Samudra
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Samudra is a Sanskrit term for ocean. The term occurs over 150 times in the Rig Veda. There are more references to the Samudra than to rivers in the Rig Veda.
The oldest vedic commentators like the Brihaddevata of Shaunaka, Nighantu and the Nirukta of Yaska interpret the term Samudra as ocean. The scholar G.V. Davane studied the occurences of the term samudra in the Rig Veda and concluded that the term means "terrestrial ocean". (Davane, G. V. 1982. An Analytical Study of ‘Samudra’ in the Rgveda.)
The Rig Veda also speaks of a western and eastern Samudra (10.136.5).
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Samudra and rivers
Samudra is usually translated as "ocean" (e.g. Griffith, Macdonnel and Keith) and the word itself means "with waves". A minority of scholars (e.g. Madhav Deshpande) translate the term as "river". However, the Samudra is never said to flow in the Rig Veda, but to receive all rivers (e.g. RV 6.36.3; 8.44.25). The Rig Veda also describes the Vedic Sarasvati River as a river that flows to the ocean (e.g. RV 2.41.16-18) and "is pure in her course from the mountains to the sea" (RV 7.95.2). Rig Veda 1.71.7 describes the seven great rivers seeking the Samudra and in RV 7.33.8 it is written that all the rivers flow to the Samudra but are unable to fill it.
Samudra and Vedic deities
The vedic deity Varuna is the deity of the ocean (Samudra). The vedic deity Indra also occurs frequently in connection with the Samudra. The Rig Veda narrates that Indra slew the dragon which released the seven rivers and caused them to enter the ocean (see Frawley 1991, 2001 for references to Rig-vedic verses). Other gods that often occur together with the Samudra are Agni and Soma (see Frawley 1991, 2001 for references to Rig-vedic verses).
Ships
Some scholars like B.R. Sharma hold that the Rig Vedic people may have been ship-builders engaging in maritime trade (1967. Vedic Aryans and Sea-voyage). In Rigveda 1.25.7; 7.88.3 and other instances, Samudra is mentioned together with ships. In RV 7.89.4 the rishi Vasishta is thirsting in the midst of water. Other verses mention oceanic waves (RV 4.58.1,11; 7.88.3). Some words that are used for ships are Nau, Peru, Dhi and Druma.
Related terms
There are other Sanskrit terms in the Rig Veda that appear to mean "ocean" or have similar meanings. Among them are the terms salila (ocean depths, unbounded sea), Arnas, Apas (water, sometimes celestial ocean), Purisha (heavenly ocean, clouds, origin of rain - the opposite of Samudra or terrestrial ocean). The waves are called Urmi in the Rig Veda, and the lakes are called saras, kula or hlada.
External links
References
- Rig Veda
- Frawley, David. 1991. Gods, Sages, and Kings, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin ISBN 0-910261-37-7
- Frawley David: The Rig Veda and the History of India, 2001.(Aditya Prakashan), ISBN 81-7742-039-9
