Page 456 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

VEDIC MYTHS - THE CAPTIVE WATERS 237

ested by the rivers of the Panjaub. We must again bear in mind
that the seven-fold division of waters does not stand by itself in
the ~ig-Veda; but is only a particular case of a general principle
of division adopted therein. Thus we have seven earthly abodes
(I, 22, 16 ), seven mountains (VIII, 96, 2 ), seven rays or horses
of the sun (I, 164, 3 ), seven hotris (VIII, 60, 16 ), seven regions
( disha/.J ) and seven Adityas ( IX, 114, 3 ) seven dhitis or devotions
( IX, 8, 4 ), seven sisters or maryadah, (X, 5, 5-6 ) and possibly
seven and seven gods (X, 55, 3 ), in the ~ig-Veda; while in the later
Sanskrit lliterature we have the seven heavens, seven earths, seven
mountains, seven oceans and seven nether worlds. This sevenfold
.division is also found in other Aryan mythologies, as, for instance,
in the Avesta, where the earth is said to be divided into seven
Karshavares ( Yt. X, 16 and 64 ), and in the Greek mythology,
-which speaks of the seven layers of heaven over one another. It
follows, therefore, that the seven-fold division must be traced back
.almost to the Indo-European period; and if so, we cannot main-
tain that the seven-fold division of waters, which is only a parti-
-cular case of the general principle, was suggested by the rivers of
the Panjaub, for, in that case, we shall have to make the Panjaub
the home of the Aryans before they separated. But, if the rivers
set free to flow up by Indra are not terrestrial and if the expression
_sapta sindhava/.J was not originally suggested by the rivers of the
Panjaub, it may be asked how we account for the number of rivers
:and the origin of the phrase Hapta-hindu occurring in the Avesta.
The true key to the solution of the question will be found in the
simultaneous release of waters and light effected by Indra after
.conquering Vptra. In II, 12, 12, Indra, who caused the seven
rivers to flow, is described as sapta-rdshmi/.J, or seven-rayed, suggest-
ing that seven rays and seven rivers must have, in some way, been
.connected. We have also seen that the waters and the sun are said
to move at the same time in the Parsi scriptures. If so, what can be
more natural than to suppose that the seven suns required seven
horses or seven aerial rivers to carry them over the sky, much in the
same way as Dirghatamas is said to have been borne upon waters
in I, 158, 6 ? Again according to the legend of Aditi, there were
seven suns or month-gods located in seven different regions and
producing seven months of sun-shine of different temperatures.
But how could the seven suns move in seven different parts of hea-
wen except by the agency of seven different aerial rivers coming up