Page 409 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

194 SAMAGRA TILAK- 2 • THE ARCTIC HOME

certain cosmical and physical phenomena such as the appearance
of the dawn or the breaking up of the storm-clouds by the lighten-
ing. The Adhyatmikas, on the other hand, try to explain certain
Vedic passages in their own philosophical way; and there are others
who endeavour to explain Vedic myths in other different ways.
But this is not the place where the relative merits of these different
schools can be discussed or examined. I only wish to point out
that those, who explain the Vedic myths on the supposition that
they represent, directly or allegorically, ethical, historical, or
philosophical facts are not likely to accept any inference based
upon the theory which interprets the Vedic myths as referring to
certain cosmical and physical phenomena. It was for this reason
that I reserved the discussion of the mythological evidence for
cosnideration in a separate chapter, after all the evidence directly
bearing on the subject has been examined. The evidence, which
proves the existence of a long continuous dawn, or a long continuous
day or night, is not affected by the different theories regarding
the interpretation of the Vedic myths, and may therefore, be
termed what the lawyers call direct; but in the case of mythological
evidence only those who accept the Nairukta method of inter·
pretation, will admit the validity of any inference based upon the
consideration of these myths. It is true that the Nairukta school
of interpretation dates from ancient times, and that modern
scholars have accepted the method almost without reserve, though
they might differ from the ancient Nairuktas, like Yaska, in the
details of the explanation suggested by them. But still when a
new theory is to be established, I thought it safer to separate the
mythological from the direct evidence bearing upon the points
at issue, even when the two lines of investigation seemed to
converge towards the same point.
Now it has been recorded by Yaska that the Nairuktas explain
most of the Vedic legends on the theory that they represent either
the daily triumph of light over darkness, or the conquest of the
storm-god over the dark clouds that imprison the fertilising waters
and the light of the sun. Thus when the Ashvins are said to have
rescued a quail ( Vartika) from the jaws of a wolf, Yaska interprets
the legend to mean the release and bringing out of the dawn or
light from the darkness of the night ( Nir. V. 21 ). His explanation
of the character of Vritra is another instance in point. Speaking of
the nature of the demon, he thus refers ( Nir. II, 16) to the opinions