Page 389 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

174 SAMAGRA TILAK-2 • THE ARCTIC HOME

always offered during the three turns, or paryayas, of the night. The
Aitareya Brllhma~a ( IV, 5 ), in explaining the origin of this sacri-
fice, tell us that the Asuras had taken shelter with the night and the
Devas, who had taken shelter with the day, wanted to expel them
from the dark region. But amongst the Devas, Indra alone was
found ready and willing to undertake this task; and entering into
darkness, he with the assistance of Metres, turned the Asuras out
of the first part of the night by the first Soma libation, while by
means of the middle tum ( paryaya ) of passing the Soma cup, the
Asuras were turned out of the middle part and by the third tum
out of the third or the last part of the night. The three Soma liba-
tions, here spoken of, are all made during the night and the BrAh-
mal}a further observes that there is no other deity save Indra and
the Metres to whom they are offered ( Cf. Apas. Sh. Su. XIV, 3,
12 ). The next section of the Brahma~a (IV, 6) distinctly raises
the question, " How are the PavamAna Stotras ( to be chanted for
the purification of the Soma juice ) provided for the night, whereas
such Stotras refer only to the day but not to the night ? " and ans-
wers it by stating that the Stotras are the same for the day and the
night. It is clear from this that Soma juice was extracted and
purified at night during Ati-ratra sacrifice and Indra was the only
deity to whom the libations were offered in order to help him in
his fight with the Asuras, who bad taken shelter with the darkness
of the night. That the Ati-ratra is an ancient sacrifice is further
proved by the occurrence of a similar ceremoney in the Parsi
scriptures. The word Ati-ratra does not occur in the Avesta,
but in the Vendidad, XVIII, 18, ( 43 ) - 22 ( 48 ), we are told that
there are three parts of the night and that in the first of these pans
( thrishvai ), Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, calls upon the master
of the house to arise and put on his girdle and to fetch clean wood
in order that he may burn bright; for, says the Fire, " Here comes
Azi (Sans. Ahi) made by the Daevas ( Vedic Asuras) who is
about to strive against me and wants to put out my life. " And
the same request is made during the second and the third part
of the night. The close resemblance between this and the three
parydyas of the Ati-ratra sacrifice docs not seem to have been yet
noticed; but whether noticed or not it shows that the Ati-ratra
is an ancient rite performed during the night for the purpose of
helping Indra, or the diety that fought with the powers of dark-
ness, and that such sacrificial acts as putting on the girdle ( kosti)