Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.153

c8.153

Brahmaputra.—The Brahmaputra is the principal river of Assam. The Yoginītantra mentions it (Jīvānanda Vidyāsāgar ed., 1/11, p. 60; 2. 4, pp. 128-29). It is also known as the Lauhitya (Brahma Purāṇa, Ch. 64; Raghuvamśa, IV, 81; Yoginītantra, 2. 2. 119), which according to Kālidāsa, formed the western boundary of Prāgjyotiṣa. According to the Jambudivapaṇṇatti, the source of this river is traced to the stream which channels out through the eastern outlet of the eastern Lotus lake. Modern geographical exploration goes to show that its origin can be traced to the eastern region of the Mānasa-sarovara. There are three important head-waters of the Brahmaputra—the Kupi, the Chema-Yungdung and the Angsi Chu. All these headwaters rise from glacial tongues. The discharge of the Kupi river being the highest, Sven Hedin fixed the source of the Brahmaputra in the Kupi glacier. But according to Swami Pranavānanda of the Holy Kailāsa and Mānasa-sarovara, the Brahmaputra rises from the Chema-Yungdung glacier (for further details, vide S. P. Chatterjee, Presidential Address to the Geographical Society of India, Geographical Review of India, September, 1953). The Kālikā Purāṇa (Ch. 82) contains a legendary account of the origin of the Brahmaputra. It is stated therein that the Brahmaputra is situated between the four mountains of which the Kailāsa and Gandhamādana stand to the north and south respectively (Ch. 82, 36). It flows in a south-westerly direction from Sadiyā down to the place above the Garo hills. It flows south again to meet the Ganges at a little above the Goalanda Ghat. The course of the Brahmaputra through the tableland of southern Tibet is known as the Sunpa. For further details, vide B. C. Law, Rivers of India, pp. 29-30.