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JONE, 1928)
VEDIC STUDIES
09
gopurdu dlako pelam calur-dvdram durdsadam sarva-ratnamayam divyam adbhutopama-darsanam || 3 ||
durdharsham amarair api maharshi-yaksha-gandharva-pannagåsurarâkshasaih || 10 || sarvakamagunopetam vita-sokam andma yam |
brahmano bhavandc chreshtham .... From the descriptions given of the Tripura and of the pura of the Paulomas and Kalakeyas (this was named Hiranyapura), it will be seen that not only were these mobile forts, moving in the sky according to the desire of the kings dwelling in them, but they were also provided with high ramparts and gates and they were impregnable to the assaults of gods (deva), Danavas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, etc. The fort named Hiranyapura was, in addition, as bright as Agni (fire) and Sarya (sun)' and better than the abode of Brahman'; and these descriptions recall the expressions devándm ayodhya průh 41 (in v. 31), aparajitá půh (in v. 33), hiranyayah, jyotisha vytah, svargah, prabhrájamana, yasasd sampariurla in the above verses as also the expressions ashtacakrd and navadedra. All these traits and especially the one about Hiranyapura being better than the abode of Brahman seem to me to point particularly to the description of the brahmapura and the kośa therein that is brilliant, prabhra jamdna, yellow, harini, surrounded with glory, yasasd sam parivrta, and golden hiranyayi, that is contained in the above verses (AV. 10, 2, 31-33) and to be based thereon. In any case, they make it probable that the word cakra in ashtåcakra signifies circumvallations and at the same time mobility also. Compare Kathopanishat 1, 3, 3: dimanam rathinam viddhi Sarfram ratham eva ca buddhim tu sdrathim viddhi manah pragraham eva ca, and other similar passages which compare the body to a chariot.
This mode of interpretation which makes the verses refer to the human body does not find favour with M. Boyer, who has observed (l.c. p. 438) that the wording of verses 31 and 33 is such that they can not but both refer to the same thing. The expression apardjita pūh in v. 33 therefore must denote the same thing as the expression ayodhyd pah of v. 31 and though the epithets ashtdcakrá and navadvárd may be said to be quite appropriate to the human body, it is hardly possible, he observes, to say the same of the epithets prabhrdjamana, harini, yabasd sam parivrid and hiranyayi used in v. 33. M. Boyer therefore thinks that the verses refer to a celestial citadel of Brahman, and that the koša, sheath, which is referred to as being within the citadel, is the sun. According to this interpretation, too, the citadel referred to is a mobile one provided with gates and cakras 'or means for locomotion (the numbers nine and eight, however, in the epithets ashtacakrd and navadvdrd, says M. Boyer, have no particular significance beyond that of multiplicity). The 'sheath' spoken of being the sun, the epithets svarga (which M. Boyer explains as 'celeste '), jyotisha vyta and hiranyaya are quite in place; the epithets tryara and tripratishthita refer to the three worlds as being contained in the sun and as being the support (pratishtha) of the sun.
This interpretation of M. Boyer or one very like it, is, for a reason that will presently be mentioned, quite possible. The objection however that he has raised against referring the verses to the human body can, it seems to me, be easily met. The 'fortress that is impregnable to the assaults of the gods even,' devándm ayodhyd puh, mentioned in v. 31 as having eight circumvallations and nine gates is not the same as the apardjita ptih mentioned in v. 33. The fortress 'spoken of in the former verse is the body that is elsewhere also referred to as pah or pura (compard Bh. Gita, 6, 13 : navadvdre pure dehf naiva kurvan na kdrayan; Svet. Up. 3, 18: navadvdre pure deht han so leldyate bahih ; Bph. Up. 2, 5, 18: purah purusha avisad ili sa vd
41 This has been explained by Bhaskararaya, in the course of his commentary on the Lalitasahasranama, 8. v. yoni-nilaya (in v. 217) as deudnam apy ayodhyd asadhya durlabhå pah nagari ....
duard udsardpd Ayodhyd-nagar tu martyanam ayodhyd iyam tu devanam apity arthan
