Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 27

JANUARY, 1913.)
THE ADITYAS
23
request gift : you live upon the two things that exist only in me.' The cow secured that energy. Hence they live upon the two things that exist in the cow alone. What is called ghi is the energy of Agni, and what is called milk is that of Soma. Whoever knows thus the energy of Agai and Soma will be energetic. The Brahmavadins debate : "of what deity is the full-moon ?' One should reply : Prajapati.' Hence Prajapati gave to. Indra, his eldest son, a firm footing. Hence men give to their eldest son a firm footing by bestowing upon him a large portion of wealth."
The following passage of the Taittiriya Sambita (VI, 5, 1) seems to furnish additional evidence about Vșitra being a half month :
इंद्रो वृत्राय वजमुत्यच्चत् स वृनी बजादुयतादविभेत्. सोऽप्रवीन्मा मे प्रहारस्ति वावं मयि वीर्ये तने प्रदास्यामीति. तस्मा उकध्य प्रायच्धत. तस्मै द्वितीय मुदवच्धत्. सोऽप्रवीन्मा मे प्रहारस्ति वा एवं मयि वीय तत्ते प्रदास्यामीति तस्मा उकथ्यमेव मायब्धत. तस्मै तृतीयमुदयब्धत्. तंविष्णुरन्वतिष्ठत जहीति. सोऽअवीन्मा मे प्रहारस्ति वा वं माये वीर्ये तत्ते प्रदास्वामीति. तस्मा नकथ्यमेव प्रावच्धत् तं निर्माचं भूतमहतू यज्ञो हि तस्व मायाऽऽसीत्.
T. S. VI, 5, 1. "Indra raised the thunderbolt against Vțitra. Then Vpitra bocame afraid of this raised thunderbolt; he said : Do not kill me; there is some power in me; that I shall give you.' So saying he gave Ukthya (Fifteen) to Indra. Indra raised weapon against him for a second time. He said : Do not kill me, there is some power in me; that I shall give you.' So saying he gave the latter the same Ukthya (Fifteen). Then Indra raised the weapon against him for a third time; then Vishnu followed Indra, saying kill him. He said : Do not kill me ; there is some power in me; I shall give you that.' So saying he gave the same U kthya to Indra. Indra then killed this guileleas demon. It was, verily, the sacrifice which was his guile."
We are told in the above passage that while breathing out, Vritra gave Ukthya to Indra. Ukthya is a word used in the Vedic literature in the sense of fifteen.'13 The word Vajra, the weapon of Indra, is also used in the same sense.18 Accordingly the wielding of Vajra or fifteen' by Indra, as well as the gift of fifteen by Vșitra to Indra, clearly means the growth of fifteen days over and above the seventh intercalary month,
Contemporary religious records also furnish evidence that the Adityas are the gods of intercalary months. It is known that the Adityas are the sons of Aditi. Aditi in the Rig Veda (X. 100 1, 94) is requested to protect the poets from Amhas, "sin.' She and her sons also are requested to release the posts from guilt or sin (R. V. I. 24; II. 27; VII. 93 ; I. 162; VII. 87). I have shown in my Vedic Calendar how the word Amhaspatya is used in the sense of an intercalary month and an intercalary month alone. There is no doubt that this word is pbilologically identical with the Zend word Ameshas penta. The number of Ameshaspentas is also seven, Prof. Macdonell says (Vedic Mythology, P. 44). "It is here to be noted that the two groups have not a single namo in common, even Mithra not being an Ameshaspenta ; that the belief in the Adityas being seven in number is not distinctly characteristic and old; and that though the identity of the Adityas and Ameshaspentas has been generally accepted since Roth's essay, it is rejected by some distinguished Avestan scholars."
Whatever might be the reason of the Avestan scholars for rojecting the identity, this much is clear, that the words Amhaspatya and Ameshaspenta are identical; and that when the former word is invariably used in the sense of an intercalary month in the Yajurveda, there is no doubt that the forgotten meaning of the latter word must also be the same ; and that when the Ameshaspentas are jeven, the number of Amhaspatyss must also be and is, as we bave already seen, seven. AS regards the difference in the names of the Ameshaspentas and of the Adityas, it does not appear to be of much importance, for the seven Amhaspatyas or intercalary months are found variously named both in the Rigveda and the Atharvarêda. 11 Seo Tai. sam. VII. 2, 5, 17.
15 See Ibid. VII. 3, 6, 16; 4, 7, 25. 2. Soe Macdonell's Vedic Mythology, p. 121.