Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 24

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JANUARY, 1913.
simultaneous arrival of the seven streams' of the rainy season, of the demon, Vsttra, and of Indra, the god of the seventh intercalary month, for the destruction of the demon of the intercalary months.
The Vedic poets seem to have entertained two kinds of conceptions about the intercalary months 3 ore evil and another good. Indra, Martanda, and other sons of Aditi seem to have represented the good side of the months, while Vțitra, Sambara, and other demons are regarded as the personification of the evil nature of the intercalary months. If there still remains any doubt about this point, the following passage of the Maitrd yainya Sanhitd (II. 4, 3, 4) will probably help to remove it:
ततो यस्सोमोऽस्यरिच्यत तमग्ना उपमावर्तयत् । स्वाहेंद्रशयुर्वर्धस्व इतींइस्याहेन शत्रुमाचिकीर्षविंद्रमस्य शत्रुमकरोत्. तथा वाक्स्वयमेव व्यत्स यं सोमं प्रावर्तयचस्मिंश्चाग्ना उपप्रावर्तयत्ता अग्नीषोमो देवते प्राणापाना अभिसमभताम्. स बावजूर्वबाहुः पराविध्यत्तावति व्यरमत. यदि वा प्रवणं सावदासीयदि वाग्नेरधि तावदासीरस वा इषुमात्रमेवा हा तिर्यावर्धतेषुमानमेवान्याधी भातुरहोरात्र एवेषुमात्र तिर्यवर्धतेघुमात्रमन्वयिषो आहरर्धमासमयो मासमयी संवत्सरमिति. स वा इमाः सर्वाः स्रोत्याः पर्यशयत्तस्मात्रा इद्रोऽविभेत्तस्मा स्वष्टाविभेत्तस्यद्रः प्रत्तिमेच्चत्तमस्म प्रायच्छत्. तस्मै त्वष्टा वजमसिंचत्तपोवै स बज आसीत्तमुधम नाशकीवथ सहि विष्णुरन्या देवतासीत्सोऽब्रवीतिष्णा एहि इदमाहरिष्यावो येनायमिदनिति. स वेधात्मानं विन्यधत्ताभिपर्यावर्तादविभेवस्यां तृतीयमंतरिक्षे तृतीयं विवि तृतीयं. स यदस्यां तृतीयमासीतेन वन मुदयधविष्ण्वनुष्ठितः स वजमुत्यतं दृष्ट्वाचिनेत्सोऽब्रवीदस्ति वा इदं त्यस्मिन्नंतवार्य तत्ते प्रदास्यामि मा मा वघीरिति. तवा अस्मै प्रायच्धन्. तत्प्रत्यगृवात् | अथा मा इति तद्विष्णवेऽतिप्रायच्धत्. तद्विष्णुः प्रत्यगृहात् | अस्मास्विंद्र इंद्रियं दधावस्मानायो मघवानः सचंताम् । अस्माकं संत्वाशिषः। ति सोऽवेशस्ति वा वास्मिनंतीयमिति, स यदंतरिक्षे तृतीयमासीत्तेन वजमुदयच्चविष्ण्वनुष्ठितः. स वजमुद्यतं दृष्टाविभेत्सोऽब्रवीशस्ति वा इदं त्यस्मिन्नतथि तत्ते प्रदास्यामि मा मा वधीरति. तहा अस्मे प्रायच्धत् प्रत्यगृहात्. द्विाधाः इति तद्विष्णवेऽतिप्रायब्धत्. तद्विष्णुः प्रत्यगृहात. अस्मास्विंद्र इंद्रियं दधावस्मानायो मघवानः सचंताम् । भस्माकं संवाशिषः, इति सोऽवेदस्ति वा वास्मिनतर्यामिति. स यदिवि तृतीयमासीत्तेन वजमुक्यच्छद्विष्ण्वनुष्ठितः. स वजमुद्यतं दृष्ट्वाविभेत्सोऽब्रवीदस्ति वा इदं त्यस्मिन्नतवीर्ये तत्ते प्रदास्यामि मा मा वधीः संधां नु संदधावहे यथा त्वामेव प्रविशानीति. सोऽब्रवीयन्मां प्रविशेः किं में ततः स्यादिति. सोनवीत्वामेवेधीय तव भोगाथ त्वां प्रविशेयमिति. तवा अस्मै प्रायच्धत्. तप. त्यगृहात्.निर्माधाः इति तवाव वैधातव्या सहस्रं वा अस्मै तत्मायच्धत्. ऋचः सामानि यषि यहा एवं किंच तचैधातव्या तदामोति पशूनेव.
M. S. II, 4, 3. उदरं वै वृत्रः पाप्मा भुद्भातृव्यः पुरुषस्य. यत्नप उपति पाप्मानं वा एतरस्तृणुते भ्रातृव्यं भुधमेव तस्मिन्वा भवदेतां सयमस्या अभ्यूा वागवदत्. उभा जिग्यथुर्न पराजयथे न पराजिग्ये कतरच नैनोः। M.S. II, 4,4.
"Then what Sôma there remained, he poured it into the fire, and said rather in favour of Indra than Agni : Grow with Indra as thy enemy.' He wanted Agni to be Indra's enemy; but he made Indra the enemy of Agni: for his expression itself came out with that meaning). Both the Soma he pressed and the Sôma he put into the fire became the two deities Agni and Sôma, and also the two vital airs, Prana and Apâna (air inhaled and air exhaled). No sooner did this dual god with his arm raised up attempt to strike Indra, then he himself fell down. Whether when the dual deity fell down, or when he was inside the fire (it cannot be said),-he, however, began to grow breadth wise by the measure of an arrow in the course of a day, and also lengthwise by the measure of an arrow in the course of a day. They say that day and night themselves grew breadthwise by the measure of an arrow and also lengthwise by the measure of an arrow. They say that then the half-months (grew); then the month ; and then the year. Then this dual deity lay covering all these streams. Indra became afraid of him ; Tvashţri also feared him. Indra requested the help of Trashţri. The latter promised help: he sprinkled the thunderbolt (with water) for him. Tapas [the month so called] is, verily, the thanderbolt. Indra could not raise it. Then there was another god, Vishnu, near. Indra said : 'Come, Vishnu, let us catch hold of this by which this (is done).' Vishna stretched his body in three directions, one-third portion on the earth, one-third in the air, and one-third in the heaven, 80 that Indra might get rid of his fear from the universal growth of the dual deity. Followed by Vishņu, Indra raised the thunderbolt against the one-third part of the dual deity lying on this earth. Seeing the thunder