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

328 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS.
referring to 360 days, divided into four groups or seasons
of 90 days each. This is good evidence to hold that the
yearly course of the sun must be taken as the basis of the
exploits of Viṣhṇu. The Ṛig-Veda further tells us that Viṣhṇu
was the intimate friend of Indra (yujyaḥ sakhâ, I, 22, 19), and
that he assisted Indra in his fight with Vṛitra. Thus in IV, 18,
11, we are told that " Indra about to kill Vṛitra said ' O friend
Viṣhṇu ! stride vastly,' (also cf. VIII, 12, 27)"; and . in I, 156, 4,
Viṣhṇu is said to have opened the cows' stable with the assistance
of his friend, while both Indra and Viṣhṇu are described as
having together vanquished Shambara, conquered the host of
Varchins and produced the sun, dawn and the fire in VII, 99, 4
and 5. It is evident from these passages that Viṣhṇu was the
associate of Indra in his fight with Vṛitra (cf. VIII, 100, 12);
and if so, one of the three steps must be placed in regions where
this fight was fought, that is, in the nether world. We can now
understand why, in I, 155, 5, it is said that two of the three steps
of Viṣhṇu are visible to man, but the third is beyond the reach
of birds or mortals (also cf. VII, 99, 1). When the third step
of Viṣhṇu is located in the nether world, it can well be said
to be invisible, or beyond the reach of mortals. We have seen
that the abode of Vṛitra is said to be hidden and filled with
darkness and waters. If Viṣhṇu helped Indra in his fight
with Vṛitra, his third step must be taken to correspond with
the home of Vṛitra ; in other words, Viṣhṇu's strides represent
the annual course of the sun divided into three parts. Dur-
ing two of these the sun was above the horizon, and hence
two of Viṣhṇu's three strides were said to be visible. But
when in the third or the last part of the year the sun
went below the horizon producing continuous darkness, Vi-
ṣhṇu's third step was said to be invisible. It was then that
he helped Indra to demolish Vṛitra and bring back the dawn,
the sun and the sacrifice. It has been shown in the last