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

184 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS. be far-seeing. In short, purīshiṇam (full of, or dwelling in, waters) in the first line appears to be a counterpart of vichakshaṇam (far-seeing) in the second line. This is made clear by the verses which follow. Thus the 13th verse in the hymn speaks of " the five-spoked wheel " as remaining entire and unbroken though ancient ; and the next or the 14th verse says that " the unwast- ing wheel with its felly revolves ; the ten draw (it) yoked over the expanse. The sun's eye goes covered with rajas (aerial vapour) ; all worlds are dependent on him."* Comparing this with the 11th verse first quoted, it may be easily seen that purīshiṇam (full of watery vapours) and rajasā āvṛitam (covered with rajas) are almost synonymous phrases, and the only in- ference we can draw from them is that the five-footed year- god or the sun went to dwell in watery vapours i. e., became invisible, or covered with darkness (rajas), for some time in the farther part of the heaven. The expression that " The ten, yoked, draw his carriage," (also cf. Ṛig. IX, 63, 9) further shows that the five seasons were not made by combining any two consecutive seasons out of six as explained in the Brâh- maṇas (for in that case the number of horses could not be called ten), but that a real year of five seasons or ten months was here intended. When the number of seasons became increased to six, the year-god ceased to be purīshin (full of waters), and became vichakshaṇam or far-see- ing. We have seen that the sun, as represented by Dîrgha- tamas, grew old in the tenth month, and riding on aerial waters went into the ocean. The same idea is expressed in the present verse which describes two different views about the nature of the year, one of five, and the other of six sea- sons, and contrasts their leading features with each other.

• Ṛig. I, 164, 13 & 14,—पञ्चारे चक्रे परिवर्तमाने तस्मिञ्छा तस्थुर्भुवनानि विश्वा । तस्य नाक्षस्तप्यते भूरिभारः सनादेव न शीर्यते सनाभिः ॥ सनेमि चक्र- मजरं वि वावृत उत्तानायां दश युक्ता वहन्ति । सूर्यस्य चक्षू रजसैत्यावृतं तस्मि- न्नार्पिता भुवनानि विश्वा ॥