Historical Interpretation of the Nadi-Stuti Hymn in the Rgveda

Summary

'Historical Interpretation of the Nadi‑Stuti Hymn in the Rgveda' by Raj Bali Pandey offers a contextual reading of a hymn that praises rivers. The Nadi‑stuti (Rigveda 10.75) enumerates rivers such as the Yamuna, Sarasvati, Parushni (Ravi), Asikni (Chenab), Vitasta (Jhelum) and Indusfile:///home/oai/share/563026_compressed-273-366.pdf#:~:text=Skand%27agupta%20136%2C%20137%2C%20138%20G,Damodarpur%20copper%20plate. Pandey argues that beyond devotional praise, the hymn reflects the political geography and cultural expansion of the Vedic peoples. He analyses the sequence of rivers mentioned, noting that it begins with eastern rivers like the Yamuna and Sarasvati and culminates with the mighty Sindhu (Indus), suggesting a westward march of Aryan settlement. The hymn’s epithets for the Indus—“golden‑sashed,” “rich in horses,” “mother of floods”—point to the prosperity of the Indus valley. Pandey also examines the term “Khashuā Sindhuḥ,” which he interprets as indicating the tribe (Khasas) living along the river. Drawing on other hymns and later Vedic texts, he proposes that the Nadi‑stuti commemorates the crossing of the rivers by the Bharata kings during their expansion into the Punjab. He connects the hymn with the Battle of the Ten Kings (Daśarājna) and suggests that the praise of rivers may have been part of a victory celebration. The article situates the hymn within archaeological and linguistic evidence for Indo‑Aryan migrations and emphasises the importance of rivers in Vedic ritual and mythology. Pandey cautions that historical interpretations of sacred texts must be tentative but argues that the Nadi‑stuti provides valuable clues about the movement and self‑conception of early Vedic communities.