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

308 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS.
corresponds with the conception of the Hades in which every
thing is turned upside down. Being regarded as an inverted
hemisphere, it is rightly described, from the point of view of
persons in this world, as a supportless region with bottom up and
mouth downwards; and it was this bottomless darkness.
(I, 182, 6), or the bottomless and supportless ocean, in which
Bhujyu was plunged, and which he crossed without distress by
means of the boats graciously provided by the Ashvins. In the
Atharva Veda X, 8, 9, a bowl with mouth inclined or downwards
(tiryag-bilaḥ), and bottom upwards (ūrdhva-budhnaḥ) is said to hold
within it every form of glory; and there seven Ṛiṣhis, who have
been this Mighty One's protectors, are described as sitting to-
gether.* The verse occurs also in the Bṛih. Arṇ. Up. II, 3, 3, with
the variant arvāg-bilaḥ (with its mouth downwards) for tiryag-
bilaḥ, with its mouth inclined) of the Atharva Veda. Yâska (Nir.
XII, 38) quotes the verse and gives two interpretations of the
same, in one of which the seven Ṛiṣhis are taken to represent the
seven rays of the sun, and the bowl the vault above; while in the
second the bowl is said to represent the human head with its
concave cup-like palate in the mouth. But it seems to me more
probable that the description refers to the nether world rather
than to the vault above or to the concave human palate. The
glory referred to is the same as the Hvarenô of the Parsi
scriptures. In the Zamyâd Yasht, this Hvarenô or Glory is said
to have thrice departed from Yima and was restored to him
once by Mithra, once by Thraêtaona who smote Azi Dahâka,
and finally by Keresâspa and Atar, who defeated Azi Dahâka.
The fight took place in the sea Vouru-Kasha in the bottom
of the deep river, and we have seen that this must be taken to
mean the world-surrounding Okeanos. The Hvarenô (Sans. svar)
or Glory is properly the light, and one who possessed it reigned

• See Atharva Veda, X, 8, 9, — तिर्यग्बिलश्चमस ऊर्ध्वबुध्नस्तस्मिन्यशो
  निहितं विश्वरूपम् । तदासते ऋषयः सप्त साकं ये अस्य गोपा महतो बभूवुः ॥