Page 165 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

CHAPTER VIII

CONCLUSION

Results of previous chapters-Winter. solstice in Ph!lguna and
MAgba-Successive year beginning in old times stated and eX:plained-
The second traditional year-beginnings in tbe TaitLirlya SaJ!Ihltl-
Winter solstice in Chaitra and vernal cequinox in Punarvasu-Vedic
traditions corroborattng the same--.The co!llmencement of the sacrifice
with Aditi, the presiding deity of Punarvasu-Th~ Abhijit day-The
asterismal Prajl.pati with Chitrl. lor his head-THE CoxcLUSIONS- Pe-
riods of ancient Vedic literature stated and described-Pre-Orion Period,
600o-4000 B. C.-The Orion Period, 4000-2500 B. C.-The Krtttiki
Period, 2500--1400 B. C.-Pre-Buddhislic Peri'od, J400--SOO B. C.-Not
inconsistent with the results of Comparative Philology or Mythology-
Rate of the precession of the equinoxes-C~rrectly determined by the
Hindus-Conti!)uous record of the different positions of the equi'noxes
in Sanskrit !iterature-Tradttions based upon the same-Prajl.pati,
RohiQi and Rudra-Meaning of Rohi1_1i-The KrittikAs in the Taittiriya
Sa~hitl. and Ved!nga Jyoti,ha-The equinox in .'\shvini in Iacer works
-Story of Vishvl.mitra-Notices of the recesston of the rainy season
from m·. A.hapada to Jyefh!ha-Conclusions shewn to be consistent with
the traditions regarding the antiquity of Zoroaster and the Vedas.
We have thus traced back one of the traditions about the old
beginnings of the year, mentioned in the Taittirtya Saq1hita, to the
oldest of the Vedic works, and what is still more important, shown
that the Vedic traditions are in this respect completely corroborated
by the oldest records and traditions of the other two sections of
the Aryan race-the Parsis and the Greeks. The traditions of each
nation taken singly may not be conclusive, but when, putting all
these together and interpreting one set in the light of another, we
find that directly or indirectly all point to the same conclusion,
~eir cumulative effect cannot but be conclusive. Scholars have
a1ready discovered the similarity between the traditions of the
three nations, but without any clue to the period when all the
Aryas lived together, it was impossible to reduce all these traditic.ns
into a harmonious whole. The traditions of Orion and especially
its position at the beginning of the equinoctial year, do, however,
supply such a clue and with its help the mystery about the oldest
periods of Aryan civilisation: is considerably cleared up. Thus if