Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.1492

c9.1492

ŚATADRU. The Purāṇic name of the Indian river now called Sutlej. Grief-stricken over the death of his son, Vasiṣṭha once jumped into this river, which, realising that the maharṣi was as powerful as fire, divided itself into many branches and flowed in various directions, and hence the river came to be known as Śatadrū. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 176, Verse 8). Once in talking about sublime rivers to Śiva, Pārvatī mentioned this river also. (Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 146, Verse 18). Śatadrū is also one of the ten rivers referred to in the Ṛgveda.