ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rigvedic rivers

Hello there little one! Today we're going to talk about something called Rigvedic rivers.

So, Rigvedic rivers are a group of rivers that were mentioned hundreds of years ago in ancient texts known as the Rigveda. These texts were written in India around 1500-1200 BC by people who were very good at remembering stories and songs.

Now, the Rigvedic rivers were very important to the people who wrote these texts. They worshiped many gods and goddesses, and believed that the rivers were actually goddesses themselves. They thought that by offering prayers and sacrifices to these goddesses, they could have good luck and prosperity.

The Rigveda mentions around 20 rivers by name, but the seven most important ones are the Indus, Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers. The people who wrote the Rigveda lived near these rivers, and relied on them for farming, transportation, and drinking water.

The Rigvedic people also believed that everything in the world was connected, including the rivers. They thought that the rivers flowed from the same source, and eventually returned to that same source. They even believed that the goddesses of the rivers could communicate with each other, and could even help people communicate with the gods.

So, in short, the Rigvedic rivers were a group of important rivers that were worshiped as goddesses by people who wrote the Rigveda. They believed that by offering prayers and sacrifices to these goddesses, they could have good luck and prosperity. The rivers were also very important to the people's everyday lives, for farming, transportation, and drinking water.