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

386 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS.
the flood rises, embarks in it, fastens its cable (pásham) to the
fish's horn and passes over (ati-dudrâva) to "this northern
mountain" (etam uttaram girim) by which phrase the com-
mentator understands the Himavat or the Himâlaya mountain
to the north of India. The fish then asks Manu to fasten
the ship to a tree, so that it may gradually descend, without
going astray, along with the subsiding water; and Manu acts
accordingly. We are told that it is on this account that the
northern mountain has received the appellation of Manor-ava-
sarpaṇam or 'Manu's descent.' Manu was the only person
thus saved from the deluge; and desirous of offspring he
sacrificed with the Pâka-yajña, and threw butter, milk, and
curds as oblations into the waters. Thence in a year rose a
woman named Iḍâ, and Manu living with her begot the off-
spring, which is called Manu's off-spring (prajâtiḥ). This is
the substance of the story as found in the Shatapatha Brâh-
maṇa, and the same incident is apparently referred to in the
Atharva Veda Saṁhitâ (XIX, 39, 7-8), which says that the
kushṭha plant was born on the very spot on the summit
of the Himavat, the seat of the 'Gliding down of the ship'
(nâva-prabhraṁshanam), the golden ship with golden tackle
that moved through the heaven. In the Mahâbhârata ver-
sion of the legend this peak of the Himâlaya is said to be
known as Nau-bandhanam, but no further details regarding the
place or time are given. The Mâtsya Purâṇa, however, men-
tions Malaya, or the Malabar, as the scene of Manu's austerity,
and in the Bhâgavata, Satyavrata, king of Draviḍa, is said
to be the hero of the story. Muir has compared these accounts,
and pointed out the differences between the oldest and the
later versions of the story, showing how it was amplified or
enlarged in later times. We are, however, concerned with the
oldest account; and so far as it goes, it gives us no clue for
determining the place whence Manu embarked in the ship.
The deluge again appears to be one of water; and not of ice