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

78
even though we may accept this as correct and we take Ushas and
Vyushti to be the representatives of night and day because the former
signalizes the end of the night and the latter the beginning of the day,
still we have to account for three oblations, viz. one to the dawn about
to rise (Udeshyat,) one to the rising dawn (Udyat), and one to the
dawn that has risen (Uditâ) the first two of which are according to the
Taittirîya Brâhmana, to be offered before the rising of the sun. Now
the dawn in the tropical zone is so short that the three-fold distinction
between the dawn that is about to rise, the dawn that is rising, and
one that has risen or that is full-blown (vi-ushti) is a distinction without
a difference. We must, therefore, hold that the dawn which admitted
such manifold division for the practical purpose of sacrifice, was a
long dawn.
The three-fold division of the dawn does not seem to be
unknown to the poets of the يig-Veda. For, in VIII, 41, 3, Varuna’s
“dear ones are said to have prospered the three dawns for him,”* and
by the phrase tisrah dânuchitrâh in I, 174, 7, “three dew-lighted”
dawns appear to be referred to. There are other passages in the يig-
Veda† where the dawn is asked not to delay, or tarry long, lest it
might be scorched liked a thief by the sun (V, 79, 9); and in II, 15, 6,
the steeds of the dawn are said to be (slow) (ajavasah), showing that
the people were sometimes tired to see the dawn lingering long on
the horizon. But a still more remarkable statement is found in I, 113,
13, where the poet distinctly asserts,‡ “the Goddess Ushas dawned
continually or perpetually (shasvat) in former days (purâ);” and the
adjective shashvat-tamâ (the most lasting) is applied to the
* Rig. VIII, 41, 3, — स कषपः पिर षजे नयॐो ु मायया दधे स िवं पिर दशतः । त
वनीरन े ु वरतमषिॐो ु अवधयभामक े समे ॥
† Rig. V, 79, 9, — वय उछा िहतर िदवो मा िचरं तनथा ु अपः । नते तवा सतने ं यथा िरपु ं
तपाित सरो ू अिचषा सजात ु े असत ू े ॥
‡ Rig. I, 113, 13, — शत परोषा ु वयवास ु दथो े अदे ं वयावो मघोनी । अथो
वयछारानन ु ु दयनजराता ू चरित सवधािभः ॥