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(After KS Valdiya)
Saptasindhu (Nation of seven rivers): Theatre of Pañcajanāh, five peoples (Source: Marius Fontane, 1881, Histoire Universelle, Inde Vedique (de 1800 a 800 av. JC), Alphonse Lemerre, Editeur, Paris.
IRS P3 WiFS True Color Composite image: palaeo-drainage of Sarasvati river basin. 4 to 10 kms. wide channels. Indian Space Research Organisation, Jodhpur.
Sarasvatī is vāgāmbhṛiṇī, Vāk says: aham rāṣṭrī sangamanī vasūnām (RV 10.125 Devīsūkta). The root morphemes of the compound word vāgāmbhṛiṇī indicate a reference to rapidly flowing waters and sounds of the river Sarasvatī, the nourisher of the people of a civilization which flourished on the river banks.
The devatā is vāgāmbhṛiṇī, the name of riṣikā is the same. The entire sūkta is rendered as a monologue, as ātmastuti, self-praise.
अहम् रुद्रेभिर वसुभिश्चराम्यहं आदित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः
अहम् मित्रावरुणोभा विभम्य्रहं इन्द्राग्नी अहम् अश्विनोभा . (RV 10.125.1)
अहम् सोमं आहनसं विभम्य्रहं त्वष्टारं उत पूषणं भगं
अहम् दधामि द्रविणं हविष्मते सुप्राप्ये यजमानाय सुन्वते .
अहम् राष्ट्री संगमनी वसूनां चिकितुषी प्रथमा यज्ञियानां
ताम मा देवा व्यदधुः पुरुत्रा भूरिष्ठात्रां भूय्रावेशयन्तीं .
मया सो अन्नं अत्ति यो विपश्यति यः प्राणिति या ईं शृणोत्युं
अमन्तवो माम त उप क्षियन्ति श्रुधि श्रुत श्रद्धिवं ते वदामि .
अहं ईव स्वयं इदं वदामि जुष्टं देवेभिरुत मानुषेभिः
यम कामये तम्भतं उग्रं कृणोमि तं ऋषिं तं सुमेधां .
अहं रुद्राय धनुरा तनोमि ब्रह्मद्विषे शरवे हन्तवा उ
अहं जनाय समदं कृणोम्यहं द्यावापृथिवी आ विवेश .
अहं सुवे पितरं अस्य मूर्धन्मम योनिर अप्स्वन्तः समुद्रे
ततो वि तिष्ठे भुवनानु विश्वोतामूं द्यां वर्ष्मनोप स्पृशामि .
अहं ईवा वात इव प्र वाम्यारभमाणा भुवनानि विश्वा
पारो दिवा परा एना पृथिव्यैतावती महिना सैम बभूव .
Translation (based on Wilson):
10.125.01 I proceed with the Rudras, with the Vasus, with the ādityas, and with the Vis'vedevā; I support both Mitra and Varuṇa, Agni and Indra, and the two As'vins. [Deity Paramātmā: the word, or first of creatures].
10.125.02 I support the foe-destroying Soma, Tvaṣṭā, Pūṣan and Bhaga; I bestow wealth upon the institutor of the rite offering the oblation, deserving of careful protection, pouring forth the libation.
10.125.03 I am the sovereign queen, the collectress of treasures, cognizant (of the Supreme Being), the chief of objects of worship; as such the gods have put me in many places, abiding in manifold conditions, entering into numerous (forms.
10.125.04 He who eats food (eats) through me; he who sees, who breathes, who hears what is spoken, does so through me; those who are ignorant of me perish; hear you who have hearing, I tell that which is deserving of belief.
10.125.05 I verily of myself declare this which is approved of by both gods and men; whomsoever I will, I render formidable, I make him a Brahmā, a ṛṣi, or a sage. [A Brahman: Brahmā, the creator].
10.125.06 I bend the bow of Rudra, to slay the destructive enemy of the Brāhmaṇas, I wage war with (hostile) men. I pervade heaven and earth.
10.125.07 I bring forth the paternal (heaven) upon the brow of this (Supreme Being), my birthplace is in the midst of the waters; from thence I spread through all beings, and touch this heaven with my body.
10.125.08 I breathe forth like the wind giving form to all created worlds; beyond the heaven, beyond this earth (am I), so vast am I in greatness.
Translation (based on Ralph Griffith):
I load with wealth the zealous sdcrificer who pours the juice and offers his oblation
Thus Gods have stablished me in many places with many homes to enter and abide in.
4 Through me alone all eat the food that feeds them, each man who sees, brewhes, hears the word
outspoken
They know it not, but yet they dwell beside me. Hear, one and all, the truth as I declare it.
5 1, verily, myself announce and utter the word that Gods and men alike shall welcome.
7 On the worlds' summit I bring forth the Father: my home is in the waters, in the ocean.
Thence I extend over all existing creatures, and touch even yonder heaven with my forehead.
8 I breathe a strong breath like the wind and tempest, the while I hold together all existence.
Beyond this wide earth and beyond the heavens I have become so mighty in my grandeur.
sangamanīya 'leading to union, effecting union'. I am rāṣṭram, I effect the union. Union of what? Uniting water and sound of speech, union of people with wealth is effected.
आम्भस a. (-सी f.) [अम्भस्-अण्] consisting of water, being watery, fluid. अम्भ् [अम्भते, अम्भित] To sound. अम्भस् 'water' अम्बु 'w
ambhṛiṇa 'powerful, great' (RV i.133.5); 'roaring terribly' (Sāyaṇa); a vessel used in the preparation of Soma juice (VS). Name of a rishi, father of vāc.
āmbhṛiṇī 'daughter of āmbhṛiṇa, name of vāc.'
The compound sounds as an extraordinary construct linking the 'bearing' of 'sound and water' in वाक् vāk 'speech' and ambhas 'sound, water'.
vāgāmbhṛiṇī thus means a nourisher who, in speech, bears the sound and water. She is vāgdevi 'divinity of speech'.
Rigveda attests many Ekāki Riṣikā or Brahmavādinī or householder Riṣikā who had the educational discipline of brahmacarya: Aditi (author of Vaiśvadevā sūkta), Aditi Dākṣāyaṇī, Suditi, Agastyavasā, Agastyapatni, Romaṣā (RV 1.126.7), Devaśravā, Surādhā, Lopāmudrā (RV 1.179), Citramahā, Vyāghrapāt śakti, Rakṣohā, Jetā Madhucchandā, Sarparāgyi, Apālā, Kadru, Viśvavara, Indrāṇi, Nidhruvi, Vivrihā, Dakṣinā, Kakṣīvati Ghoṣā, Juhu, vāgāmbhṛiṇī (RV 10.125), Paulomi, Jarita, śraddha-Kamayani,
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad refers to a prayer for a daughter who would become a paṇḍitā. This is consistent with the tradition of Sāvitrī Vacana referring to higher studies, upanayana (sacred-thread-wearing) performed for girls, equal rights for performing prayers recognized by Pūrvamīmāmsa and as noted by Pāṇini, girls also studied the Veda.. Gṛhya and śrauta sūtra note that wives repeat with their husbands, the veda mantra.
Like Vaiśambhalyā, vāgāmbhṛiṇī is explained as an explanatory synonym of Sarasvatī or vāk.
Vaiśambhalyā (TB 2.5.8.6; -phalyā, -balyā Apss 4.14.4; Bharadvaja siksa. These variants referring to Sarasvati is explained: "The reader can easily check Taittiriya Brahmana 2.5.8.6 and verify that nothing of this sort is stated or implied therein. The word actually has a very transparent IA etymology as explained even in the Jnanayajnabhashya of Bhatta Bhaskara. Sarasvati was so called because it nourished and sustained masses of people. This is a meaning which fits the ritual context of the sections very well. As for his reference on the occurrence of the word in Bharadvaja Siksha, the reader should note that the Siksa is a late text and is merely an index of words in the Taittiriya Brahmana. So its occurrence in the Siksa is of no independent utility. (Witzel argues that the word occurs with variant spellings in Apastamba Srautasutra, Bharadvaja Siksa and Taittiriya Brahmana and that these spelling variations are ‘proof’ of the word’s foreign origin. The argument is curious and not sustainable.)" http://