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

MONTHS AND SEASONS. 159
where the sun shone above the horizon. for seven months, and
went below it in the beginning of the eighth. If this nature of
the sun-god is once impressed on the memory, it cannot be
easily forgotten by any people simply by their being obliged to
change their residence ; and thus the sevenfold character of the
sun-god must have been handed down as an old tradition, though
the Vedic people lived later on in places presided over by the
twelve Âdityas. That is how ancient traditions are preserved
everywhere, as, for instance, those relating to the older year in
the Egyptian literature, previously referred to.
We have seen above that the peculiar characteristic of
the Arctic region is the varying number of the months of sun-
shine in that place. It is not, therefore, enough to say that
traces of a period of seven months' sunshine are alone found in
the Ṛig-Veda. If our theory is correct, we ought to find re-
ferences to periods of eight, nine or ten months' sunshine along
with that of seven months either in the shape of traditions, or
in some other form ; and fortunately there are such references
in the Ṛig-Veda, only if we know where to look for them.
We have seen that the sun's chariot is said to be drawn by seven
horses, and that this seven-fold character of the sun has refer-
ence to the seven suns, conceived as seven different month-gods.
There are many other legends based on this seven-fold division,
but as they do not refer to the subject under discussion, we
must reserve their consideration for another occasion. The
only fact necessary to be mentioned in this place is that the
number of the sun's horses is said to be not only seven (I, 50,
8), but also ten in IX, 63, 9; and if the first be taken
to represent seven months, the other must be understood
to stand for ten months as well. We need not, however, de-
pend upon such extension of the legend of seven Âdityas
to prove that the existence of nine or ten months of sunshine