Page 132 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

ORION AND HIS BELT 117

eastablish the possibi!ity of the Aryan origin of Orion, and
if J have not hit the correct word that does not affe::t my argu ·
ment. My case does not, in fact, rest on phonetic coincidences. I
rely principally upon certain statements in the Vedic works, which
indicate that the vernal equinox was once in Orion, and I wanted
to shew - and I think I have shewn it-that there is sufficie.nt
evidence in the Greek and Parsi legends to corroborate the state-
ment in the Vedic works about the Phalguni full moon being
once the first night of the year. We can now give a reasonable
explanation of how Fravarshinam came to be the first month in
the primitive Parsi calender and why Dathusho should have been
dedicated to Din tcreator ). • The mummeries and festivals
amongst the Germans can also be more satisfactorily accounted
for, while above all, the form, the dress and the traditions of
Orion may be now better traced and understood. I have already
in the previous chapter shown that even the Vedic legends,
especially those in the later works, can be simply and naturally
explained on the assumption we have made regarding the
position of equinoxes in the days of the ~igveda. The hypothesis
on which so many facts, legends and traditions can be so
naturally explained may, in the absence of a better theory, be
fairly accepted as correct without more proof. But in the present
case we can go still further and adduce evert direct evidence, or
express Vedic texts, in its support. In the chapter on the Krittikas
I have drawn attention to the' remarks of Prof. Max Muller who
objected to the conclusion based entirely on the Vedanga Jyoti~ha

• By the by it may be here remarked that we can perhaps better
account for the names Ahuramazda and Ahriman on the theory that
the vernal equinox was then in Orion, the winter solstice in l'ttari
BM.drapadA and th e summer sols tice in UttatA Phalguni. The pn·siding
deities of the last t wo Nak,hatras arc respectively Ahir Budhnya and
Aryaman, Accord ing to the fl.vesta belief, whi ch assigns the ~outh to
the Gods and the north to th e Daevas, Ah lr Budhnya, as the regent of
the southernmost point, would come to be regarded as the supreme
ruler of the Gods, while Aryaman would be the king of evil spirits
Therefore we may suppose that the nam es Ahura :Mazda and Ahriman
if not actually derived from these words, were, at least moc:!ellcd :1ft<
them. Amongst the names of the Vedic deities Ahir B11dhnya is tr
only word, both the component member~ of which are declined as i
Ahura Mazda. Spent Mainyus and Anghra Mainyus is a distinct pa1t·