Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 79

MARCH, 1913.)
THE ADITYAS
75
What are called heaven and earth in this and other passages seem to be the two limits between which the seven intercalary months are inserted. Accordingly we may take those words to signify the cycle of 20 years. Hence a hundred of both heaven and earth will mean a 100 cycles of 20 years each, containing 100+ 7 = 700 or 100 X 71 - 750 guns or intercalary months, with Indra as their god, but not a thousand suns. This seems to be the meaning of the poet when he says thet, though the number of the birth-places of Indra amounts to a hundred, no thousand suns will follow him. After speaking of various things, especially of Vishņu, of Kabyapa, of seven Agnis who appear to be the same seven suns, of Gandharvas, and of geven Váyus, the poet, says:
सहस्रवृदिबं भूमिः परं व्योम सहनवृत. “ This earth contains a thousand, and the distant heaven also contains a thousand."
If the explanation I have given above of the seven Adityas and of the number one thousand, is. true, it follows that the two worlds, each containing a thousand (days), as described in the above passage, must mean the two wings or halves of the last cycle of five years in each period of 20 years. After speaking of sundry things which it is unnecessary to notice here, the poet goes on to say:
भदितिजोतमदितिनित्वम् ।भष्टी पुनासो भदितेथे जातास्वन्वः परि । देवानुपप्रैस्ससभिः परा मातोंउमास्यत् ।। सप्तभिः पुत्ररदितिः उपप्रैल्यूष्य युगम् । प्रजायै मृत्यवे तत्परा मातोंडमाभरदिति ॥
ताननक्रमिष्यामः-मित्रइच वरुणश्च धाताचार्यमा च अंशश्च भगवच इंद्रश्च विवस्वाश्चेत्येते. “Aditi is past and Aditi is futare ; of the eight suns of Aditi, who were born from her body, she approached the gods with seven and cast out Mártaņda ; with seven sons Aditi approached the gods in the former Yuga (cycle of 20 years) ; she brought thither Mártanda again for birth and death. We enumerate them: Mitra and Varuņa, Dhâtê and Aryaman, Amba and Bhaga and Indra and Vivasyân,-these are they." After referring to the verses which describe Purusha, the poet concludes by saying:
T: 4999: 496969: 1 "The seed belongs to Prajapati, Father Time, and the Purusha (born thereof) is sevenfold."
The Satapatha Brahmana identifies the seven Purushas with the seven logs and tongues of Agni, and also with Indra. The passages in which this identification is made are thus translated by Prof. Eggeling:
"He offers with Vag. S. XVII. 79, thine, O Agni, are seven logs,'-loge mean vital airs, for the vital airs do kindle him ;-seven tongues,'--this he says with regard to those seven persons which they made into one person ;-Seven Rishis,'- for seven Rishis they indeed were ; seven beloved seats,' this he says with regard to the metres devenfold the seven priests worship thee,'--for in sevenfold way the seven priests indeed worship him ;-the seven homes,' -he thereby means the seven layers of the altar; ......... seven,' he says each time,- of seven layers the fire-altar consists, and of seven seasons the year, and Agni is the year.22"
“This same vital air in the midst doubtless is Indra. He, by his power, kindled those other vital airs from the midst ; and in as much as he kindled, he is the kindler (Indha): the kindler indeed,--him they call'Indra' mystically (esoterically), for the gods love the mystic. They (the vital airs) being kindled, seven separate persons (Purusha) 22."
I presume that I have made it clear that the various expressions, such as the eight song of Aditi, the seven or eight Adityas, seven eagles or swans, seven butters, seven logs of fire, seven tongues of Agni, seven Vậyus, seven cattle, seven breaths, seven Agnis, seven Parashas, seven horses, seven sisters, seven priests, seven seers, and seven and a half embryos, are all of the same meaning, viz., the seven and a half intercalary months occurring in the cycle of twenty lani-sidereal years, and that the act of getting rid of the intercalary months is described as a recurring conflict between Vțitra, the demon of the intercalary months, and Indra, the god of the eventh intercalary month. That this conflict was a periodic and recurring phenomenon, is so well known to all Vedic scholars that it needs no proof. The expression that Indra killed Vțitra three times, securing thereby three.ukthyas or fifteens,' evidently signifies the cycle of sixty years, which consists of three cycles of 20 years each or twelve eycles of 5 years each. Since Indra is said to be the slayer. 11 Sat. Bra. IX. , 8, 44-45.
11 I bid. VI, 1, 1, 2