वेदों की प्राचीनता एवं काल-निर्णय / ओरायन (लोकमान्य बाल गंगाधर तिलक - खगोलीय वैदिक शोध)

LONG DAY AND LONG NIGHT. 147
as may legitimately follow from it. The fact that the north is
designated by the word ut-tara, meaning 'upper,' and the south
by adha-ra, meaning 'lower,' also points to the same conclusion;
for the north cannot be over-head or 'upper' except to an obser-
ver at or near the North Pole. In later literature, we find a
tradition that the path of the sun lies through regions which are
lower (adhaḥ) than the abode of the Seven Ṛishis, or the con-
stellation of Ursa Major.* That ecliptic lies to the south of the con-
stellation is plain enough, but it cannot be said to be below the
constellation, unless the zenith of the observer is in the con-
stellation, or between it and the North Pole, a position, possible
only in the case of an observer in the Arctic region. I have
already quoted a passage from the Ṛig-Veda, which speaks of
the Seven Bears (Ṛikshâḥ), as being placed on high in the heavens
(uchchâḥ). But I have not been able to find out any Vedic
authority for the tradition that the sun's path lies below the
constellation of the Seven Bears. It has also been stated
previously that mere southerly direction of the sun, even if com-
pletely established, is not a sure indication of the observer being
within the circum-polar region, as the sun will appear to move
always to the south of the observer even in the temperate zone.
It is, therefore, not necessary to pursue this point further. It has
been shown that the Ṛig-Veda mentions the long night and the
long day, and we shall see in the next chapter that the months
and the seasons mentioned in this Old Book fully accord with
the theory we have formed from the evidence hitherto discussed.
* See Kâlidâsa's Kumârasambhava, VI, 7,—अधःप्रस्थापिताश्वेन समा-
वर्जितकेतुना । सहस्ररश्मिना साक्षात्सप्रणाममुदीक्षिताः । Also I, 16,—सप्त-
र्षिहस्तावचितावशेषानधो विवस्वान् परिवर्तमानः । See also Mallinâtha's
commentary on these verses.