The River Vitasta is a sacred river of Jammu and Kashmir that flows through capital city of J&K, Srinagar, which is located on its banks. Vitasta is of great spiritual, cultural, and religious significance, Kashmiri Pandits still do vith truva in reverence to this holy river. Vitasta is popularly considered to originate from Vith Vutur Verinag in the south Kashmir district of Anantnag, which is a renowned tourist destination and attracts thousands of tourists every year. For the people of Kashmir in general and Pandits in particular, Vitasta is profoundly significant and is greatly revered and respected. According to rumours of the good olden days and not so long ago this river was filled with clean and cool water and was deep and wide. However, today, because of the greed of man, it is no longer so clean, its size has been exploited and width has shrunk, and it is now filled with dirty and scant water. We will have to act now with care for the future of this sacred river, and save it from degradation or exploitation. Over time, everything passed, and this sacred river came to be known as the river Jhelum. Therefore, in present time, this river is known as the river Jhelum. This does not, however, diminish the cultural, spiritual, and religious significance of this great river that is part of the past of Kashmiris, coming half the way down from central Kashmir before entering Pakistan. The river Vitasta has great cultural, religious and spiritual significance, as per Sanskrit cosmology. Chapter X of Nilmatpurana narrates how a daughter of Himal Parvat, consort of Shiva, named Uma (sometimes called "Gămbir" by the Kashmiri), was born on that bank between river Vitasta and free of all sins. And finally, once more that's knowledge and the river Vitasta, truly, God Vitasta is the holy river and remover of all sins, errors, and millions of evils.
Individuals who sacrifice their bodies to or die in the waters are freely transported to the heavens, and those who are submerged in the Vitasta do not even see in dreams the torments of hell. Vitasta gives bodily protection to evil doers who fall into Hell; and the fire of hell is cooled by drops from the waves of Vitasta, carried on the wind. A person who only hears the glory of Vitasta goes free of sin. The only thing that Ganga has over Vitasta are the heaps of human bones, but everything else is equal. The river which drains all of the Kashmir valley which is called by Kashmiris as Vyath is by direct derivation the original Sanskrit name Vitasta. Vitasta is also mentioned in the river names of Rigveda. In Vayupurna, the Vitasta river is referred to as Biloda. The present name Jhelum river has come from Jhelum city by which it flows in Pakistan. The name was brought to Kashmir by European travelers and became accepted for official uses; otherwise the river is still called Vyath by Kashmiris. The river Vitasta can be considered as the confluence of Harashpatha–Arapat, Bringa-Bring and Sandran. But the old holy scriptures have traced the origin of Vitasta to a more specific source.
As mentioned in the Nilamatapurana Harcaritachintamani and referenced in more recent times, Vitasta is a manifestation of goddess Parvati. After the water was drained from Satisar (Parvati's lake) and demon Jalodbaba defeated by Vishnu and Bhrama and Maheshvera at the request of sage Kashyap, Maheshvara urged Parvati to manifest in the form of a river in Kashmir for the purpose of purifying the humans from the impure contact of the Pisacha. The goddess manifested as an underground river and requested Shiva to create an opening for her to rise to the surface. On the 13th of Badar Shukla Paksha Shiva drove his trident into the ground and the river gushed forth, receiving the name Vitasta. Since then Vitasta's birthday has been presently coolbrated on the 13th of Badar Shukla Paksha. Thus, the spring from which the goddess flowed in river form is mentioned in many names Nilganga, Nila Kunda, Sulaghata or simply Vitasta. Legend has it that Vitasta made her second appearance at Vitvatru close to Verinag. Kalhan set the tradition in stone in telling of the story when he mentions Nilganga (Verinig) as the birthplace of Vitasta with clear specificity. The course of the Vitasta has been unchanged in historical times except at Vitasta Sindhusangrama where it was changed by Suyya the competent engineer of King Awantivarman in the nineteenth century. It is believed that when Lord Shiva struck his trident and made a hole equal to a Vitatsi (about four inch long) water sprang out. Lord Shiva called the river Vitasta because it sprang up as a Vitasta.
The location where the spring water emerged was referred to as Vitasatra, and over the years evolved into Vyeth Vathur. During the course of Vedic civilization settlements appeared along the banks of this mythical river Saraswati. The inhabitants of Kashmir lived along the banks of river Vitasta, which traverses the entire length of Kashmir valley starting from its spring at Vrinag, at the foots of Pir Panchal mountain range to the place where it meets with river Krishen Ganga, which flows in Jammu and Kashmir now occupied by invading Pakistan. Like Sarswat people, Kashmiri Pandits also created their Tirthas and other forms of worship along the banks of river Vitasta. Vedic people made rivers sacred, worshipped them as manifestation of their divine motherBhavani and acknowledged them as source and sustenance of life. In particular, to Kasshmir Hindus, Vitasta river signifies Goddess Parvati and consort of Lord Shiva. Vedic texts refer to Vitasta as one of the significant river of north Indian civilization. In Mahabharata, Vitasta is referenced in the epics of Bharat. Besides, Vitasta is also referred to as Jhelum, the river of northern Indian sun continent.
It begins at Vrinag and flows through Jammu and Kashmir and enters the territory of POK in Pakistan. It is the most western of the five rivers of Punjab, and it runs through the Kashmir valley. It is approximately 725 Kilometers long. The ancient Greeks called the river Jhelum Hydaspes. Alexander the Great crossed the Jhelum with his forces, having a major battle near the banks of the river, in BC 326, in which he defeated an Indian King named Porus. The river Vitasta is the gift of God to the people of Kashmir, and it is indeed a blessing as it provides irrigation and sustenance to the people of Kashmir. However, it also ends up causing destruction through flooding. The flood that occurred in 2014 is still fresh in our memories as it severely impacted the Kashmir region. Man's greed and selfishness is what's to blame for the flood; otherwise, the Vitasta is a real gift from God. Regardless of whether we call it Vitasta, Vyath, or Jehlum, nothing can take away the religious, cultural, and historical importance that this river holds for people and their beliefs.
Let us maintain the sacredness, holiness and sanctity as well as the beauty of Vitasta. May we continue to venerate river Vitasta so that it will continue to sustain us. In brief river Vitasta is most sacred, holy as well as economically beneficial for the people of Kashmir. Pranam to maa Vitasta.
(Vivek Koul)
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