The History and Culture of the Indian People v1.c19.s1.7

v1.c19.s1.7

Then we pass on to the five streams, viz. the Śutudrī, Vipāś, Parushṇī, Asiknī, and Vitastā, which give the Punjab its name and, united together, flow into the Indus. The *Nadīstuti* omits the Vipāś and inserts the Marudvṛidhā between the Asiknī and Vitastā. The Śutudrī is the most easterly river of the Punjab identified with the modern Sutlej. True to its name, it has considerably changed its course even during historical times. Vipāś, "fetterless," is the modern Beās, which has also changed its course considerably. Its non-mention in the earlier Vedic literature except in two *Ṛigveda*-hymns, coupled with its absence in the *Nadīstuti*-hymn, supports the hypothesis that it was of small importance.