Page 85 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

72 SAMAGRA. TILA.K - 2 • THE O.IUON

a comparatively reliable ground to identify the Avesta and the
Vedic year. We find nothing in Avesta to explain why first month
of the year should have been devoted to the manes; but as observed
by Dr. Geiger in respect of the legend of Yama the knowledge of
it might in course of time have been lost to the worsruppers of
Ahuramazda. We can, however. now easily explain it from the
statement in the Vedic works that Phllgunl full-moon was once
the new year's night at the winter solstice. 1 know that such ana-
logies taken singly are of no great practical value, but when from
a consideration of the Vedic literature, we arrive at results, which we
then find so similar to those arrived at independuently by Zend
scholars , we may certainly be led to believe that they are not
merely accidental.
To sum up : Interpreting the passage in the Taittiriya Sarp.hita,
which states that the ' Phalpnt-pflrna-masa is the month of the
year, ' in the natural way suggested by the context and similar other
passages in no less than five BrahmaJ].as, to mean that the winter
solstice occurred on the Phalgunt full-moon in those days, we
find that Mfigashiras has been designated by a name, which, if
properly understood, denotes that it was the first of the cycle of
the Nahhatras, thus showing that the vernal equinox was once
near it; that Mdla can now be better understood as the star that
rose at the beginning of the first night of the equinoctial year; and
finally the fortnight after the summer solstice was devoted to the
feast of the inanes, as the ayana of the pitris commenced at that
point; and that this is fully corroborated by the Parsi month of
of the manes falling in their primitive calendar at the same time.
It was on evidence like this that the old position of the K!itti.kAs
was determined, and I ·do not see why a similar conclusion about
Mrigashiras should' not be allowed. It is true that no express
statement has been cited to show that Mrigashiras commenced
the cycle of the Nak,hatras in those days and that some scholars
may not consider the Agrahayani sufficient for the purpose. In
the following chapters I hope to 'show that there are a number off
other circumstances-and even express texts -which leave little
room for cautious fears like these.
as old festiyals. But whether $1tada.shili-mukha.s were in any way conne-
cted with the Gahanbdrs it is not easy to determ me m the present state
of our knowledge of these lestivals.