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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JUNE, 1928
na vindanti. ... tasmad dhodayam ahar-ahar vdevamvit svargam lokam ei and Sankara's comment thereon). It is so used here also as is made quite clear by the reading of the parallel passage in TA. 1, 27, 3: tasydi hiranmayah kosah margo loko jyotishd urta).
With regard to the word ashtacakra, it has been observed by M. Boyer (l.c. p. 436) that Såyana has explained the word cakra in it as dvarana, or circumvallation enclosing the body that is regarded as a fortress, in his commentary on TA. 1, 27, 3,40 while in his commentary on AV. 11, 4, 22 he has explained the word as 'wheel' serving as the means for locomotion of the body that, is here regarded as a chariot. This is because TA. 1, 27, 3 refers distinctly to a fort, pål, while AV. 11, 4, 22 refers equally distinctly to a chariot (compare the words ekanemi 'having one rim' and sahasrakshara which Sâyana explains as having a thousand axles' used in it). The discrepancy therefore, if any, is to be attributed to the texts themselves and not to Sayana who had to explain them faithfully as they stood. But is there really a discrepancy here? I am disposed to think that there is none; the meanings 'circumval. lation' and 'wheel' are not mutually exclusive, and in all probability they are both intended (see p. 230 in vol. LV, ante) by the word cakra in ashtacakrd which would thus mean'having eight circumvallations and eight wheels to move with 'or 'having ramparts and moving. In other words, the fort, pih, spoken of in AV. 10, 2, 31, seems to be & mobile fort, fa gamo durgah or carishnuh puh. Such a mobile fort is, besides the firm' forts, drdhah purah, that are frequently mentioned, known to the RV. which refers to one in 8, 1, 28: tram puram carishnvam vadhaih sushnasya sam pinak "Thou (0 Indra), didst shatter with thy weapons the mobile fort of Sushņa." Such forts are occasionally mentioned in later books also: compare Bhâgavata, 10, 76, 6f. :
devdsura-manushydņam gandharvoraga-rakshasdm abhedyam kamayam vavre sa yanam Vyshni-bhí shanam !! tatheti Girisddishto Mayah para-puraiijayah
puram nirmdya Salvdya prádát Saubham ayasmayam || ; Mahabharata, 8, 25, 13f. (The three sons of Tarakasura said to Mahadeva] :
vastum icchama nagaram kartum ká magamam tubham sarvakdma-samyddhartham avadhyam deva-danavail || 13 | yaksha-rakshoraga-ganair nand-jatibhir eva ca na krtydbhir na sastrais ca na ść pair brahma-vedindm || vadhyeta tripuram deva prayaccheh prapitámaha || 14 ||
te tu labdha-varih pritah sampradharya parasparam puratraya-visyshtyartham Mayam vaurur mahdrathah || 19 | tato Mayaḥ svata pasd cakre dhiman purdņi ca trîni kañcanam ekam vai raupyam kârshndyasam tatha || 20 |
ekaikan yojanaśatam vistytam tavad dyalam didham cdidlaka-yutam bhat-pråkdra toranam | 22 ||
prasddair vividhaió cd pi dvdrais caivopasobhitam | 23 and ibid., 3, 176, 1ff. :
nivarlamdnena mayd mahad drahtam tato param puram kamagamam divya pdva karka-sama-prabham || 1 || ratnadrumamayais citrair bhdsvarait ca patatribhih
paulomaiḥ külakeyait ca nitya-hrshțair adhishthitam 21 40 There is no commentary of Sayapa on AV. 10, 2, 31-33 or in fact on any passage of the tenth Kanda of the Av.
