Page 463 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

244 SAMAGRA TILK ~ 2 • THE ARCTIC HOME
has done. .We are concerned only· with those points in the legends
which the Vernal or the Dawn theory .fails to explain and Which
can be well accounted for ·only by the Arctic theory; arid .th~se
we now proceed to notice.·
Now, in the first place~ we must refer to the part played by
the Ashvins in the great struggle or fight for waters and light,
which has been discussed in the previous chapter. The Ashvins
are distinctly mentioned in the sacrificial literature as one of the
deities connected with the Dawn ( Ait. Br. II, 15 ); and we have
seen that a long laudatory song recited by the Hof!i before sunrise
is specially devoted to them. The daughter of Surya is also des-
cribed as having ascended their car ( I, 116, 17; 119, 5 ), and the
Aitareya Brahmapa, (IV, 7-9 ), describes a race run by the gods
for obtaining the Ashvina-shastra as a prize; and the Ashvins,
driving in a carriage drawn by donkeys, are said to have won
in close competition with Agni, U ~has and Indra, who are repre-
sented as making way for the Ashvins, on the understanding that
after winning the race the Ashvins would assign to them a share
in the prize. The kindling of the sacrificial fire, the break of dawn,
and rise of the sun are again spoken of as occurring simultaneously
with the appearance of the Ashvins (I, 157, 1; VII, 72, 4 ); while
in X, 61,4, the time of their appearance is said to be the early dawn
when " darkness still stands amongst the ruddy cows. " Their
connection with the dawn and their appearance in the interval
between dawn and sunrise are thus taken to be clearly established;
and whatever theory we may adopt to explain the character of the
Ashvins on a physical basis, we cannot lose sight of the fact that
they are matutinal deities, bringing on the dawn or the light of
the morning along with them. The two epithets which are peculiar
to Indra, viz. Vritrahan and Shata-kratu are applied to them
( Vritrahantama, VIII, 8, 22; Shata-kratu 1, 112,23) and in I, 182,
2, they are expressly said to possess strongly the qualities of Indra
( lndra-tama ), and of the Maruts ( Marut-tama) the associate
of Indra in his struggle with Vritra. Nay, they are said to have
protected Indra in his achievements against Namuchi in X, 131,
. 4. This leaves no doubt about their share in the Vfitra-fight; and
·equally clear is their connection with the waters of the ocean. In
. I. 46, 2, they are called sindhu-matara, or having the ocean for their
mother and their car is described as turning up from the ocean in
·.IV, 43, S; while in I, 112, 13, the Ashvins in their car are said to go