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Milchar
October-December 2001 issue
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Vitasta - Source and Name
... Prof. K. N. Dhar
From times immemorial, the rivers in India
have been treated as sacred. After the Aryan occupation of the North, when
the towns and cities began to be built on the banks of the rivers for understandable
reasons, their utility could not be overlooked. It was also believed that
the violent form of rivers in the shape of floods etc. could be averted
by propitiation. Hence by way of gratitude or fear, the rivers were deified.
The 'nadi Sukta' in 'Rigveda' testifies to this fact eloquently. In this Sukta, a direct reference to the
'Vitasta' has been made along with other
prominent rivers of North India. In the 'Mahabharata' also, this river
of Kashmir has received mention. These references about this river in the
oldest texts of India sufficiently prove that Vitasta was very well known
in India and was also held in great respect being a Tirtha of repute. The
popular tradition ascribes its source to Verinag, but in the description
of Naga Springs in the Nilamata Purana, this name is absent. However, while
describing this river, the Nilamata Purana asserts that it has come out
of Nila Naga or Neel Kund. Hence it is called Neela (daughter of Neel Nag)
also. Kalhana also in his Rajatarangini confirms this assertion. Therefore
it is very intriguing to locate the actual source of this river because
at present we have a marshy back water lake known as Nila Nag just two
or three miles to the left of Yusmarg, a tourist spot. Abul Fazal, in his
Aine Akbari, has described this very lake as the source of Vitasta. Nilamata
also describes two Nila Nagas.
We will now examine critically all the evidence available to us
as given above and locate the exact source of Vitasta, honouring the tradition
and testimony of the texts available to us on this subject. The 'Vitasta
Mahatamyas' and 'Haracharita Cintamani' also treat this river at length.
These corroborate the description as given in the Nilamata and Rajatarangini.
Hence it is not very difficult to dispose off the contradiction in the
names between Verinaga and Nila Naga.
The present Shahabad village in Anantnaag district was known as
'Vera' in ancient times. Abul Fazal also records this very name for the
Pargana. Hence it is no surprise that the spring Nila Naga situated in
the Vera village in course of time, came to be known as spring of Vera
of Veri-Naga, the earlier name having fallen in disuse. The names of villages
are even today associated with the springs located there. Furthermore,
while describing the spring of Vera, Abul Fazal testifies to its sanctity
and records that many temples of stone were erected there. So it is abundantly
clear that the present Verinag is actually the Nila Naga of older text.
Even though Nilamata mentions two Nilanagas, but from the other Dughda
Ganga, Kshirnadi or Svetakulika (present Doodh Ganga or Chatsa Kol, flows
down. By no stretch of imagination, Vitasta can be taken as flowing from
it. Geographical data confirm this view because the route of Vitasta is
quite different and its contact with dudh Ganga take place just below Srinagar
when it has almost traversed a distance of 50 miles already.
About the name Vitasta given to this river, there is an elaborate
description given in Nilamata Purana and other texts. The sage Kashyapa
who drained the waters out of Satisar and reclaimed the land, handed over
the same to his son Nila Naga and himself went away for penance. However,
after some time, the Valley became waterless, so the need for water for
maintaining life was felt all the more. In an allegorical manner, the birth
of Vitasta has been referred to in the Nilamata. The contact with the Pisachas,
the original inhabitants of Kashmir (non Aryans) following very unwholesome
practices, had made the immigrants (Aryans) unclean. Hence to purify them,
sage Kashyapa requested Lord Shiva to prevail upon his consort Parvati
to manifest herself in the form of a river. The goddess obliged and entreated
her Lord to make an opening on the surface of the land, from which she
would come out after assuming the form of a river. Thereupon, Lord Shiva
struck the ground near the abode of Nila Naga with his trident, which measured
one vitasti, a measure of length equal to twelve Angulas being the
distance between the extended thumb and little finger. Through this fissure,
the goddess Parvati gushed forth in the form of Vitasta. Since it measured
one vitasti it was called Vitasta. Kalhana specifically says that this
spring was circular in shape which acted as a 'Royal Parasol' for the king
Neela. The shape of this spring is octagonal now, perhaps due to the renovations
made in it by the later kings, especially the Moghul. The date for this
appearance of Vitasta is even now celebrated by Pandits of Kashmir every
year with the worship of the River on 13th day of the bright fortnight
of Bhadrapada, known as 'Vetha Truvah' in Kashmir. It is also asserted
in these older texts, especially in Nilamata that this river disappeared
twice and only consented to flow permanently when given the company of
other goddesses. Hence Sindhu appeared in the form of Ganga, Gudar as the
Godavari and Vishoka (modern Veshava) in the form of Laxmi. Perhaps this
legend of manifesting and then disappearing alludes to more than one source
of this river. On second appearance, it began to flow from Naga of Panchahasta,
today known as Panzeth, in Anantnaag district. The third and penultimate
appearance took place at Narsingashram. 'Mahatamyas' also mention the present
'Vethavotur' (Vitastatra) as also one of its sources. This allusion to
more than one source can easily be deciphered as its tributaries, emanating
from these spots and joining Vitasta to make it a mighty river.
After emerging from the emerald-hued spring of Neela at Verinag,
this river traverses a serpentine course of some eighty miles from Khanabal
to Khadanyar, built by queen Khadana of king Meghavahana. This placid flow
of the river conceals in the bosom, the variegated cultural and religious
values of Kashmiris. These miles definitely represent the milestones stretching
over thousands of years depicting the inflow and outflow of virtue and
vice, and joy and sorrow of the Kashmiris at large.
The river known as 'Vyetha', today has inspired generation after
generation of Kashmiris with its emphasis on the balanced outlook on life
punctuated with religious forbearance. So it does not seem any exaggeration
when Nilamata records: "Oh King, whatever Tirthas appear on this globe,
are found there in Kashmir." And to elucidate this point further more,
Nilamata asserts: "There in Kashmir, the springs, ponds and mountains bestow
virtue in the midst of which, the great goddess Vitasta, born actually
of the Himalayas, has sprung up, dividing the Valley in two parts like
the parting line of a woman's hair."
A Kashmiri has always withstood onslaughts of brute force and
can only be won over by sweet persuasion and qualities of head and heart
worth emulation. Perhaps Kalhana is right when he says, "The inhabitants
of this country (Kashmir) can be conquered only by spiritual force and
never by tyrannical force of weapons. Hence they have the fear of the other
world only."
Consequently, the denizen of this land of 'learning, saffron,
icy water and grapes' has no temporal attachment for Vitasta as such, he
looks upon it as a veritable ferry which will waft him across the mundane
world and ensure for him a perennial fund of virtues in the other world.
So, all Tirthas of repute have been built on its bank personifying the
gateways to the other world. Hence the religious rites to the manes especially
on the tenth day are performed on its bank. This river means to a Kashmiri
a bridge between the 'seen' and the 'unseen' this world and the other world.
To speak squarely, it typifies the cultural heritage of the sons of Kashyapa.
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