Page 461 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

CHAPTER X
VEDIC MYTHS-THE MATUTINAL
DEITIES

Vernal theory and legends of the Ashvins-Tbe part played by the
Ashvins in the struggle for waters and light~Intelligible onl.y on the
Arctic theory-Their exploits and legends-Saving or rejuvenating,
rescuing from the ocean, or rPStoring the e::ye-sigh t or light, to
Chyavana, Rebha, Bhujyu, Atri, Vandana etc.-All explained at preseat
as referring to the rescue of the daily dawn or the vernal restoration of
the powers of the winter sun-But the thtory fails to explain references
to blindness or darkness in several legends-Nor does it account for the
duration of the distress of the Ashvins' proteges-Nor tor the character
of the place of distress from which the proteges were saved-Bottom-
less and dark ocean really mtans the nether world-A bowl with bottom
up and mouth downwards indicates the inverted hemisphere of the
Hades-Legend of ~ijrashva-The slaughter of a hundred sheep
represents the conversion of a hundred days into so many nights-The
story of Saptavadhri or the seven eunuchs, praying for safe delivery
after ten months of gestation-Remains unexplained up to the present-
The interior of heaven and eart.h is conceived in the Veda as the womb
in which the sun moves when above the horizon-Ten months' gestation
thus represents the ten months when the Sun is above the horizon-
Prayer for safe delivery indicates the perils of the long night-Riddle or
paradox of a child becoming invisible as soon as born-The story of
hidden Agni refers to the same phenomenon-Probable origin of the
Pural}iC story of Kumara or Klrttikeya-Superiority of the Arctic over
·the vema! theory in explaining the legends of the Ashvins-The legend
of · Indra's stealing Stlrya's wheel-The meaning of dasha-frapit!Je
discussed-Indicates darkness on the completion of ten months-
Vishnu's three stride3-Different opinions about their nature quoted-
Vishnu's strides represent the yearly course of the sun-and his third
invisible-step represents the nether world-Vishnu's opprobrious name
Shlpivi$h~ha-Represents the dark or tbe diseased sun during th~ long
Arctic night-The three abodes of Savitri, Agni and the Ashvins
compared tO VithQu's third step-The legend of Trita Aptya-Trita, or
the third, represents the third part of the year-The Indo-Germanic
origin of the legend-The Apas-Their character and nature described-
Seven-fold and ten-fold division of things in the Vedic llterature-
Various instances of seven-fold and ten-fold divtsion collected-This
two-fold division probably due to the seven and ten month's period of
sunshine in the Arctic region-The Dasharajna fight-Repfesents