Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.10

c6.10

The Aciravatī is a tributary of the Sarayū which has its origin in the Himalayan range. The long description of the origin of the five rivers Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Aciravatī, Sarabhū and Mahī from the Anotatta lake, is given in the Pali commentaries.⁷ Some five hundred rivers are mentioned in the *Suttanipāta Commentary*.⁸ Only ten of them were to be reckoned according to the *Milinda-Pañho*.⁹ Of the ten rivers¹⁰ the Aciravatī was one of the five great rivers,¹¹ which constituted the Ganges group and the rest constituted the Sindhu group. The Aciravatī was one of the sacred rivers of the Buddhist Midland.¹² As it fell into the sea, it lost its former name and was known as the sea.¹³ According to the *Saṃyutta Nikāya*¹⁴ the Aciravatī along with the Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Sarabhū and Mahī flowed, slided and tended to the east. It was a deep river as its water was immeasurable.¹⁵