Page 162 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

~IBHUS AND ~~~HAKAPI 147

Vedic priests, "· g., MAtsoni, ob~erved the position of the sun
amongst stars in the morning and as the Nak,hatras disappear
when the sun rises, they determined the position by observing
what Nakshatra rose a little befo_re the sun. The present verse
rc;cords an observation to make which no greater skill is required.
It tells us that when Vri,hakapi went to the house of Indra his
M riga was not visible anywhere, thus dearly indicating that sun
rose with Orion on that day. The word udancha is especially
remarkable in this case .. The sun must be udancha when he goes
to the house of Indra, which, the burden of the song tells us, is
in the northern or the upper part of the universe. This verse,
therefore, clearly describes not merely the rising sun, but the
position of the rising sun amongst the constellations when he is
at the vernal equinox, the entrance of the house of gods or
the house of Indra. Saya~a and Yaska have completely missed this
point, and have made V ritJhakapi represent the rising sun as an
unnecessary ri~al to Sa vita ( Nirukta 12, 12. ), If ·the meaning I
have proposed is correct, we have here a record of the position of
the sun at the vernal equinox. I take pu/vaghas in the original to
mean " great sinner"; but it may be translated as Yaska proposes
by "omnivorous" or "'voracious." But in either case I would
take it as referring to the antelope's spoiling the things of Indra~i.
The point is that the sinning Mriga would not be with VriQhakapi
when he again goes to the house of Indra, and Indrapi would have
no cause to complain of the presence of the odious Mriga at the
time.
VERSE 23- Sayar:ta translates "0 arrow ! Manu's daughter,
named Parshu, gave birth to twenty (sons) together. Let her
whose belly was big be happy ! Indra is in the upp~r _( portion )
of the universe." I cannGlt however, understand what it means.
Parshu, according to Saya:r:ta, is a Mtig or a female antelope. But
why address the arrow to give happiness to her? Can it have any
reference to, the arrow with which Orion was killed? Then who
are these twenty sons? Are they the same as twenty mentioned in
verse 14? Is it likely that twenty alone are mentioned leaving the
additional fifteen to be understood from the context? The conclud-
ing verse undoubtedly appears to be benedictory. But I have not
found a satisfactory solution of the above questions. Perhap's bha/a
meaning ' auspicious, ' may be used for V ri,bikapi, and Indra
addressing him pronounces benediction on the female that gave