Page 486 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

VEDIC MYTHS-THE MATUTINAL DEITIES 267

three paces of ground. o sooner the request was granted than
Vi~hpu assumed a miraculou form and occupied the whole
earth by the first step and the atmo phere and everything above
it with the econd. Bali, who was the lord of the universe before,
was surprised at the metamorphosis of the dwarf; but had to
make good his own word by offering hi head for the third tep
of Vamana. The offer was accepted and Bali was pressed down
under the third step into the nether world, and the empire of
the earth and heavens above was again restored to Indra from
whom it bad been snatched away by Bali. Amongst these various
interpretations one thing stands out very clear, viz. that Vi~bpu
represents the sun in one form or another. But Vedic scholars
are not agreed as to whether Vi~hpu's strides represent the daily
or the yearly course of the sun. We must, therefore, carefully
examine the Vedic passages relating to Vi~bpu, and see if any
indication is found therein to decide which of the e two views
i more probable or correct. Now in I, 155, 6, Vi~ht~u is described
as setting in motion, like a revolving wheel, his ninety steeds with
their four names, evidently referring to 360 days, divided into four
groups or seasons of 90 day each. This is good evidence to hold
that the yearly course of the un must be taken as the basis of the
exploits of Vi~hpu. The ~ig-Veda further tells us that Vi~bpu
was the intimate friend of Indra ( yujya~ sakha, I, 22, 19 ), and
that he a isted lndra in his fight with V~itra. Thus in IV, 18,
11, we are told that "Indra about to kill Vritra said ' 0 friend,
Vi~bpu ! stride va tly', (also cf. Vill, 12, 27) "; and in I, 156, 4,
Vi~bpu is said to have opened the cows' stable with the assistance
of his friend, while both lndra and Vi~h!lu are de cribed as having
together vanquished Sbambara, conquered the host of Varchins
and produced the sun, dawn and-the fire in VII, 99, 4 and 5. It
is evident from these passages that Vi~bpu was the associate of
lndra in his fight with Vljtra ( cf. vm, 100, 12 ); and if so, one
of the three teps must be placed in regions where this fight was
fought, that is, in the nether world. We can now understand why,
in I, 155, 5, it is said that two of the three steps of Vi~hpu are
visible to man, but the third is beyond the reach of birds or mortals
(also cf. VII, 99, 1 ). When the third step of Vi~h!lu is located in
the nether world, it can well be said to be invisible. or beyond
the reach of mortals. We have seen that the abode of V~itra is
said to be hidden and filled with darkness and waters. If Vi~hpu