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

VEDIC MYTHS—THE CAPTIVE WATERS. 239
represent either the daily triumph of light over darkness, or the
conquest of the storm-god over the dark clouds that imprison
the fertilising waters and the light of the sun. Thus when the
Ashvins are said to have rescued a quail (Vartikâ) from the jaws
of a wolf, Yâska interprets the legend to mean the release and
bringing out of the dawn or light from the darkness of the night
(Nir. V, 21). His explanation of the character of Vṛitra is
another instance in point. Speaking of the nature of the demon,
he thus refers (Nir. II, 16) to the opinions of the different schools,
"Who was Vṛitra? 'A cloud,' say the Nairuktas; 'an Asura,
son of Tvaṣhṭṛi,' say the Aitihâsikas. The fall of rain arises
from the mingling of the waters and of light. This is figuratively
depicted as a conflict. The hymns and the Brâhmaṇas describe
Vṛitra as a serpent. By the expansion of his body, he blocked
up the streams. When he was destroyed the waters flowed
forth."* The Storm and the Dawn theories thus formed the
basis of the Nairukta school of interpretation, and though
Western scholars have improved upon it, yet the credit of
suggesting this method of interpretation will always rest with
the ancient Nairuktas, who, as observed by Prof. Max Muller,
had carefully thought out the true character of the Vedic
gods several centuries before the Christian era. Thus the
legend of Prajâpati loving his own daughter is explained
in the Aitareya Brâhmaṇa as referring to the sun running
after the dawn or the heaven above (Ait. Br. III, 33);
while Kumârila extends this theory to the case of Indra and
Ahalyâ, which according to him represent the sun and the
night. But though the Nairuktas fully accepted the theory,
which explained the Vedic myths as representing cosmical and

• See Nir. II, 16:—तत्को वृत्रः। मेघ इति नैरुक्ताः। त्वाष्ट्रोऽसुर इत्यै-
  तिहासिकाः। अपां च ज्योतिषश्च मिश्रीभावकर्मणो वर्षकर्म जायते । तत्रोपमा-
  र्थेन युद्धवर्णा भवंति । अहिवत्तु खलु मंत्रवर्गाः ब्राह्मणवादाश्च । विवृद्ध्या
  शरीरस्य स्रोतांसि निवारयांचकार । तस्मिन्हते प्रसस्यन्दिरे आपः । Cf. Muir's
  O. S. T. Vol. II, p. 175.