Historical Geography of Ancient India c10.320

c10.320

*Śiprā*.—This river has its origin in the lake called Śiprā, situated to the west of the Himalaya mountain and falls into the southern sea (*Kālikā Purāṇa*, Ch. 19, pp. 14, 17). It is mentioned in the *Meghadūta*, (*Pūrva-megha*, 31). It has been immortalized by Kālidāsa as a historical river on which the city of Ujjayinī was situated (cf. *Raghuvamśa*, VI, 35). This is a local river of the Gwalior State which flows into the Chambal (*Carmanvatī*), a little below Sitaman. It is fed by two tributaries (Law, *Rivers of India*, p. 40). The *Harivamśa* (clxvii, 9509) mentions this river. According to the Pauranic list it is said to have issued from the Pāripātra mountain. The *Avantyakhaṇḍa* of the *Skanda Purāṇa* points out that the Śiprā in Avanti was known as *Uttaravāhinī*, i.e., flowing down to the north. When the waters of the river Revā covered the earth, the Vindhya mountain saved the earth. The three rivers, Revā, Carmanvatī and Kṣatā sprang from the Amarakantaka hill near the Vindhya. The Kṣatā split open the Vindhya and flowed to Mahākālavana, i.e., Ujjayinī to meet the Śiprā near Rudrasarovara. The confluence of the two rivers Śiprā and Kṣatā was known as the Kṣatāsaṅgama which is an important place of pilgrimage (Skanda Purāṇa, Ch. 56, 6-12, pp. 2868-69, Vaṅgavāsī ed.). The Jaina Āvaśyaka-Cūrṇi (p. 544) also mentions this river.