Indian Antiquary Vol 41

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 297

DECEMBER, 1912.)
THE ADITYAS
293
It is not to be understood that the Vedio poets were adjusting the lunar year to the sideread year by intercalating four months once in ten years alone. Since a thirteenth month is frequently mentioned in the Vedas, we may believe that they were adjusting the years once in two and a half years, when one intercalary month occurs. It is, therefore, likely that whenever a thirteenth month is mentioned, half a cycle of five luni-solar years is meant. The following passage of the Maitráyaniya Samhit& (I. 5, 6) refers to a thirteenth month and the form of the sacrifice performed in it:
जीयति वा एष भाहितः पशुर्यग्निः तदेतान्वेवाग्न्बाधेयस्य हवींषि संवत्सरे संवत्सरे निपेत. तेन वा एष न जीर्यति सेनेनं पुनर्णवं करोति. तन्न सूक्ष्यम्. एताभिरेवाग्नेयपावमानीभिः भग्न्याधयस्य बाज्यानुवाक्याभिरूपस्थेयः, तेन वा एप न जीर्यति. तेनेनं पुनर्णवं करोति. हादशभिरुपतिष्टते हारश मासाः संवत्सरः संवत्सरमवाप्स्वावधे. भग्नीषोमीयवा पयोदयुपस्थेयोऽस्ति मासस्त्रयोदशः तमे वे तयाप्त्वावधे.
"When once set up, he becomes old; for Agni is (like) a beast. Hence he should offer, year after year, these oblations of the Agnyâd hêya rite. He does not thereby grow old. The sacrificer renews him thereby. This way of renewing the fire) is not well-considered. The sacrificer should simply praise the fire with the YÂjya and Anavákya hymns called âgnéya-pâvamani, used in the Agnyâdhêya rite. Thereby he does not become old. Thereby the sacrificer renews him. The sacrificer praises him with twelve verses, for there are twelve months in the year. Thus he catches hold of the year and keeps it. He is to be praised with a thirteenth verse dedicated to Agni and Soma, for there is the thirteenth month also. With this verse he catches hold of that month and keeps it."
The last line of the passage given above leaves no doubt that there was also the custom of observing or intercalating a single month. I presume that the Darśa and Purņamasa or ner and fall moon sacrifices, desoribed in the beginning of the Yajurvéda, are no other than sacrifices performed during an intercalary month, for the gods worshipped in those sacrifices are the gods that are worshipped during the intercalary month. The following passage of the Maitráyaniya Sanhita (I. 5, 7) confirms this view -
अग्नीषोमीवया पर्वपक्ष उपस्थेयः अग्नीषोमीयो वै पूर्वपक्षः अपरपक्षावन परिददाति. ऐद्राग्न्यापरपक्ष उपस्येयः ऐंद्रामो वा अपर पक्षः पूर्वपक्षायैवेनं परिददाति.
"The light half of the month is to be worshipped with the verse dedicated to Agni and Somn, for the light half of the month belongs to Agni and Sôma. Thereby he transfers the light half to the dark hall of the month. With the verse dedicated to Indra and Agni the dark half of the month is to be worshipped; for the dark half belongs to Indra and Agni. Thereby he transfers the dark half to the light half of the month."
According to the passage of the Maitrdyaniya Sahitd (I. 5, 6) previously quoted above, Agni and Sôms are the chief gods in the sacrifice of a thirteenth month. According to this other passage (1.5, 7) Agni and Sôma are the gods in light half, and Indra and Agni in the dark half of the month. It follows, therefore, that the month referred to in the above passage must be one of an intercalary nature. Since the same are the gods in the new and full moon sacrifices, we may take these also to be sacrifices performed during an intercalary month. Since the Atharvavêda (V.6, 4) assigns the thirteenth month to Indra ( A TRE TRY)" the thirteenth month is the home of Indra"), we shall not be wrong in considering Indra also as one of the chief deities worshipped in a thirteenth month. The following passage of the Maitráyaniya Samhita (II. 1, 8) furnishes additional evidence about the same fact
अग्नीषोमाभ्यां वै पार्येणेद्रो वृत्रमहन्. स भीजसा वीर्येण व्याधत. स एतमैद्राग्नमपश्यत् तेन भीजो वीर्य मात्मन्नधत्त.
Son Asvaldyana Srauta Setra I. 3, 9 and 10; and Sankhayane Srauta Satra I. 3, 11 and 15.