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

THE COWS' WALK. 213
It seems to me that if the word râtri in Ati-râtra is still
understood to mean 'night,' and that if the Ati-râtra sacrifice
is even now performed during the night, there is no reason why
we should not similarly interpret the same word in Dvi-râtra,
Tri râtra &c. upto Shata-râtra. The objection, that the Soma
juice is not extracted during the night, is more imaginary than
real; for as a matter of fact Soma libations are made in the usual
way, during the Ati-râtra sacrifice. The Ati-râtra sacrifice is
performed at the beginning and the end of every Sattra; and all
the three libations of Soma are always offered during the three
turns, or paryâyas, of the night. The Aitareya Brâhmaṇa (IV, 5),
in explaining the origin of this sacrifice, tells us that the Asuras
had taken shelter with the night, and the Devas, who had taken
shelter with the day, wanted to expel them from the dark region.
But amongst the Devas, Indra alone was found ready and willing
to undertake this task; and entering into darkness, he, with the
assistance of metres, turned the Asuras out of the first part of
the night by the first Soma libation, while by means of the middle
turn (paryâya) of passing the Soma-cup, the Asuras were turned
out of the middle part, and by the third turn out of the third or
the last part of the night. The three Soma libations, here
spoken of, are all made during the night, and the Brâhmaṇa
further observes that there is no other deity save Indra and the
Metres to whom they are offered, (Cf. Âpas. Sh. Su. XIV, 3, 12).
The next section of the Brâhmaṇa (IV, 6) distinctly raises the
question, "How are the Pavamâna Stotras (to be chanted for
the purification of the Soma juice) provided for the night,
whereas such Stotras refer only to the day, but not to the
night?" and answers it by stating that the Stotras are the
same for the day and the night. It is clear from this that
Soma juice was extracted and purified at night during the
Ati-râtra sacrifice, and Indra was the only deity to whom the