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

THE AVESTIC EVIDENCE. 375
can be traced back to the Indo-European period; and since its
double character can be explained only by placing the ori-
ginal home in the circumpolar regions, we are inevitably led
to the conclusion that the Airyana Vaêjo must also be placed
in the same region. The Avestic account is by itself plain
and intelligible, and the apparent inconsistencies would have
been explained in a natural way long ago, if Zend scholars
had not created unnecessary difficulties by transferring the
site of this Paradise to the east of the ancient Iran. Under
these circumstances it is needless to say which of the two theo-
ries regarding the position of the Airyana Vaêjo is correct;
for no one would accept a hypothesis which only enhances the
confusion, in preference to one which explains everything in a
natural and satisfactory manner,
We have so far discussed the passage in the first Fargard
which describes the climate of the Airyana Vaêjo. The
passage, even when taken by itself, is quite intelligible on
the Arctic theory; but in ascertaining the original climate
of the Airyana Vaêjo we supposed that it was the reverse
of the one introduced by the invasion of Angra Mainyu.
The second Fargard of the Vendidad, which is similar in
character to the first, contains, however, a passage, which
does away with the necessity of such assumption, by giving
us a graphic description of the actual advent of ice and
snow which ruined the ancient Iranian Paradise. This Far-
gard is really a supplement to the first and contains a more
detailed account of the Airyana Vaêjo and a description of the
paradisiacal life enjoyed there before Angra Mainyu afflicted
it with the plague of winter and snow. This is evident from
the fact that the coming of the severe winter is foretold in
this Fargard and Yima is warned to prepare against it;
while in the first Fargard the happy land is described as ac-
tually ruined by Angra Mainyu's invasion. Darmesteter
divides this Fargard into two parts, the first comprising the