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

290 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS.
Indra along with the release of cows or the recovery of dawn (I,
32, 12 ; II, 12, 3 and 12 ; IV, 28, 1, &c.); and for reasons given
above, we cannot suppose that they represent any terrestrial
rivers in these passages. In the remaining cases, there is not a
single instance where the expression may be said to decisively
denote only the terrestrial rivers; nay, it is more likely that
celestial rivers are referred to everywhere by the expression of
sapta sindhavaḥ. I do not mean to say that sapta sindhavaḥ,
sapta pravataḥ, or sapta sravataḥ can in no case denote any
terrestrial rivers. For there are three groups of seven rivers
mentioned in the Ṛig-Veda,—the celestial, the terrestrial and
the infernal. Thus in X, 64, 8, “thrice three wandering rivers”
are mentioned ; while the waters are said “to flow forward
triply, seven and seven” in X, 75, 1. It is, therefore, clear
that like the Ganges in the Purâṇas, the Vedic bards conceived
a group of seven rivers in the heaven, another on the earth,
and a third in the nether world, somewhat after the manner
of the eleven gods in the heaven, eleven on the earth, and eleven
in the waters (I, 139, 11 ; I, 34, 11 ; X, 65, 9). If so, we cannot
say that a seven-fold division of the terrestrial rivers was not
known to the Vedic bards. But, for reasons given above, we
cannot hold that this seven-fold division was suggested by
the rivers of the Panjaub ; and then extended to the upper and
the lower celestial hemishhere. The Panjaub, as remarked
above, is a land of five rivers and not seven ; and though we
might raise the number to seven by adding to the group any
two insignificant tributaries according to our fancy, yet the
artificial character of the device is too apparent to justify us
in holding that the expression sapta sindhavaḥ was originally
suggested by the rivers of the Panjaub. We must again bear
in mind that the seven-fold division of waters does not stand
by itself in the Ṛig-Veda; but is only a particular case of a
general principle of division adopted therein. Thus we have
seven earthly abodes (I, 22, 16), seven mountains (VIII, 96, 2),