Identification of rivers

[Walter Slaje]

Dear Jim,

Śatarudrā (occurs also in the Matsyapurāṇa, see pw) is mentioned by 
Al-Bīrūnī in his enumeration of rivers having their source in the Himavat 
(Sachau, Vol. 1: ch. 25).
Sircar identifies it with the Śatadru river (Geography of Ancient and 
Medieval India 1971: 51, n. 3).

> Śatarudrā might be a corruption of Śatadru ( = Sutlej).
Śatadru/°drū itself seems to be the result of post-vedic folk etymology 
(ved. śutudrī, etc.), and the situation could have been similar with the 
formation of Śatarudrā (and possibly also with Śrīrātri) as deliberate 
attempts of giving these rivers an easily comprehensible meaning. 
"Corruption" in the strict sense is perhaps not applicable to such names.


Best, Walter

------------------------------
Prof. Dr. Walter Slaje
Hermann-Löns-Str. 1
D-99425 Weimar
(Germany)
www.indologie.uni-halle.de

Ego ex animi mei sententia spondeo ac polliceor
studia humanitatis impigro labore culturum et provecturum
non sordidi lucri causa nec ad vanam captandam gloriam,
sed quo magis veritas propagetur et lux eius, qua salus
humani generis continetur, clarius effulgeat.
Vindobonae, die XXI. mensis Novembris MCMLXXXIII.