Indian Antiquary Vol 41

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

Page 50

46
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCE, 1912.
(2) Instead of performing any sacrifice during the intercalated period, they spent that period in performing such accessory rites as are called Upasad or sessions and Dikshd or rites of initiation,
(8) They regarded the intercalated days as being infested by evil spirits and enemies. It is therefore probable that the apparent acts of sorcery undertaken in connection with every kind of Bacrifice in order to drive out or to destroy those who hated the poets and whom the poets hated', are acts intended to symbolise the fact of getting rid of an intercalated period. Since an intercalated period is regarded, not only as being burdened with dirt or sin, but also as being infested by Varuņa, Nirșiti, and other good or evil spirits with nooses in their hands to bin i their victims, it is probable that, during an intercalated period, the Vedic poets regarded themselves, not only as being burdened with sin, but also as being bound with the noose (pása) of Varuņn or Nirșiti. It also follows that the removal of sin or of Varuņa's fetters at the close of a period of twelve or twenty-one days, is a technical expression of the Vedic poets implying the intercalary nature of those days. The removal of guilt at the close of the twelve intercalated days is thus referred to in the Aitaréya-Brahmana, IV. 4, 24:
पवध वा एते वहा भादशममहराहावतिरात्री यहादशाहो द्वादशाहानि दीक्षितो भवति. यज्ञिय एव तैर्भवति बार राषीरुपसर उपेति. शरीरमेव तामिधुनुते. बादशाहं प्रमूते भूत्वा शरीरं धूत्वा शुद्धः पूती देवता भण्यति. य एवं बेद पत्रिंशयही वा एष यहादशाहः ।
The Dvadasaha consists of thrice three days together with the tenth day and two Atirâtra daye After baring undergone the ceremony of initiation during twelve days one becomes fit for performing the sacrifice. During the twelve days he undergoes the Upasad or the vow of fasting. By means of then be shakes off all guilt from his body. He who has such a knowledge becomes purified and clean, and enters the deities after having, during (these) twelve days, been born anew and shaken 019 (all guilt) from his body. The Dvadasaba consists on the whole) of thirty-six days."
The thirty-six days referred to in this passage are three sets of twelve days each, constituting the difference between three lunar and three sidereal solar years. The Atharraveda = (Rig. v. vii. 103. 1) IV. 15. 13, also speaks of the twelve days' vow as follows:
संवत्सरं शशयाना ब्रह्मणो व्रतचारिणः।
वाचं-पर्जन्यजिन्वितां प्रमंडूका अवादिषुः। "Having lain for a year, (like) Brahmans performing a row, the frogs have spoken forth a 'voice quickened by parjanya [the raining clouds]." So also the same says IV. 11. 11 :
सावध वा एता रात्रीत्या भातुः प्रजापतेः॥
तत्रोप ब्रह्म यो वेद तद्वा अनडुहो ब्रसम् ।। “ Twelve, indeed, they declare those nights of the vow of Prajapati ; whoso knows the Brahman within them--that verily is the vow of the dranght-ox."
The release from Varuņa's fetters at the close of twenty-one days is thus referred to in the Athartaveda, iv. 16.6 :
येते पाशा वरुण सप्त सप्त धा तिष्ठति विषिता शंतः।
सिनंतु सबै अनृतं वदंतं यः सत्यवति तं सृजंतु ॥ “What fetters of thine, O Varuņa, seven by seven, stand triply relaxed, shining-let them all bind him that speaks untruth; whoso is truth-speaking, let them let him go."
I presume that the expression of three times seven milch kine pouring their milky draught, as referred to in the two verses of the samaréda quoted above, implies the same idea as that of an intercalated period of twenty-one days. From the consideration of these and other similar passages too numerous to be quoted here, we may conclude that expressions such as the milking of the kine,' the destruction of evil spirits or of enemies,' and 'the release from the fetters of Vargas or of Nirriti,' are Vodic expressions implying the passing off of an intercalated period.