वेदों की प्राचीनता एवं काल-निर्णय / ओरायन (लोकमान्य बाल गंगाधर तिलक - खगोलीय वैदिक शोध)

THE VEDIC DAWNS. 83 smeared with ghee (by eating it)." It is evident that if such a recitation has to be finished before the rising of the sun, either the Hotṛi must commence his task soon after midnight when it is dark, or the duration of the dawn must then have been sufficiently long to enable the priest to finish the recitation in time, after commencing to recite it on the first appearance of light on the horizon as directed. The first supposition is out of the question, as it is expressly laid down that the shastra is not to be recited until the darkness of the night is relieved by light. So between the first appearance of light and the rise of the sun, there must have been, in those days, time enough to recite the long laudatory song of not less than a thousand verses. Nay, in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ ( II, 1, 10, 3) we are told that sometimes the recitation of the shastra, though commenced at the proper time, ended long before sunrise, and in that case, the Saṁhitâ requires that a certain animal sacrifice should be performed. Ashvalâyana directs that in such a case the recitation should be continued up to sunrise by reciting other hymns (Ashv. S. S. VI, 5, 8); while Âpastamba, (S. S. XIV, 1 and 2), after mention- ing the sacrifice referred to in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ, adds that all the ten Mandalas of the Ṛig-Veda may be recited, if neces- sary, in such a case.* It is evident from this that the actual rising of the sun above the horizon was a phenomenon often de- layed beyond expectation, in those days; and in several places in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ, (II, 1, 2, 4 ),† we are told that

• The Sûtras referred to are as follows:—Ashv. S. S. VI, 5, 8, प्रातरनुवाकन्वायेन तस्यैव समाम्नायस्य सहस्रावममोदेतेः शंसेत्। Âpastamba XIV, 1 & 2—यस्याश्विने शस्यमाने सूर्यो नाविर्भवति सौर्यं बहुरूपमाल- भेत ॥ १ ॥ सर्वा अपि दाशतयीरनुब्रूयात् ॥ २ ॥ The first of these two Sûtras is the reproduction of T. S. II, 1, 10, 3. † T. S. II, 1, 2, 4,—असावादित्यो न व्यरोचत तस्मै देवाः प्रायश्चित्ति- मैच्छन् । Cf. also T. S. II, 1, 4, 1.