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

194 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS. described in three places. Once in the Aitareya Brâhmaṇa and twice in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ. We begin with the Aitareya Brahmaṇa (IV, 17), which describes the origin and duration of the Sattra as follows:— "The cows, being desirous of obtaining hoofs and horns, held (once) a sacrificial session. In the tenth month (of their sacrifice) they obtained hoofs and horns. They said, 'We have obtained fulfilment of that wish for which we underwent the initiation into the sacrificial rites. Let us rise (the sacrifice being finished).' Those, that arose, are these, who have horns. Of those, who, however, sat (continued the session) saying, 'Let us finish the year,' the horns went off on account of their distrust. It is they, who are hornless (tûparâḥ). They (continu- ing their sacrificial session) produced vigour (ûrjam). Thence- after (having been sacrificing for twelve months and) having secured all the seasons, they rose (again) at the end. For they had produced the vigour (to reproduce horns, hoofs, &c. when decaying). Thus the cows made themselves beloved by all (the whole world), and are beautified (decorated) by all."* Here it is distinctly mentioned that the cows first obtained the fulfilment of their desire in ten months, and a number of them left off sacrificing further. Those, that remained and sacrificed for two months more, are called 'distrust- ful,' and they had to suffer for their distrust by forfeiting the horns they had obtained. It is, therefore, clear, that this yearly Sattra, which in the Saṁhitâs and Brâhmaṇas is a Sattra of twelve months in imitation of the sun's yearly

• See Dr. Haug's Ait. Brâh. Trans. Vol. II, p. 287. The passage is as follows,—गावो वै सत्रमासत । शफ़ाँ शृंगाणि सिषासत्यस्तासां दशमे मासि शफ़ाः शृंगाण्यजायंत । ता अब्रुवन् यस्मै कामायादीक्षामह्यापाम तमुत्ति- ष्ठामेति । ता या उदतिष्ठंस्ता एता शृंगिण्योऽथ याः समापयिष्यामः संवत्सरमि- त्यासत तासामश्रद्धया शृंगाणि प्रावर्तंत । ता एतास्तूपरा ऊर्जं त्वसुन्वंस्तस्मादु ताः सर्वानृतून्प्राप्न्वोत्तरावुत्तिष्ठंस्तूर्जं ह्यसुन्वन् सर्वस्य वै गावः प्रेमाणं सर्वस्य चारुतां गताः । सर्वस्य प्रेमाणं सर्वस्य चारुतां गच्छति य एवं वेद ।