Page 340 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

MONTHS AND SEASONS 125

plained on this hypothesis, yet it fails to account for the death of
the eighth sun, for the legend of Aditi (~ig-Veda X, 72, 8-9) tells
us" Of the eight sons of Aditi, who were born from her body, she
approached the gods with seven and cast out Martat~~a. With
seven sons Aditi approached (the gods) in the former age (pU,rvyam
yugam); she brought thither Martat~~a again for birth and death."*
The story is discussed in various places in the Vedic literature and
many other attempts, unfortunately all unsatisfactory, have been
made to explain it in a rational and intelligent way. Thus in the
Taittirlya Sarilhira, VI, 5, 6, 1,/, the story of Aditi cooking a Brah-
maudana oblation for the gods, the Sadhyas, is narrated. The
remnant of the oblation was given to her by the gods, and four
Adityas were born to her from it. She then cooked a second
oblation and ate it herself first; but the Aditya born from it was an
imperfect egg. She cooked a third time and the Aditya Vivasvat, the
progenitor of man, was born. But the Sarilhita does not give the
number and names of the eight Adityas and this omission is sup-
plied by the Taittirtya Brahma~a (I, 1, 9, 1 f). The Bnihmat~a
tells us that Aditi cooked the oblation four times and each time
the gods gave her the remnant of the oblation. Four pairs of sons
were thus born to her; the first pair was Dhatri and Aryaman, the
second Mitra and Varut~a, the third Amsha and Bhag and the
fourth Indra and Vivasvat. But the Brahmat~a does not explain
why the eighth son was called Martat~~a and cast away. The
Taittiriya Arat~yaka, I, 13, 2- 3, (cited by Sayat~a in his gloss on
~ig. II, 27, 1, and X, 72, 8) first quotes the two verses from the
~ig-Veda (X, .?f., 8 and 9) which give the legend of Aditi but with
a slightly different reading for the second line of the second verse.
Thus instead, of tvat punah Martandam a abharat (she brought
again Marta:q~a thither for. birth and death ), the AraQyaka reads
tat para Murta'!rfam a abharat ( she set aside Martat~~a for birth
and death ). The Ara:p.yaka then proceeds to give the names of
the eight sons, as Mitra, VaruQa, Dhatri, Aryaman, Amsha,
Bhaga, Indra and Vivasvat. But no further explanation is added,
nor are we told which of these eight sons represented Martat~~a.
"~ig. x, 72, s & g-<lil!f ~ ~ ijfRff"ffir~ 1 ~cfr ~=
lfU ~l~~ II ffiHSf ~{fu~o~ ~ I lfijff~ ~"it i'9~.,.ffiij~+i\~ I
"
For i'9~: in the second verse the Taittriya AraQ.yaka, I, I 3, 3, reads
ffi1HJ, see infra.