Sambodhi 2007 Vol 31

Author(s): J B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

26
GAURI MAHULIKAR
SAMBODHI
are:20
quemits-Areata, Carignac, (aantot) tits, (a ) Front, fferat forferde-faer) yousias- HERIE, 3177, sfas, aparte, rett It appears that the migration of the Sāraswatas took place along the Arabian sea towards the coastal regions, specially Goa21. As the southern Brahmins had domiciled in the south for a long time, the Sāraswatas, who migrated to south newly, were called by the locals as its HRA. Thus the prefix "Gauda' for the original residents of Sarasvati. Dr. Suryakanth Kamath records that Kripalani from Sind, Airi from Haryana, Somaiya from Kutch and Rawal from Rajasthan are all Sāraswat surnames. 22
Bānabhatta refers to Saraswata in a different context. He mentions Sarasvati as a goddess, and not a river. Once in Brahmaloka, while Brahmā was seated with Indra etc. gods and was having some discussions with sages, sage Durvāsas made some mistake in 'Samagāyana' Young and beautiful Sarasvati, daughter of Brahmā could not control her laughter at this mistake by a senior sage. As a result the hot-tempered sage cursed her to go to Bhūloka. Accordingly she descended on the earth, on the bank of river Sona, along with Sāvitri. There she fell in love with a sage called Dadhica and delivered a son Saraswata23 Kalidasa mentions Sarasvati at Brahmăvarta and refers to Balarāma's pilgrimage along Sarasvati 24, but doesn't mention people on her banks.
The Croats (of erstwhile Yugoslavia) claim that they are Sāraswatas ! The Behistun (Iran) inscription of Darius refers to the region called Hravat (Haraquaiti), which is a phonetic transform from Sarasvati. Sarasvati-Haraquaiti-HarvatCroat! (See for details, http://sarasvati.simplenet.com) 25
CONCLUSION: "River Sarasvati is neither a legend, nor a myth, but a ground truth, a river which was flowing for thousands of years prior to Vedic times. Indian Civilization is an indigenous evolution and cultural continuity is established from the Vedic times to the present day. After the desiccation of Sarasvati, Indians moved to other parts of the world. Now the search and discovery of Sarasvati has revealed a thread of essential unity, a bond among the people of India. This is the unity of an integral society, a resurgent nation and a unified culture, which can be found from Himalayas to the Indian Ocean."26
In fact the Indian concept of a river is that of a sustaining mother. The word