Hindus worship nature because it sustains humankind. Hindus worship all the 5 Elements of the nature, viz. Earth (पृथ्वी), Water (जलम्), Fire (अग्निः), Air (वायुः) & Space (आकाशः) which is also known as पञ्च महाभूतानि in Sanskrit. These 05 Elements are the most basic requirement of human life. In Hinduism, Rivers (नद्याः) are considered as a manifestation of the Divine Female Power & thus has mostly female names. The Rivers (नद्याः) are considered as the Divine Mothers bestowing food, water & life.
Air is available for free but still it holds significant place in human life. Food is considered as God itself (अन्न देवः). Earth is considered as Mother goddess for the reason that, the food is grown on the land, it sustains & nurtures human life. But water is something more important of all the other natural elements. As one cannot grow food without water/rain, one cannot cook food without water, one cannot live without drinking water, neither one can bath without it. So, water is valuable in human’s day-to-day life. One cannot use the water of the ocean in routine life as the water of the ocean is salty, but Rivers (नद्याः) always offer sweet water with many minerals present in it. Due to its vital part of life, Hindus consider it as sacred & worships like a goddess.
During the Vedic times, the existence of life was dominated by Rivers (नद्याः). Since then, the Hindus have held Rivers (नद्याः) in great reverence. It was also worshipped because of the prosperity they bring & most of the times Rivers (नद्याः) represented as a natural defense against enemies. These mighty Rivers (नद्याः) have constantly been a scope of livelihood to millions of people living in areas lying along the river courses. Vedic Hindu civilization was found near the Rivers (नद्याः) & it sustained & developed in their nourishment. Early civilization in India was concentrated near rivers like Narmada, Ganga & Indus. Early civilization like Mohenjo Daro & Lothal flourished on the bank of river Indus & Sabarmati respectively & has a significant part in their development. Harappa civilization was also found on the bank of Indus river too. As Hindus were connected to the nature & its elements since the Vedic period, Rivers (नद्याः) are also treated as Mother Goddess till date.
Significance of worshipping Rivers (नद्याः) –
Water holds special significance in Hinduism, not only for its life-sustaining properties, but also because of its use in rituals & due to its high significance, the stress is given to its cleanliness. Bathing in Rivers (नद्याः) also has religious significance, as it is considered sacred. Mother Ganga (the Ganges) is considered to purify all the sins of the one who bath in it. River bath is always considered auspicious & help in cleansing sins. Hindus immerse Ashes (अस्थीविसर्जनम्) in the Sacred River (नद्याः), as it is the source that grants Liberation (मोक्षः) to the departed soul. River (नद्याः) water is used in daily sacrifices, bathing rituals, purification ceremonies & sacrificial offerings. According to the Puranas, living on the banks of sacred Rivers (नद्याः) is a meritorious act. The ascetics who live there are considered superior to even those who know the Vedas. Offering prayers & sacrifices to rivers is much better than performing sacrificial ceremonies/rituals (यज्ञः).
According to the Vedas, it is forbidden to get near the Rivers (नद्याः) for worshipping or bathing or for the sight (दर्शनम्) of the river from the 11th day of fortnight of Ashadh month (i.e., आषाढः शुक्लपक्षे ११) till the 11th day of fortnight of Kartik month (i.e., कार्तिकः शुक्लपक्षे ११) as it is considered to be a sin by doing so but, those who have their livelihood on the bank of the River (नद्याः) are allowed to do so. The religious reason behind this is that, the Rivers (नद्याः) gets her menstrual cycle during these four months & according to Hindu Scriptures one should not touch the lady during her menstrual cycle. Here, the scientific reason is also connected, starting from Ashadh month the rainy season starts due to which the level of the rivers rises & it brings all types of dirts & impurities & by the Kartik month the rivers (नद्याः) cleanse itself again, by taking bath or even going near the river (नद्याः) one gets affected by such dirts & impurities & falls sick & thus to refrain from being sick, one should not take bath or get near the rivers during these four months.
There are seven most sacred Rivers (नद्याः) in Hinduism, they are- Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu & Kaveri. Water from these seven sacred Rivers (नद्याः) has the ability to attract & transmit the frequencies of seven Superior Deities (i.e., Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Maruti, Lord Dattatreya, Lord Ganapati & Goddess Durga). India is known as the quality of goodness (सत्त्वः) predominant place on the face of earth because all these seven sacred Rivers (नद्याः) flow only through India. Many yogis have undertaken penance on the banks of these rivers so as to acquire the principles of the seven Superior Deities in the universe. Water collected from these seven sacred Rivers (नद्याः) is put in the ritualistic pot, which is used during ritualistic worship. This water from the ritualistic pot is used for the sanctification of the idol of the deity by sprinkling on it (अभिषेकः) & also used during the installation of the life force in an idol (प्राणप्रतिष्ठा). The subtle sound frequencies from the ritualistic pot, absorb the frequencies of the seven superior deities in the water & effectively transmit them into the atmosphere. Since these subtle sound frequencies have a higher speed & expansion, the effectiveness of the frequencies of the seven deities transmitted into the atmosphere through the water of the seven Rivers (नद्याः), which remains in the environment for a longer period. If it is consumed with spiritual emotion & devotion, then due to the divine frequencies present in the sacred water, activates five vital forces [पञ्च वायवः they are- प्राणः, अपानः, व्यानः, उदानः, समानः] in the body of the devotee. With the help of these vital energies, these divine frequencies spread all over the body of the devotee. As a result, the purification of the vital energy in the body & its sheath of the embodied soul occurs & it arises the quality of goodness (सत्त्वः) inside the devotee which leads to happiness & enthusiasm.
Presently water from the seven rivers is not easy to procure. If it is unavailable for putting in the ritualistic pot, then one may use ordinary water. When filling the ritualistic pot with ordinary water the following Shloka is recited to invoke the seven sacred Rivers (नद्याः);
गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति ।
नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् संनिधिं कुरु ॥
Meaning- O sanctified Rivers! Ganga & Yamuna, & also Godavari & Saraswati; Narmada, Sindhu & Kaveri; please be present in this water & sanctify it.
These seven rivers are considered important in historical & cultural basis. Prayang is the meeting point of Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati. Rivers (नद्याः) have much importance in the Hindu religion. Ganga is the most significant river of all the Rivers (नद्याः). Ganga, which is considered as the celestial River (नद्याः), is usually shown riding on a crocodile. Many of the sacred places are built on its bank. And around 20 million people bath in its divine waters & it flows in North India. While Yamuna is much connected with the Vaishnavas & rides on a turtle. Yamuna has the birthplace of Lord Krishna & most of his childhood was described near Yamuna. In South India, Godavari & Kaveri has equal significance. Godavari is even known as Dakshin Ganga (i.e., southern Ganga). According to the Vedas, Saraswati used to flow during Vedic period & later the references are still found that the Saraswati river dried into the desserts & it is said to be still flowing underground. Narmada flows in the central India; it is also known as Reva. It arises from Amarkantak & forms a traditional boundary between North India & South India & flows westward. It is said to be, “the Life Line of Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat”. The Sindhu river flows through China, India & Pakistan, it is also known as Indus or Sindh River.
Scientific importance of rivers (नद्याः) –
1. The river (नद्याः) has self-cleansing attributes. Even today, after being polluted to such an extent, one can keep the Ganges water in bottle for decades & it won't rot. It would remain as fresh as when it was bottled. This is seen in other sacred rivers too.
2. The river irrigates the massive region, & makes the soil fertile. Directly or indirectly, 200M people are dependent on its sacred waters for their livelihoods. Irrigation was one of the earliest reasons why our ancient civilizations were developed near the river. Even today, irrigation canals are developed which are nourished by the main streams.
3. Bathing in its water at certain locations helps curing several skin related diseases because of high Sulphur content.
4. Rivers (नद्याः) play an important role in supplying water for domestic & industrial purposes.
5. Rivers (नद्याः) helps in developing hydro-electric power generation. Rivers in their upper courses, with vertical valleys & waterfalls, provide natural sites where hydroelectric power stations can be set up.
6. Rivers (नद्याः) provide transport routes for exploration, commerce & recreation. Domestic water transport is highly based on rivers.
7. River valleys & plains provide fertile soils. Farmers in dry regions irrigate their cropland using water carried by irrigation channels from nearby rivers.
8. Rivers (नद्याः) are an important energy source. During the early industrial era, mills, shops & factories were built near fast-flowing rivers where water could be used to power machines. Today steep rivers are still used to power hydro-electric plants & their water turbines.
9. Rivers (नद्याः) help in curing the chronic diseases.
10. It also contains magnesium, iron & calcium, so the river water is the natural source of many minerals, vitamins & nutrients which human bodies require.
11. Rivers (नद्याः) also contains antibacterial properties which boost the immune system.
12. Ganga is considered the most sacred river among other rivers because Ganga river contains more oxygen percentage & also contains more nutrients than other rivers. This was identified by the Rishis & due to this reason, River Ganga was declared the most sacred River of all.
There are innumerable benefits & uses of Rivers (नद्याः). Rivers are the most important source of water which support life in many ways & have been the bearer of many great civilizations in the history. For example, the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, Incas, etc. had flourished along the great Rivers. Rivers (नद्याः) can be well understood as the backbone of Agriculture, Trade, Transportation, Industries & many more. And most importantly, source of drinking & the life support to the aquatic life system.
Thus, it's sanctity, purity & self-cleansing aspects were the prime reasons behind worshiping the river (नद्याः), as a mark of respect. This worship was by no means born of a superstitious belief & still it is not superstition to worship rivers (नद्याः) or any part of nature, as nature & its parts are considered as the nourishment of human life. One of the greatest strengths of the Hindus has been always the love & respect for nature & its elements. No religion, perhaps, lays as much emphasis on environmental ethics as Hinduism. Nature has therefore never been considered as a foe to be conquered in Hinduism. As a matter of fact, the ancient Hindus were against the exploitation of nature & its elements. Hindus should always recognize the divinity that exists in nature & its elements. Each one of us should love, worship & protect this amazing gift of God in the form of Mother Nature.
पौषः शुक्लपक्षे १२, २०७७