300 km, lying somewhere in between Vinashana and Plaksha
Prasravan.

Thirdly, 8 Ashwinam is the distance from confluence to Vinashan. (Tandya Br. 25/10/16)

These 8 units would lie to the west of confluence in the vicinity of Anoopghar. The term
Anoop literally means the river basin. There is quite a dense cluster of archaeological sites
here, namely Binjor, Barod, Tarkhanwala dera etc., suggesting the flow of Sarasvati till this
point as late as 4000 BP. In fact, the close measurements suggest the 68GB as the Vinashan.
The google earth image clearly shows the beginning of the delta like structure with the sand
dunes in the south of the straight paleochannel towards Ghirsana.

The remaining 4 Ashwinam are accounted for by the distance towards east, upstream from
Thanesar to Plaksh Prasravana. We expect Plaksh Prasravana to be a place roughly around 36
km from Thanesar in the vicinity of Phoksa. This Plaksh Prasravana is not the source of the
river up the hills, but rather a significant place in the plains, just below the hills after
confluence of the many hill torrents forming significant Sarasvati.

These measurements are also coherent with the performance of Sarasvat Satra. The huge
wooden platform over wheels is being pushed from Vinashan to Plaksh Prasravana approx.
50m a day on categorically plain land. The reference to the ritual at Plaksh Prasravana
suggests that it is possible to go further upstream, but this particular journey is not to be
undertaken. Rather, all the Yagnyopkarnam are to be given away here and the ablution rites
are to be performed in river Yamuna. This close vicinity of Yamuna bank from Plaksh
Prasravana is also consistent with the suggested Plaksh Prasravana.
 FURTHER STUDIES

Scope - Finding the time period of Pravachan Kaal

The unanimous traditional Vedic view of Shakha Pravachan Kaal is around 5000 BP. This is
strongly supported by the calculations of precession of axis of the earth leading to the shift of
vernal equinox from Krittika to present Uttara Bhadrapada. In the times of Varahmira, it used
to be in Ashwini. The rate of shift of vernal equinox is 960 years per Nakshatra.This gives us
approx. 5000BP as the time of Pravachan of Shakhas, all mentioning Kritika-beginning cycle.
The close observation of Tandya Brahmanam and its Drahyayan Shraut Sutra shows
a shift in the course of Yamuna away from Triplakshavaharanam, suggesting a passage of
few centuries. However Sarasvati is still flowing, though in a weakened state, all the way up
to Vinashan and in patches beyond. This means in 5000 BP the Vedic ritual culture was in
full bloom. The area around Sarasvati and Drushadvati has lots of forests, lakes and pastures
supporting and sustaining extremely ritualistic mendicant life. The Post Vedic literature like
Mahabharata suggest the occupation of this region by worldly minded tribes. The absence of
reference to all this change in the Vedic literature only confirms this.

Scope - Finding the relics of Saraswat Satra:

The Sarasvat Satra is to be performed on the bank of river on plain land and the huge wheeled
platform is not supposed to be moved over mounds at all. Thus the relics of such Anushthana,
especially at Vinashan, Naitandhav, Parinath, Plaksh prasravana, Karapachava and
Triplakshavaharanam have to be searched right on the banks of the river at strata rather lower
than the present bed of Sarasvati. The possible relics which could have survived are:

1. Ash with traces of gold especially at Vinashan.

2. Ash with traces of charcoal formed from ghee, milk, curd etc. all along the bank.
3. Bones of male cattle, but not in ash.
4. A special pottery called Mahavira with traces of embedded boiled ghee particles in
its body and soot on the rim, especially at Vinashan.
5. A terracotta ladle with spouted mouth, especially at Vinashan.
6. Chiseled grinding stones with special shape all along the bank, more expected in
upstream portion and also in Karapachava on the western bank of river Yamuna near
Yamuna Nagar.

The geological and hydrological studies should be carried out to confirm the precise
location of Vinashan as the place where Sarasvati would be disappearing for a long time,
from 5000 BP for few centuries before gradually shrinking and then completely
disappearing in 4000 BP.
 REFERENCES

Danino Michel 2010, The lost river - On the trail of Sarasvati; Penguin Books.

D.S. Chauhan in Radhakrishna, B.P. and Merh, S.S. (editors): Vedic Saraswati 1999.

Tandya Brahamana, Kauthuma and Ranayaniya Shakha, Samveda

APPENDIX