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The Prakhar tree from the roots of which springs Saraswati.

 

On looking up the meaning of the Sanskrit word Plaksh in the Sanskrit – Hindi dictionary, the result was astonishing ; there were two meanings, one was a Goolar tree and the second that it was the origin of the river Saraswati. The Plaksh tree at Markandey Ashram is from the same family as Goolar tree .The characteristic feature of these fig trees is that the small ball-like fruit grow in clusters on or close to the tree trunk, termed cauliflory. The fig (Ficus) trees that grow in India include the white fig (Pakhar, Pilkhan),Goolar, Banyan and the Peepal. In the Atharva Veda, the fig tree (Udumbara)is given prominence as a means of acquiring prosperity and vanquishing foes(3).

The mythological river Saraswati , embodiment of knowledge and peace, has in recent times been shown to have existed in reality. The perpetuated myth has suddenly become a historical fact, noted severally in the Rig-veda and numerous Puranas. The highly eulogized mother goddess Saraswati , on the banks of which flourished the ancient Vedic civilization still exists, though in an attenuated state. The current blog is a journey into the reality that is Saraswati, and it is hoped that the visitors to this site will feel the same thrill of re-discovery that the explorer experienced on his quest to re-visit the sites mentioned in the great epics as being associated with the Great Saraswati. And will also slowly become convinced, as was the author, to the authenticity of the numerous slokas that lucidly extol the virtues of this mother of all rivers.

The journey of re-discovery is still on, and the explorer invites all interested to join him in this marvelous trip into the past. The author is a doctor and a Professor of Surgery at a university located along the banks of the Divine Sararwati, and thanks the Gods for having granted him this boon of residence in the ancient land of Brahma-varta. For this is the place where the Lord Brahma is said to have rolled out Creation , and is considered in the Vedas no less than Heaven itself. This the author has experienced to be true as, in this world of turmoil and strife,there can only be an approximation to utopia ; but if such a place exists anywhere on Earth it is here, as the residents Chandigarh and Ambala will unhesitatingly testify.

All visitors are invited to visit the gallery and also view the videos, since a photo cannot capture the entire scene in shots. Nature lovers are sure to enjoy the images and the ambience of the locations visited. The photos are backed up by narrative from the epics, to provide a background to the spots shown. The more one reads and co-relates with the information provided, the more one experiences the truth of the slokas.Here’s wishing everyone a pleasant and thrilling journey.

NOMENCLATURE OF RIVERS

Rivers in India have an assortment of names. A river may be named after a great personality, a God or a geographical feature. Thus the Ganges is also called the Bhagirathi after the king who engineered its descent from the Himalayas. The Yamuna is named after God Yama, whose sister it is supposed to be. The Mandakini, originating from the Chitrakoot hills, is so called because of its gentle flow (mand=slow).

Usually, the origin of a river is considered from the point from where the length of the river becomes longest. Any river usually has a large number of tributaries, so it is open to question which tributary is to be considered as its origin. If we take the Ganga, the major tributaries are the Alaknanda, Mandakini, Jahnavi and the Bhagirathi. The origin is generally supposed to be from Gangotri which is the starting point of the Bhagirathi. Otherwise, the tributaries are separately called at the respective geographical locations, and it is only at Dev-prayag where the Bhagirathi joins the Alaknanda where the Ganga is formed and called as such.

The great importance attached to the engineering feat attributed to King Bhagirath, led to the Ganga being subsequently called Bhagirathi, so much so, that the two names are almost synonymous. The river Vipasha after the great penances performed on its banks by the Rishi Ved Vyas, subsequently came to be known as Vyas, or Byas. Thus we see that rivers in India are variably called, and public imagination plays a great role in this. The river known as Vishwamitri flows in areas close to Vadodara, no doubt due to the intimate association of the river with Rishi Vishwa-mitra.

Logically extending the above arguments to the ancient river Saraswati, which had lost much of its flow by the time of the great Mahabharata war ( Dwapar-yuga), the re-emergence of the river from Rishi Markandeya’s ashram would naturally lead it to being named after the great rishi. The story of the Saraswati re-appearing at Markandeya’s ashram is narrated in the Brihan Naradiya Purana. Since the rivulet appeared at Rishi Markandey’s ashram and the latter was already a well renowned ascetic, it would easily come to be known after the great rishi. Especially so, when the Saraswati had fragmented into numerous small streams, all flowing from the lower Shivaliks towards the plains of Ambala and Kurukshetra.

The emergence of the Saraswati from the roots of the Plaksh tree is documented in several Puranas, as also in the Mahabharata. This Palaksh or Pakhar (Indian fig) tree still stands today, and the very size and form of the tree testifies to its age. Please note that the trees of the Fig family, like the Banyan, never really perish since the branches give rise to new trees, by the process of vegetative reproduction. All these references stating the re-appearance of the divine Saraswati have been presented here, alongwith the associated stories. All readers are welcome to experience the authenticity of this Puranic narration by visiting the spot near Kala Amb, on the road to Paonta Sahib.

Please see the map for location.