Page 342 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

MONTHS AND SEASONS 127

existence of thousands of suns as the characteristics of the seasons
are so numerous. The Ara~yaka admits, to a certain extent the
force of this objection, but says-~h~au tu vyavasita~. meaning
that the number eight is settled by the text of the scripture, and
there is no further arguing about it. The Shatapatha Brahmapa,
III, I, 3, 3, explains the legend of Aditi somewhat on the same
lines. It says that seven alone of Adilti's sons are styled Devan
Aditya~ ( the gods Adityas ) by men, and that the eighth Marta~~~
was born undeveloped, whereupon the Aditya gods created man
and other animals out of him. In two other passages of the Shata-
path Brahma~a, VI, 1, 2, 8, and XI, 6, 3, 8, the number of Adityas
is, however, given as twelve. In the first (VI, I, 2, 8) they are
said to have sprung from twelve drops generated by Prajapati
and then placed in different regions ( dik~hu ) ; while in second
(XI, 6, 3, 8 )* these twelve Adityas are identified with the twelve
months of the year. The number of Adityas is also given as twelve
in the Upanjshads : while in the post-Vedic literature they are
everywhere said to be twelve, answering to the twelve months of
the year. Muir, in his Original Sanskrit Texts Volumes IV and
, gives most of these passages, but offers no explanation as to the
legend of Aditi, except such as is to be found in the passages
quoted. There are many different speculations or theories of
Western scholars regarding the nature and character of Aditi,
but as far as the number of Adityas is concerned, I know of no
satisfactory explanation as yet suggested by them. On the contrary
the tendency is, as observed by Prof. Max Muller, to regard the
number, seven or eight, as unconnected with any solar movements.
A suggestion is made that eight Adityas may be taken to represent
the eight cardinal points of the compass, but the death or casting
away of the eighth Aditya seals the fate of this explanation, which
thus seems to have been put forward only to be rejected like Mar-
ta~~a, the eighth Aditya.
We have here referred to, or quoted, the tests and passages
bearing on Aditi's legend or the number of Adityas at some length,
n order to show how we are apt to run into wild speculations about

• Shatapatha Brahmai:l VI, r, z, 8-tJ+r.=i®<i 91~ Fr~ ti~+I<m. t1 ~
~~+I'm. Iff ~t'!IT ~a orf~!l.Ttii<;:"<H~ I Again XI, 6, 3, 8-'fi~
an~<:<rr l{fu 1 ~~ ~rnr: ~'«ffi:~ anfe::<:<1r: 1