Cosmography and Geography in Early Indian Literature c7.s3.38

c7.s3.38

In this connection, reference may be made to the Puranic description of the seven streams of the Ganges all starting from the Bindu-sarovara in the Himalayas, of which the Nalini, Hlādini and Pāvani are said to be flowing towards the east, the Sitā, Cakṣu and Sindhu towards the west and the Bhāgirathi towards the south, all the seven watering the varṣa called Hima (i.e. Bhārata-varṣa). Although the order of the names of the three rivers running towards the east is not the same in the different Purāṇas, the description is interesting for the list of peoples through whose lands the rivers are said to have passed. Some of the peoples mentioned in this context are known from other sections of the Purāṇas, though their location is only vaguely suggested by the direction of the course of the streams in question. The seven lists of the peoples are quoted below.¹¹