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

VEDIC MYTHS—THE CAPTIVE WATERS. 259
the lower and the upper celestial sphere. But Wallis would have
us believe that both these rajasī are above the earth, and that
narrowing down together towards east and west they meet on
the horizon like two arched curves over one's head ! The arti-
ficial character of this explanation is self-evident, and I see no
reason why we should adopt it in preference to the simple and
natural explanation of Zimmer, unless we start with a precon-
ceived notion that references to the regions below the earth
ought not to be and cannot be found in the Ṛig-Veda. The third
passage pointed out by Zimmer is V, 81, 4, which says “O
Savitṛi ! Thou goest round (pariyase) the night, on both sides
(ubhayataḥ).” Here Wallis proposes to translate pariyase by ‘en-
compassest’; but pariyase ordinarily means ‘goest round,’ and
there is no reason why the idea of motion usually implied by
it should be here abandoned. It will thus be seen that the con-
clusion of Wallis is based upon the distortion of passages which
Zimmer interprets in a simpler and a more natural way ; and
that Zimmer’s view is more in accordance with the natural
meaning of these texts. But if an express passage be still need-
ed to prove conclusively that the region below the earth was
known to the Vedic bards, we refer to VII, 104, 11, where the
bard prays for the destruction of his enemies and says, “Let
him (enemy) go down below the three earths, (tisraḥ pṛithivīḥ
adhaḥ).” Here the region below the three earths is expressly
mentioned; and since the enemy is to be condemned to it, it
must be a region of torment and pain like the Hades. In X, 152,
4, we read, “One, who injures us, let him be sent to the nether
darkness (adharam tamaḥ),” and, comparing this with the last
passage, it is evident that the region below the earth was concei-
ved as dark. In III, 53, 21, we have, “Let him, who hates us, fall
downwards (adharaḥ),” and in II, 12, 4, the brood of the Dasyu,
whom Indra killed, is said to be “sent to the unknown nether
world (adharam guhākaḥ).” These passages directly show that