Majority of sites belonging to Indus Valley civilization, which can be better known as Indus-Sarasvati civilization, are concentrated along the course of the now dry Sarasvati River, situated east of the River Indus. Ever since discovery of Harappa, near Lahore, it has become a common practice to refer both the civilizations and its inhabitant as ‘Harappan.’

The term ‘Harappan civilization’ refers to the vast complex of settlements unearthed by archaeologists in the year 1921 continuing to the present. After unearthing of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro was discovered, jointly, by Dayaram Sahni, Rakhal Das Bannerji, and Sir John Marshall, then Director General of Archaeological Survey of India.

These sites are only two of the more than 2000 settlements—numbers keep growing with new finds—found on both sides of the border. They cover a vast area in excess of 1.5 million square kilometres. They were built over a very large span of time, but for our purposes here, we look at the period from 3100 B.C. to 1900 B.C.

No matter what we call it, it is imperative to recognize that these settlements are clustered around the Sarasvati River which went dry somewhere between 2200 – 1900 B.C. Ever since the Harappan civilization came to light, the question before the scholars has been: ‘What is the relationship between Harappan archaeology and the Vedic literature?’ It is important to know that Harappan archaeology represents the material remains of the culture and civilization described in the Vedic literature.

No matter what we call it, it is imperative to recognize that these settlements are clustered around the Sarasvati River which went dry somewhere between 2200 – 1900 B.C. Ever since the Harappan civilization came to light, the question before the scholars has been: ‘What is the relationship between Harappan archaeology and the Vedic literature?’ It is important to know that Harappan archaeology represents the material remains of the culture and civilization described in the Vedic literature.

Just as correlating the Rig-Vedic descriptions with the natural history sheds light on the Vedic chronology, similarly by comparing Harappan archaeology allows us to work out the chronology of the later Vedic or the post Rig-Veda literature. Harappan civilization was sustained by the later Sarasvati period, when the Sarasvati had lost the Yamuna to the Ganga. This alone is sufficient to show that the Harappan civilization had to be later than the Rig-Veda. We will now see that Harappan iconography reflect the later Vedic or the Vedantic period. The same is true with Harappan inscriptions.

This establishes a firm chronological relationship between the Vedic and Harappan civilizations, thus establishing that the two were not separate civilizations, but only different phases of the same civilization. The Harappan civilization is the later Sarasvati civilization, when the Sarasvati had lost the Yamuna as tributary and was now the Sutlej flowing as an independent river. Natural history, correlated with the Vedic literature leaves us no other choice. Otherwise, we are left with a host of contradictions that no amount of ingenuity can resolve. [i]

Harappan archaeology represents the final, closing phase of the Vedic civilization that began with the Sarasvati was flowing from the “mountains to the sea.” It ended when the Sarasvati dried up completely, somewhere between in the 2200 – 1900 B.C. The Harappan period was the Vedic twilight.

Harappan archaeology represents the final, closing phase of the Vedic civilization that began with the Sarasvati was flowing from the “mountains to the sea.” It ended when the Sarasvati dried up completely, somewhere between in the 2200 – 1900 B.C. The Harappan period was the Vedic twilight.

Vedic symbolism in Harappan archaeology

Once we recognize this basic fact— that the Harappans were Vedic and overlapped to a substantial degree with the later part of the Vedic Age, we can begin to examine the symbolism contained in Harappan seals and other artifacts. This being a vast subject author seeks to limit just for a few examples. The connections go very deep and author is deeply indebted to his late colleague Dr. Natwar Jha for his several insights.

We begin with a fairly straightforward interpretation, the sacred svasti symbol, known in the West as Swastika. (Swastika stands for svasti-ka, meaning ‘maker of welfare’.) They appear singly as well as in combination with other signs. The picture shows a string of five svasti signs. Deciphered, it may be read as panca-svasti adma, or panca-svasti vidma. The former means nourished by panca svasti, and the latter means knower of panca svasti. This is related to the sacred panca-svasti mantra found in the Yajurveda (25.18 – 19), in which the word ‘svasti’ (welfare) appears five times. It is a famous prayer. The ancient Taittiriya Aranyaka has it right in the opening passage. It may be paraphrased as:

We invoke him who may bring us welfare.
May the respected Indra guard our welfare,
May the omniscient Pushan guard our welfare,
May the Universal Creator guard our welfare,
May the Great Protector bring us welfare.

These invocations appear also in the Rig-Veda. The Harappan swastika string is obviously related to this Vedic prayer. Such connections are not limited to the Rig-Veda and the Yajur-Veda; they span the whole gamut of the Vedic literature, including the Brahmanas, Upanishads and others.

Another important Vedic symbol appearing on Harappan artifacts is the OM sign, known also as pranavakshara. The plate shows the seal known as ‘Onkara Mudra’ or the Om seal. Author has displayed also line drawings of the seal in two positions — original and rotated by 90 degrees. The one on the right — i.e. rotated by 90 degrees — is practically the Devanagari ‘om’. Scripts like Kannada and Telugu have retained the original orientation of the Harappan ‘om’, while elongating it a little. All of them derive from the Harappan ‘Om’ and have deep connections with Vedic thoughts. The photo and the line drawings display only the most ornate OM signs found; the same shape appears on scores of Harappan artifacts.

This ‘bow-shaped’ Harappan ‘Om’ carries profound Vedic symbolism. It is described at many places in the Vedic literature. The Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.4) describes it as: “Pranava (Om) is the bow, the soul is the arrow, and Brahma is the target. With full concentration, aim at the target and strike, to become one with Brahma, just as the arrow becomes one with the target.” This is almost a visual description of ‘OM’ as found on a Harappan seal.

The ‘om’, which is adorned by ashvattha leaves and branches, highlights the sacredness attributed to the ashvattha, a Vedic idea. The Katha Upanishad (2.3.1) describes ashvattha (pipul) tree as embodying the essence of sacredness: “This is the eternal ashvattha tree, with the root at the top (urdhvamoolo), but branches downwards. It is he that is called the Shining One and Immortal. All the worlds are established in Him, none transcends Him.” The same idea is echoed in the Bhagavad-Gita (15.1): “He who knows that ashvattha tree with its root above and branches down, whose leaves are the Vedas said to be imperishable. And he who knows it knows the Vedas.”

In all this there is the symbolism of the ashvattha as the seat of sacred knowledge (or Veda), and the abode of the Gods. This idea goes back to the Rig-Veda itself (X.97.5): “Your abode is the ashvattha tree; your dwelling is made of its leaves.”

We next take up two famous seals— the seal of seven goddesses and the Pashupati (or the seated yogi): the Pashupati is probably the most famous of all the Harappan seals and has probably inspired more discussion than any other. Before we proceed any further, we note that the Pashupati is seated in an advanced yogic posture (asana) known as mula-bandhasana. This shows that the Harappans had knowledge of Yogic practices— clear evidence that they followed Vedic practices.[ii]

The seal contains a meditating horned deity along with five animals. The five animals are — elephant, musk deer, buffalo, tiger and rhinoceros. These five animals are often identified with the five senses, and the five associated elements — fire, water, space, wind and earth. These elements that go to make up the material universe are known in the Vedic literature as panca maha-bhutas or the Five Great Elements. The reading on the seal is ishadyatah marah. Mara is the force that causes the destruction of the universe. The message of the seal is: Ishvara controls Mara. The seated yogi (in mula-bandhasana) is Ishvara. Ishvara is Pashupati.

Hindu cosmology holds that both creation and destruction of the universe take place because of the action of the Five Great Elements. So Mara, the destructive force, is also composed of the Five Great Elements. With this background, the deciphered message ishadyatah marah allows us to interpret the symbolism of the famous Pashupati seal. It expresses the profound idea that, in every cosmic cycle, both the creation and the destruction of the universe is through the medium of the panca maha-bhutas (Five Great Elements) under the control of Ishvara.

Hindu cosmology holds that both creation and destruction of the universe take place because of the action of the Five Great Elements. So Mara, the destructive force, is also composed of the Five Great Elements. With this background, the deciphered message ishadyatah marah allows us to interpret the symbolism of the famous Pashupati seal. It expresses the profound idea that, in every cosmic cycle, both the creation and the destruction of the universe is through the medium of the panca maha-bhutas (Five Great Elements) under the control of Ishvara.

We next consider the seal of seven goddesses, sometimes mistaken for the seven rishis or the saptarshi. The figures are clearly female. It represents a theme found in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. It shows supreme Mother Goddess in the fork of the sacred ashvattha tree (again!). At the bottom of the tree, on one side, (to the right) shows a door with seven goddesses, who have just been created, emerging.  One goat (aja) having a human head is inclined towards the Supreme Mother in supplication but has his legs bound by a pasha (bond). This represents pashabaddha jiva— or one with suppressed knowledge. There is another goat (aja) looking bold and free, not supplicating before the Mother. It represents pashamukta jiva or a free soul.

In Shvetashvatara 4.5, we have (in translation): Adyaprakriti (Supreme Mother) with the help of three colors—red, white and black—creates the universe and the Seven Mother Goddesses. The theme is the seed of Sankhya Darshana or rational philosophy. The seven goddesses similar to her are: Kali, Karali, Manojava, Sulohita, Sudhumravarna, Sphulingini and Vishvaruchi (Mundaka Upanishad 2.4). This is a brief commentary on the reading.[iii]

What is given here is a miniscule sample of the deep Vedic symbolism that pervades Harappan archaeology. In summary, the Vedic and Harappan civilizations were one. Harappan artifacts are material representations of ideas and thoughts found in the Vedic literature. All this data has been around for eighty years. We are astonished that even such obvious Vedic symbols like the five svasti signs and the Om should have been missed by scholars. The Harappans were Vedic Harappans.

[i] The most glaring of these is that if the Vedic people (Aryans) arrived in India in 1500 B.C. and composed the Rig-Veda in 1200 B.C., then they went on to compose the massive Rig-Vedafull of praise for the river Sarasvati that had dried up 500 years before they arrived! There are others in similar vein.

[ii] The celebrated Yogasutra by Patanjali is a Vedantic work. The Harappans were part of the same cultural milieu.

[iii] Other explanations are possible, but the Vedantic symbolism is clear though deep. For more see The Deciphered Indus Script by Jha and Rajaram, pp 164 – 5.