We have been examining the unity of India—whether it is just a political concept or a reality.

We saw that the great northern wall of the Himalayas prevented invasions to a large extent and helped preserve our culture. We also saw that the Indian subcontinent is surrounded on three sides by the sea, which further helped in preserving our culture and heritage.

From north to south and east to west across India, the Vedas are the same. The rivers that we saw earlier—Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, and Kaveri—are invariably invoked whenever a puja is performed. These rivers are visible, except for Saraswati, which is not visible today. However, Saraswati's presence is well-recognized at the Triveni Sangam. There is no doubt about this.

If you look into the Vedas, the Rigveda talks about more rivers that we are no longer able to recognize. The 75th Sukta of the tenth Mandala of the Rigveda mentions three sets of seven rivers each: one set on earth, one in the atmosphere, and one in Swarga.

The seven Punya Nadis we are discussing are on the surface of the earth. Similarly, there are seven each in Antariksha and Swarga. The Rigveda states that among these seven, Sindhu is very powerful and strong. Sindhu Sthan became Hindustan. We will discuss this in detail later—how Sakara became Hakara. Among the seven Punya Nadis of earth, Sindhu is very powerful. Hence, the land through which it flows became known as Sindhustan, which later became Hindustan.

Why only talk about the seven holy rivers of Bharata?

Consider a factory—a public sector unit—that occupies 1,000 acres of land, while the plant itself is only in about 5 acres. Everything is centered around those 5 acres. Similarly, Bharata Varsha is the womb of the whole world. That’s why the seven Punya Nadis of the entire earth flow through Bharata. That’s why there is no place equal to Bharata on earth.

The Vedas say that Sindhu not only flows on the surface of the earth but also flows upward and connects to Swarga. This is the greatness of Sindhu, hence Sindhustan, Hindustan.

In the fifth Rich of this Sukta, seven major rivers and three of their tributaries are described:
इमं मे गङ्गे यमुने सरस्वति शुतुद्रि स्तोमं सचता परुष्ण्या
असिक्न्या मरुद्वृधे वितस्तया अर्जीकीये शृणुह्या सुषोमया

The seven rivers mentioned here are addressed in this mantra:

• हे गङ्गे (Ganga)
• हे यमुने (Yamuna)
• हे सरस्वति (Saraswati)
• हे शुतुद्रि (Shutudri)
• हे परुष्णि (Parushni)
• हे असिक्न्या सहिते मरुत् वृधे (Asikni, a tributary of Marut Vridha)
• हे वितस्तया सुषोमया च सहित् आर्जीकीये (Vitasta and Sushoma, tributaries of Aarjikeeya).

Scholars have linked these names to present-day rivers, such as Shutudri to Sutlej.

The point is—the seven Punya Nadis mentioned in the Vedas flow across the Punya Bhumi called Bharata. They are all mentioned at a single place, in a single Sukta, in a single mantra in the Rigveda.

What more evidence do you need? The land through which these seven rivers and their tributaries flow is a single, unique entity. We are not saying Ganga flows through Uttar Pradesh and Kaveri flows through Karnataka. We are talking about all of them together—they flow through a single geography and belong to a single entity.

Otherwise, it would have been mentioned as:

• Pandhala Desa—these rivers flow through it.
• Magadha—this river flows through it.
• Ganga flows through this kingdom, that kingdom, and so on.

But no, they are mentioned together, which means the land through which they flow is also an undivided, single entity. It has always been an undivided, single entity.

The next mantra states:
तृष्टामया प्रथमं यातवे सजूः सुसर्त्वा रसया श्वेत्या त्या
त्वं सिन्धो कुभया गोमतीं क्रुमुं मेहत्न्वा सरथं याभिरीयसे

Sindhu came down from the mountains to unite with Gomati. The others are tributaries—Trishtamathee, Susartu, Rasaa, Shwetyaa, Kubha, Mehatnu. Gomati is the Gomal River flowing through Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kubha is the Kabul River in Pakistan. Shwetyaa is the Gilgit River in Baltistan, north Pakistan.

So, see the reach. What is covered under the definition of the single entity called Sindhustan or Hindustan? The partition is recent. Consider the geography before that.

The 64th Sukta of the tenth Mandala of Rigveda also mentions another division of the rivers of Bharata into three groups of seven each:

• Seven under Sindhu
• Seven under Saraswati
• Seven under Sarayu

Here too, the land is common. Twenty-one rivers, but a common land.

Remember, these mantras are commonly chanted all over Bharata, through millions of years. These rivers are common to the entire Bharata and all Bharatiyas. They are our common mothers. As Atharva Veda puts it, अम्बयो यन्ति—they are our mothers, our common mothers.