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Nepal JyotishTraditional Science
Water Names

Prabhavati and Ratnavati

The story of how the Ratnavati and Prabhavati rivers came to be when the wealth hidden by a danava was sought and gems flowed away.

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Prabhavati and Ratnavati

In Suprabhapura there ruled a mighty danava named Danasura. Having performed severe austerities on the bank of the Bagmati, he had obtained the boon of receiving a quarter share of the wealth of Indra, king of the gods.

Having received the boon, he broke open the treasury of heaven and plundered abundant gold, jewels and rubies. He adorned his palace with those precious gems and buried the remaining wealth beneath the ground, which was called 'Danagar'.

To bring back his plundered wealth, Indra sought the help of the serpent king Karkotaka. Karkotaka dug open the Danagar, brought out all the gems, and carried them to Taudaha. The countless gems that swept away as he dug mixed with the water and formed a river, which was called 'Ratnavati'.

Meanwhile, the wife of Danasura performed severe austerities on the bank of the Bagmati and obtained from the goddess Vasundhara the boon of bearing a beautiful daughter. That daughter, who came into being as a river from a gorge of Fulocchagiri, was named 'Prabhavati'. Later the Prabhavati river flowed on and met the Bagmati, and their confluence was called 'Jayatirtha'.

Note: These are traditional Nepali folk tales (kimbadanti), passed down orally through generations. They may or may not reflect actual historical events, but they are told and believed as part of Nepal's cultural heritage.

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