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

304 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS. but the dawn under a different name. She is called the wife of the eunuch because she was separated from the sun during the night. The cow of Shayu, (derived from shî, to lie down) is again said to be the light of the morning sun, who may well be described as sleeping in the darkness from which he was brought forth by the Ashvins for the sake of Vandana. In short, each and every legend is said to be a story of the sun or the moon in distress. The Ashvins were the saviours of the morning-light, or of the annual sun in his exile and dis- tress at the time of the winter solstice; and when the sun becomes bright and brisk in the morning every day, or vigor- ous and triumphant in the spring, the miracle, we are told, was naturally attributed to the physicians of the gods. This explanation of the different legends connected with the Ashvins is no doubt an advance on that of Yâska, who has explained only one of these legends, viz., that of the quail, on the Dawn theory. But still I do not think that all the facts and incidents in these legends are explained by the Vernal theory as it is at present understood. Thus we cannot ex- plain why the proteges of the Ashvins are described as being delivered from darkness on the theory that every affliction or distress mentioned in the legend refers to mere decrease of the power of the sun in winter. Darkness is distinctly referred to when the treasure dug up for Vandana is compared to the "sun dwelling in darkness" (I, 117, 5), or when Bhu- jyu is said to have been plunged in waters and sunk in bottom- less darkness (anârambhaṇe tamasi), or when Atri is said to have been delivered from darkness (tamas) in VI, 50, 10. The powers of the sun are no doubt decayed in winter, and one can easily understand why the sun in winter should be called lame, old, or distressed. But blindness naturally means darkness or tamas (I, 117, 17); and when express references to darkness (tamas) are found in several pass- -ages, we cannot legitimately hold that the story of curing