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

CHAPTER VIII.
THE COWS' WALK.
The Pravargya ceremony—Symbolises the revival of the yearly
sacrifice—Milk representing seed heated in Gharma or Mahâvîra-
—Mantras used on the occasion of pouring milk into it —The
two creating the five, and the ten of Vivasvat—Indicate the
death of the year after five seasons or ten months—The tradi-
tion about the sun falling beyond the sky—Annual Sattras—
Their type, the Gavâm-ayanam or the Cows' walk—Lasted
for 10 or 12 months according to the Aitareya Brâhmaṇa
—Two passages from the Taittirîya Samhitâ describing the
Gavâm-ayanam—Mention 10 months' duration of the Sattra,
but give no reason except that it was an ancient practice
—Plainly indicates an ancient sacrificial year of ten months
—Comparison with the old Roman year of ten months or 304
days—How the rest of 360 days were disposed of by the
Romans not yet known—They represented a long period of
darkness according to the legend of the Dashagvas—Thus lead-
ing to the Arctic theory—Prof. Max Muller on the threefold
nature of cows in the Vedas—Cows as animals, rain and dawns
or days in the Ṛig-Veda—Ten months' Cows' walk thus means
the ten months' duration of ordinary days and nights—350
oxen of Helios—Implies a night of ten days—The stealing of
Apollon's oxen by Hermes—Cows stolen by Vritra in the Vedas
—Represent the stealing of day-cows thereby causing the long
night—Further sacrificial evidence from the Vedas—Classifi-
cation of the Soma-sacrifices—Difference between Ekâha and
Ahîna—A hundred nightly sacrifices—Annual Sattras like the
Gavâm-ayanam—Model outline or scheme of ceremonies
therein—Other modifications of the same—All at present
based upon a civil year--But lasted for ten months in ancient
times--Night-sacrifices now included amongst day-sacrifices
—The reason why the former extend only over 100 nights
is yet unexplained--Appropriately accounted for on the Arctic
theory—Soma juice extracted at night in the Atirâtra, or
the trans nocturnal sacrifice even now--The analogy applied
to other night-sacrifices—Râtri Sattras were the sacrifices of
the long night in ancient times—Their object--Soma libations
exclusively offered to Indra to help him in his fight against