Page 444 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

VEDIC MYTHS-THE CAPTIVE WATERS 225
by scholars, who, had they not been blinded by prejudice, would
certainly have interpreted them in a different way. It is impossible
to do justice to the subject in this place, and I would refer the
reader for further details to Dr. Warren's instructive work on the
subject. Dr. Warren also states that Euripides, like Homer, held
the view that there was one fountain of all the world's water, and
that the same conception is expressed by Hesiod in his Theogony,
where all rivers as sons, and all fountains and brooks as
daughters, are traced back to Okeanos. Then we have the constant
descending movement of all waters until they reach the world-
surrounding Ocean-river at the equator, beyond which is the
underworld, similar to the movements of aerial waters described
in the Avesta. Aristotle in his Meteors, is said also to have
mentioned " a river in the air constantly flowing betwixt the
heaven and the earth and made by the ascending and the
descending vapours. "* It is again pointed by Grill that the
ancient Germans had a similar world-river, and the descend-
ing Ukko's stream and the ascending Aroma's stream in the
Finnish mythology are similarly believed to be the traces of a like
cosmic water-circulation. We read of a golden boat also in the
Lettish mythology; and Prof. Max Muller, referring to it, says,
" What the golden boat is that sinks into the sea and is mourned
for by the daughter of the sky, however, doubtful it may be else-
where, is not to be mistaken in the mythology of the Lets. It is the
setting sun which in the Veda has to be saved by the Ashvins; it is
the golden boat in which HMios and Heracles sail from west to east.
Sometimes it is the Sun-daughter herself that is drowned like
Chyavana in the Veda, and as Chyavana and similar heroes had to
be saved in the Veda by the Ashvins, the Lets also call upon the
Godsons to row in a boat and save the Sun-daughter." t In con-
nection with this, it may be here observed that the Ashvins are
described in the Rig-Veda as saving their proteges in boats (I,
116, 3; I, 182, 6 ), and that though Ashvins' boats are not describ-
ed as golden, their chariot is said to be hirat}yay£ or golden in VIII,
5, 29; while the boats of Pft~han, in which he crosses the aerial
ocean ( samudra ) are actually said to be golden in VI, 58, 3.
• Paradise Found, p. sr, and zs6, note3.
t See Max Muller's Contributions to the Science of Mythologly·
Vol. 11, p. 433·
A. 15