Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 40

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[FEBRUART, 1913.
एकं हि शिरः नाना मुखे कृत्स्नं तदृतुलक्षणम् । उभयतस्सप्तेंद्रियाणि जल्पितं खेव विद्यते ॥ 14 शुक्लकृष्णे संवत्सरस्य दक्षिणवामयोः पार्वयोः । तस्यैषा भवतिःशुक्रं तेऽन्याजतं तेऽन्यत् ।. विषुरूपे अहनी चौरिवासि || 15 विश्वा हि माया अवसि स्वधावः। भद्रा ते पूषनिह रातिरस्त्विति || 16 नात्रभुवना न पूषा न पशवः नादित्यः। संवत्सर एव प्रत्यक्षेण प्रियसमं विद्यात् ।। 17 एतसंवत्सरस्य प्रियतम रूपं योऽस्य महानर्थ उत्पत्स्यमानी भवति ।
इदं पुण्यं कुरुष्वेति तमाहरणं दद्यात् ॥ 18 " Being covered with (clouds), being damp and tending to wet, and being red (with the rainbow),—these are the characteristics of Varuņa, the lord of water or the rainy season ; when this is seen, there is put in a thousand (days);
"The head is uniform and single%3; but in its face it (the year) is varied; this is the sum total of the characteristics of the seasons intercalary). From both sides (ubhayatah,) there are seven vital organs; talk alone paints it thus [in reality there is no such thing as the vital organ, &c.);
"White and dark days are on the right and left sides of the year : the following is said about it:
0year, that which is white of thee [i.e., the day, and that part of the year which extenda from the winter solstice to the summer solstice) is quite different from what is to be worshipped of theo [i. e., the night, and the part of the year which extends from summer solstice to winter solstice] ; thy days are of different form ; between them thou art like the sky. 15
"O year, thou art productive of food; thou possessest all kinds of enchantment; O Protector, may thy gift be good to us. 16
No beings here ; no god Pusban; no Cattle; no Aditya; there is the year alone; man Iboks upon it as a dear thing; the form of the year is what is dear to him; hence saying . Do, thou, this meritorious thing, one should give gifts when this great thing the intercalated year) comes into existence,"
As I have already pointed out, the poet speaks of the arrival of the rainy season, when, for the adjustment of 20 lunar years to twenty sidereal years, the last cycle of 5 years in the period of 20 years was divided into two parts, and each part was made equal to 1,000 days. The expression that there are seven vital organs in the face of the year which, as a whole, is uniform, refers to the insertion of the seven intercalary months. As it is necessary to know the two parts or sides of the year when 1000 days are counted to form each part, the poet has referred to those two sides as being formed of white and dark days respectively. There is no doubt that by the two white and dark sides, the poet refers to what is called the Uttarayaņa (that part of the year which extends from the winter solstice to the summer solstice) and also the Dakshinayana (that part of the year which extends from the summer solstice, which coincides with the arrival of the rainy Beason, to the winter solsticels). It is well known that it was during Dakshinayana that sacrifices were performed. Hence the poet has called that part of the year as being worshipable. The meritorious thing' refers to the gifts made in the sacrifices made at the end of the Dakshinayana. The poet now goes on to speak of the seven Adityas and of the loss of the eighth Aditya :
साकंजानां सप्तधमारेकज पडघमा ऋषयो वजा इति । तेषामिष्टानि विहितानि धामशः स्थावे रेजते विकृतानि रूपशः॥ 19 को नु मर्या अमिथितः सखा सखायमब्रवीत् । जहाको भस्मदीयते । यस्तित्याज सखिविदं सखायम् ।
10 Compare BhagavadgitA, VIII, 24, 25.