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

CHAPTER VIII. THE COWS' WALK. The Pravargya ceremony—Symbolises the revival of the yearly sacrifice—Milk representing seed heated in Gharma or Mahâvîra- —Mantras used on the occasion of pouring milk into it —The two creating the five, and the ten of Vivasvat—Indicate the death of the year after five seasons or ten months—The tradi- tion about the sun falling beyond the sky—Annual Sattras— Their type, the Gavâm-ayanam or the Cows' walk—Lasted for 10 or 12 months according to the Aitareya Brâhmaṇa —Two passages from the Taittirîya Samhitâ describing the Gavâm-ayanam—Mention 10 months' duration of the Sattra, but give no reason except that it was an ancient practice —Plainly indicates an ancient sacrificial year of ten months —Comparison with the old Roman year of ten months or 304 days—How the rest of 360 days were disposed of by the Romans not yet known—They represented a long period of darkness according to the legend of the Dashagvas—Thus lead- ing to the Arctic theory—Prof. Max Muller on the threefold nature of cows in the Vedas—Cows as animals, rain and dawns or days in the Ṛig-Veda—Ten months' Cows' walk thus means the ten months' duration of ordinary days and nights—350 oxen of Helios—Implies a night of ten days—The stealing of Apollon's oxen by Hermes—Cows stolen by Vritra in the Vedas —Represent the stealing of day-cows thereby causing the long night—Further sacrificial evidence from the Vedas—Classifi- cation of the Soma-sacrifices—Difference between Ekâha and Ahîna—A hundred nightly sacrifices—Annual Sattras like the Gavâm-ayanam—Model outline or scheme of ceremonies therein—Other modifications of the same—All at present based upon a civil year--But lasted for ten months in ancient times--Night-sacrifices now included amongst day-sacrifices —The reason why the former extend only over 100 nights is yet unexplained--Appropriately accounted for on the Arctic theory—Soma juice extracted at night in the Atirâtra, or the trans nocturnal sacrifice even now--The analogy applied to other night-sacrifices—Râtri Sattras were the sacrifices of the long night in ancient times—Their object--Soma libations exclusively offered to Indra to help him in his fight against