Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 28

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JANUART, 1913.
The following are some of the passages of the Atharvavéda (VIII. 9) in which the bevor Adityas or the gods of intercalary months are called in various ways:
पडाहश्शीतान्पड मास उष्णानुतुं नो बूस यतमोऽतिरिक्तः। सप्त सुपर्णाः कवयो निषेतुः सप्त धंदस्वनु सप्त दीक्षाः ॥ 17 सप्त होमाः समिधी र सप्त मधूनि सप्त फतवोह सप्त । सप्ताज्यानि परिभूतमाबंताः सप्त गृध्रा इति शुभुमा वयम् ।। 18 भष्ट जाता भूता प्रथमज ऋतस्थाप्टेंद्रविजो देव्या थे। अष्टयोनिरदितिरष्टपुत्राष्टमी रात्रिममि हव्यमेति ॥ 21 अष्टंद्रस्य षड्यमस्य कषीणां सप्त सप्तधा।
अपो मनुष्यानोषधीस्तां उपंचानु सचिरे ॥ 23 " Six they call the cold, and six the hot months.
Tell ye us the season, which one is in excess; seven eagles, poets, sat down ; seven metres after seven consecrations."17
"Seven are the offerings, the fuels seven, the sweet things seven, the seasons seven ; seven sacrificial butters went about the existing thing; they are such as have seven heavenly birds, so have we heard." 18.
• Eight are born the beings first born of Rita%; eight, o Indra!, are the priests who are of the gods ; Aditi has eight wombs, eight sons; the oblation goes anto the eighth night." 21.
"Among the seers, eight are with Indra, and six are in pairs; they are seven-fold and seven ; waters, men, and herbs,-over these the five (years) have showered." 28.
In verse 17the poet clearly mentions the intercalary months (Atirikta Ritu) and numbers them in various names as seven. The expression seven seasons,' when taken with the expression the
Zoessive season,' leaves no doubt that they are intercalarly months and seven in number. In verses 21 and 28 the poet refers to the story of Aditi, and seems to hesitate to count her sons as eight, though that was the number fixed at first. In the following passages of the Atharrateda (IX, 9. and R. V. I. 164) the seven months are called seren horses and seven sisters :
सप्त युंजति रथमेकञ्चक्रमेको अश्वो वहति सप्तनामा। बिनाभि चक्रमजरमन यत्रेमा विश्वा भुवनाधि तस्थुः॥ , इमं रयमधि वे सप्त सस्थः सप्तचक्र सप्तमहत्यश्वाः। सप्त स्वसारो भनि संनर्वत बन गवां निहिता सप्त नामा ॥3 बादशारं न हि तज्जराय वोर्ति चक्र परिचामृतस्या भा पुत्रा अग्ने मिथुनासो अत्र सप्त शतानि विंशतिश्च तस्थुः।। 18 सनेमि चक्रमजरं वि वावृत उत्तानायां दश युक्ता वहति । सूर्यस्य चक् रजसैत्यावृतं यस्मिन्नातस्थुर्भुवनानि विश्वा|| 14. साकंजानां सप्तधमाहुरंकजं पडियमा पयो देवजा इति।
तेषामिष्टानि विहितानि धामशः स्थाओ रेजते विकृतानि रूपशः॥ 16 "Seven harness a one-wheeled chariot; one horse, having seven names, draws it. of three nares is the wheel, unwasting, unassailed, whereon stand all those existences. "
"The gevan that stand on this chariot, seven horees draw it, seven wheeled; boven sisters shout at it together; where are set down the seven names of the kine P"
"The twelve-spoked wheel,-for that is not to be worn out,-revolves greatly about the sky or Rita, there, O Agnil, stood the song, paired, seven hundred and twenty." 13.
"The anwasting wheel, with rim, rolls about ; ten paired ones draw upon the upper side (ultána); the sun's eye goes surrounded with the welkin in which stood all existences." 14
“Of those born together the seventh they call the solo-born (single-born), six, thoy say, are twins, god born seers; the sacrifices of them, distributed according to their respective stations and modified in form, move to the one permanent (athatre)." 16.
(To be continued.)