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

250 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS.
Now whosoever reads this description of Indra's fight with
Vṛitra cannot fail to be struck with the fact that there are four
simultaneous effects (Sâkam, in VI, 30, 5) said to have been produced
by the conquest of Indra over Vṛitra, namely, (1) the release of the
cows, (2) the release of the waters, (3) the production of the dawn
and (4) the production of the sun. Let us now see if the Storm
theory satisfactorily explains the simultaneous production of these
results from the destruction of Vṛitra. Vṛitra is a cloud, a storm-
cloud, or a rain-cloud, hovering in the sky, and by smiting it with
his thunder-bolt Indra may well be described as releasing the
waters imprisoned therein. But where are the cows which are
said to be released along with the waters? The Nairuktas inter-
pret cows to mean waters; but in that case, the release of the
waters and the release of the cows cannot be regarded as two
distinct effects. The recovery of the dawn and the sun, along
with the release of waters, is, however, still more difficult to ex-
plain by the Storm theory, or, we might even say, that it cannot
be explained at all. Rain-clouds may temporarily obscure the
sun, but the phenomenon is not one which occurs regularly, and
it is not possible to speak of the production of the light of the sun
as resulting from the breaking up of the clouds, which may only
occasionally obscure the sun. The recovery of the dawn, as a
prize of the conflict between Indra and Vṛitra, simultaneously
with the release of waters, is, similarly, quite inexplicable
by the Storm theory. The rain-clouds usually move in the
heavens, and though we may occasionally find them on the
horizon, it is absurd to say that by striking the clouds Indra
brought out the dawn. I know of no attempt made by any
scholar to explain the four simultaneous effects of Indra's-
fight with Vṛitra by any other theory. The Storm theory
appears to have been suggested by the Nairuktas, because the
release of waters was supposed to be the principal effect of the
conquest, and waters were naturally understood to mean the