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

THE COWS' WALK. 195
course, was once completed in ten months. Why should it be
so? Why was a Sattra, which is annual in its very nature
and which now lasts for twelve months, once completed in ten
months? How did the sacrificers obtain all the religious me-
rit of a twelve months' sacrifice by sacrificing for ten months
only? These are very important questions; but the Aitareya
Brâhmaṇa neither raises them, nor gives us any clue to their
solution. If we, however, go back to the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ,
the oldest and most authoritative work on the sacrificial cere-
monies, we find the questions distinctly raised. The Saṁhitâ
expressly states that the Gavâm-ayanam can be completed in
ten or twelve months, according to the choice of the sacrificer;
but it plainly acknowledges its inability to assign any reason
how a Sattra of twelve months could be completed in ten, ex-
cept the fact that "it is an old practice sanctioned by imme-
morial usage." These passages are very important for our
purpose, and I give below a close translation of each. The
first occurs in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ (VII, 5, 1, 1-2)*, and
may be rendered as follows :—
"The cows held this sacrificial session, desiring that 'be-
ing hornless let horns grow unto us.' Their session lasted
(for) ten months. Then when the horns grew (up), they rose
saying, 'We have gained.' But those, whose (horns) were not
grown, they rose after completing the year, saying 'We have
gained.' Those, that had their horns grown, and those that
had not, both rose saying 'We have gained.' Cows' session is
thus the year (year session). Those, who know this, reach the
year and prosper verily. Therefore, the hornless (cow) moves

• Taitt. Saṁ. VII, 5, 1, 1–2,—गावो वा एतत् सत्रमासताशृंगाः सतीः
  शृंगाणि नो जायंता इति कामेन । तासां दश मासा निषणा आसन्नथ शृं गाण्य-
  जायंत ता उदतिष्ठन्नरात्स्मेत्यथ यासां नाजायंत ताः संवत्सरमाप्त्वाोदतिष्ठन्नरा-
  त्स्मेति । यासां चाजायंत यासां च न ता उभयीरुदतिष्ठन्नरात्स्मेति । गोसत्रं वै
  संवत्सरो य एवं विद्वाँसः संवत्सरमुपयंत्यृध्नुवंत्येव तस्मात्तूपरा वार्षिकी मासौ
  षंर्त्वा चरति सत्राभिजितं ह्यस्यै तस्मात्संवत्सरसदो यत्किंच गृहे क्रियते तदाप्त-
  मवरुद्धमभिजितं क्रियते ।