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

THE COWS' WALK. 195 course, was once completed in ten months. Why should it be so? Why was a Sattra, which is annual in its very nature and which now lasts for twelve months, once completed in ten months? How did the sacrificers obtain all the religious me- rit of a twelve months' sacrifice by sacrificing for ten months only? These are very important questions; but the Aitareya Brâhmaṇa neither raises them, nor gives us any clue to their solution. If we, however, go back to the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ, the oldest and most authoritative work on the sacrificial cere- monies, we find the questions distinctly raised. The Saṁhitâ expressly states that the Gavâm-ayanam can be completed in ten or twelve months, according to the choice of the sacrificer; but it plainly acknowledges its inability to assign any reason how a Sattra of twelve months could be completed in ten, ex- cept the fact that "it is an old practice sanctioned by imme- morial usage." These passages are very important for our purpose, and I give below a close translation of each. The first occurs in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ (VII, 5, 1, 1-2)*, and may be rendered as follows :— "The cows held this sacrificial session, desiring that 'be- ing hornless let horns grow unto us.' Their session lasted (for) ten months. Then when the horns grew (up), they rose saying, 'We have gained.' But those, whose (horns) were not grown, they rose after completing the year, saying 'We have gained.' Those, that had their horns grown, and those that had not, both rose saying 'We have gained.' Cows' session is thus the year (year session). Those, who know this, reach the year and prosper verily. Therefore, the hornless (cow) moves

• Taitt. Saṁ. VII, 5, 1, 1–2,—गावो वा एतत् सत्रमासताशृंगाः सतीः शृंगाणि नो जायंता इति कामेन । तासां दश मासा निषणा आसन्नथ शृं गाण्य- जायंत ता उदतिष्ठन्नरात्स्मेत्यथ यासां नाजायंत ताः संवत्सरमाप्त्वाोदतिष्ठन्नरा- त्स्मेति । यासां चाजायंत यासां च न ता उभयीरुदतिष्ठन्नरात्स्मेति । गोसत्रं वै संवत्सरो य एवं विद्वाँसः संवत्सरमुपयंत्यृध्नुवंत्येव तस्मात्तूपरा वार्षिकी मासौ षंर्त्वा चरति सत्राभिजितं ह्यस्यै तस्मात्संवत्सरसदो यत्किंच गृहे क्रियते तदाप्त- मवरुद्धमभिजितं क्रियते ।