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. 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. 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.
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. Vitasta is also mentioned in the river names of Rigveda. In Vayupurna, the Vitasta river is referred to as Biloda. 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.
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. 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. Kalhan set the tradition in stone in telling of the story when he mentions Nilganga (Verinig) as the birthplace of Vitasta with clear specificity. 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.
The location where the spring water emerged was referred to as Vitasatra, and over the years evolved into Vyeth Vathur. 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. In particular, to Kasshmir Hindus, Vitasta river signifies Goddess Parvati and consort of Lord Shiva.
The river named Vitasta is known to us as Jhelum and begins at Vrinag, flows through Jammu and Kashmir and into the POK territory of Pakistan. It is one of five rivers of Punjab and the most western of the five, running through the Kashmir valley. It is about 725 Kilometers long altogether. The ancient Greeks called the Jhelum Hydaspes. It was here that Alexander the Great crossed the Jhelum with his army, having a major battle somewhere near the banks of the Jhelum in BC 326, defeating the local Indian King named Porus. The Vitasta river is a gift of God to the people of Kashmir and is indeed a gift as it nourishes and irrigates the people of Kashmir. However, in the other hand vitasta also has destroyed the valley in other occasions through flooding. The floods we witnessed in the year 2014 are still fresh in our minds as it literally devastated the Kashmir region. It wasn't the Vitasta that is to blame for the flood but man's greed and selfishness, or, the Vitasta as we have described it is truly a gift of God. Wherever we have has named it Vitasta, Vyath or Jehlum nothing will take the religious, cultural and historical sense of the river from the people and their beliefs.
Let us actively sustain the sacredness, holiness and sanctity as well as the beauty of Vitasta. Let us actively respect the river Vitasta so it continues to provide for us. In sum river Vitasta is most sacred, holy as well as positive for the people of Kashmir economically. Pranam to maa Vitasta.
(Vivek Koul)
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