Artic Home of the Aryans by Lokamanya Bal ... - Mandhata Global

128
day is found in X, 138, 3. This hymn celebrates the exploits of Indra,
all of which are performed in aerial or heavenly regions. In the first
verse the killing of Vṛitra and the releasing of the dawns and the
waters are mentioned; and in the second the sun is said to have been
made to shine by the same process. The third verse* is as follows: —
Vi sûryo madhye amuchad ratham divo
vidad dâsâya pratimânam âryah |
Dridhâni Pipror asurasya mâyinah
Indro vyâsyach chakrivâm Rijishvanâ ||
The fourth, fifth and the sixth verses all refer to the destruction
of Vṛitra’s forts, the chastisement of Ushas and placing of the moons
in the heaven. But the third verse quoted above is alone important for
our purpose. The words are simple and easy and the verse may be
thus translated “The sun unyoked his car in the midst of heaven; the
Ârya found a counter-measure (pratimânam) for the Dâsa. Indra,
acting with يijishvan, overthrew the solid forts of Pipru, the conjuring
Asura. “It is the first half of the verse that is relevant to our purpose.
The sun is said to have unyoked his car, not at sunset, or on the
horizon, but in the midst of heaven, there to rest for some time. There
is no uncertainty about it, for the words are so clear; and the
commentators have found it difficult to explain this extraordinary
conduct of the sun in the midway of the heavens. Mr. Griffith says
that it is, perhaps an allusion to an eclipse, or to the detention of the
sun to enable the Aryans to complete the overthrow of their enemies.
Both of these suggestions are, however, not satisfactory. During a
solar eclipse the sun being temporarily hidden by the moon is
invisible wholly or partially and is not besides stationary. The
description that the sun unyoked his car in the mid-heaven cannot,
therefore, apply to the eclipsed sun. As regards the other suggestion,
viz., that the sun remained stationary for a while to
* Rig. X, 138, 3 — िव सय ू मे अमचद ु रथं िदवो िवदद दासय परितमानमायः । दळािन
िपूोरसर ु माियन इो वयावान रिजना ॥