Bihar in the vedic period

In India, Aryans first started settling in the ‘Saptasandhav’ or ‘Sapta Sindhu’ region. The expansion of the Sapta Sandhav region was in most parts of present-day Kashmir, Pakistan and Punjab. In addition to the indus River and the five tributaries of the Indus – the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, Chenab, the combined area of the Saraswati river flowing in this region was called Saptasandhav.

• We find mention of seven rivers flowing in this region in the Rigveda.
• The first information about Bihar is found in Shatpath Brahmin.
• According to the Puranas, the dynasty of Magadha begins with the Brihadratha dynasty.
• In ‘Rigveda’, the Magadha region has been called ‘Keekata’ Pradesh (whose ruler was Paramangad) and the people living in this region have been called Vratyas.
• Gaya, Rajgir, Punpun etc. have been kept in the category of holy places in Vayupuran and Padmpurana, whereas in Varahpuran, Keekata has been called an unholy region.
• The first mention of Magadha is found in the Atharvaveda. Magadha Mahajanapada included the areas of present day- Patna, Nalanda, Gaya, Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Nawada districts.
• Vedic culture spread in Bihar mainly in the later Vedic period. Aryanisation of Bihar started during this period.
• The settlement of Aryans in Videha region (Mithilanchal) has been discussed in Shatpath Brahmin, It describes Videha Madhava’s pursuit of Agni (Vaishvanara) with his priest Gautama Rahugana from Saraswati river to Sadanira river (modern Gandak).
• The first mention of “Videha Rajya” is found in Yajurveda.
• The words Malad and Karuna are mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana for Buxar where Tadka the demoness was killed.

Bihar and Vedic Samhita (Literature)

• Vedic Samhita is considered to be the oldest text in the world. Bihar is mentioned in Rigveda, Atharvaveda, Yajurveda and Samveda.
• There are Brahmin texts (Aitareya, Shatpath, Taittiriya etc.) composed from the code of the Vedas, from which information about the events before Bimbisara is obtained.