Page 46 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

THE ~ITTIKAs 33

Nak~batras of the Devas. Now the southern hemisphere was assign-
ed to the Pitris; but I have already quoted a passage from the
~gveda which states that it was the path of the god of death.
In :{tig. x. 14. I, Yama is spoken of as the king of Pitris and in
verse 7 of the same hymn the deseased is told to go to the pitri-
/oka where he would meet the god Yama. In the Vajasaneyt
SalJihitil. 19.45, salutation is made to the world of Pit:ris in the
kingdom of Yama. There are many other passages of similar
import in the Sa.phitil.s, • and from all these it would be quite ,
clear that the Pit!iyil.na or Pitri,-loka was also called the kingdom
of Yama. The Nak~hatras in the southern hemisphere, therefore,
came to be designated as the Nak~hatras of Yama in opposition
to the- Nak~hatras of the Devas, thus dividing the whole circle of
stars in two equal groups. This also explains why Yama is made
to preside over the Apa-Bharapts. It was at the Apa-Bhara~s that
the zodiac was divided, the Krittikas going over into the Devas,
and the Apa-Bharapts turning down into the Yama's portion of
the celestial hemisphere.t The Taittirtya Brahmapa further states
that the Nak~hatras of the Devas 'move towards the south while
the Nak1hatras of Yama move towards the north. The words
dak~hilJil ( south ) and uttara ( north ) are in the instrumental
case, and doubts have been entertained .as to their exact meaning.
But if we accept the statement in the Shatapatha Bn\hma{la about
the abode of the Devas, no other meaning is possible except tha
the Nak1hatras of the Devas were counted from the vernal to the
aqtumnal equinox, that is to the point where the south (south
hemisphere) begins, and conversely in case of the Nak~hatras of
Yama. I may here mention that the movements of both the groups
are described in tl;le \ Bnlhma!'la in the present tense ( pari-yanti )
and that we may; therefore, suppose them to be recorded from
actual observation. If this explanation of the division of the

• Cf. Taitt. Sa~. vii. 3, 1 4· ~ ~ mrr ~~T~ ( s<il.) Clf~-..'ffl.l
Also see Atbar. Ved. xviii. 4· ~
t May not Apa-Bharat].iS have been so named from this circum-
stance? -ehara'l).l appears to b~"an older name, changed afterwards into
Apa-Bharar,l, in the same 1nanner, Mula into Mula-bhara'l).i, and
Jyesh~hl into Jyesh~haghni. Perh;~ps the description of Apa-Bharar,l
in Taitt. Br. i. ;. 1. may be so understood. It says :-
~~~:I aJififi~~: 1!\~ICl,l <1!1f'!{r\'ftS~ I
0. 3