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

VEDIC MYTHS—THE MATUTINAL DEITIES. · 345
or nine-fold division of the sacrificers, or the Aṅgirases, who are
actually described in III, 53, 7, as "the Vîras or warriors of the
Asura." It is, therefore, quite probable that the same Vîras are
referred to in X, 27, 15. In VIII, 4, 1, Indra is said to be
worshipped by people in the front (east), behind (west), up (north),
and down (south), meaning that his worshippers were to be found
everywhere; and if the adjectives "below, behind &c." in X,
27, 15, be similarly interpreted the verse would mean that the
seven-fold, eight-fold, nine-fold, or ten-fold division of sacrificers
was to be met with in places all round. In other words, the
different places in the Arctic region had each a group of
sacrificers of its own, corresponding to the months of sunshine in
the place. On no other theory can we account for the different
divisions satisfactorily as on the Arctic theory, and in the
absence of a better explanation we may, I think, accept the one
stated above.
The ten Kings and Râvaṇa.
It has been noticed above that ten gold-like kings (VIII,
5, 38), and ten non-sacrificing kings (VII, 83, 7), are mentioned
in the Ṛig-Veda. But there is an important incident connected
with the ten non-sacrificing kings which deserves more than a
passing notice in this place. Sudâs, the son of Divodâsa
Atithigva, is described as engaged in a fight with the ten
non-worshipping (ayajyavaḥ) kings, and is said to have re-
ceived help from Indra and Varuṇa (VII, 33, 3-5 ; 83, 6-8).
It is known as the Dâśarâjña fight, and Vasiṣhṭha, as the
priest of Sudâs, is said to have secured the assistance of Indra
for him. On this slender basis some scholars have erected a
stately edifice of the fight of the Aryan races with the ten non-
Aryan or non-worshipping kings. But it seems to me that the
Dâśarâjña fight can be more simply and naturally explained
by taking it to be a different version of Indra's fight with the
seven Dânus or demons (X, 120, 6). In X, 49, 8, Indra is