Hinduism: Details about 'Samudra'
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Samudra is a Sanskrit term for ocean. The term occurs over 150 times in the Rigveda, the ancient collection of Hindu poems. There are more references to the Samudra than to rivers in the Rigveda. The oldest vedic commentators like the Brihaddevata of Shaunaka, Nighantu and the Nirukta of Yaska interpret the term Samudra as ocean. The scholar G.V. Davane studied the occurrences of the term samudra in the Rigveda and concluded that the term means "terrestrial ocean". (Davane, G. V. 1982. An Analytical Study of ‘Samudra’ in the Rigveda.) The Rigveda also speaks of a western and eastern Samudra (10.136.5).
Samudra and riversSamudra is usually translated as "ocean" (e.g. Griffith, Macdonnel and Keith) and the word itself means "with waves". A minority of scholars (e.g. Madhav Deshpande) translate the term as "river". However, the Samudra is never said to flow in the Rigveda, but to receive all rivers (e.g. RV 6.36.3; 8.44.25). The Rigveda also describes the Vedic Sarasvati River as a river that flows to the ocean (e.g. RV 2.41.16-18) and "is pure in her course from the mountains to the sea" (RV 7.95.2). Rigveda 1.71.7 describes the seven great rivers seeking the Samudra and in RV 7.33.8 it is written that all the rivers flow to the Samudra but are unable to fill it. Samudra and Vedic deitiesThe vedic deity Varuna is the deity of the ocean (Samudra). The vedic deity Indra also occurs frequently in connection with the Samudra. The Rigveda narrates that Indra slew the dragon which released the seven rivers and caused them to enter the ocean (see Frawley 1991, 2001 for references to Rigvedic verses). Other gods that often occur together with the Samudra are Agni and Soma (see Frawley 1991, 2001 for references to Rigvedic verses). ShipsSome scholars like B.R. Sharma hold that the Rigvedic people may have been ship-builders engaging in maritime trade (1967. Vedic Aryans and Sea-voyage). In Rigveda 1.25.7; 7.88.3 and other instances, Samudra is mentioned together with ships. In RV 7.89.4 the rishi Vasishta is thirsting in the midst of water. Other verses mention oceanic waves (RV 4.58.1,11; 7.88.3). Some words that are used for ships are Nau, Peru, Dhi and Druma. Related termsThere are other Sanskrit terms in the Rigveda that appear to mean "ocean" or have similar meanings. Among them are the terms salila (ocean depths, unbounded sea), Arnas, Apas (water, sometimes celestial ocean), Purisha (heavenly ocean, clouds, origin of rain - the opposite of Samudra or terrestrial ocean). The waves are called Urmi in the Rigveda, and the lakes are called saras, kula or hlada. References
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