The Arctic Home in the Vedas c11.46

c11.46

It seems to me that if the word *râtri* in *Ati-râtra* is still understood to mean ‘night,’ and that if the *Ati-râtra* sacrifice is even now performed during the night, there is no reason why we should not similarly interpret the same word in *Dvi-râtra*, *Tri-râtra* &c. upto *Shata-râtra*. The objection, that the Soma juice is not extracted during the night, is more imaginary than real; for as a matter of fact Soma libations are made in the usual way, during the *Ati-râtra* sacrifice. The *Ati-râtra* sacrifice is performed at the beginning and the end of every *Sattra*; and all the three libations of Soma are always offered during the three turns, or *paryâyas*, of the night. The Aitareya Brâhmaṇa (IV, 5), in explaining the origin of this sacrifice, tells us that the Asuras had taken shelter with the night, and the Devas, who had taken shelter with the day, wanted to expel them from the dark region. But amongst the Devas, Indra alone was found ready and willing to undertake this task; and entering into darkness, he, with the assistance of metres, turned the Asuras out of the first part of the night by the first Soma libation, while by means of the middle turn (*paryâya*) of passing the Soma-cup, the Asuras were turned out of the middle part, and by the third turn out of the third or the last part of the night. The three Soma libations, here spoken of, are all made during the night, and the Brâhmaṇa further observes that there is no other deity save Indra and the Metres to whom they are offered, (Cf. Âpas. Sh. Su. XIV, 3, 12). The next section of the Brâhmaṇa (IV, 6) distinctly raises the question, “How are the Pavamâna Stotras (to be chanted for the purification of the Soma juice) provided for the night, whereas such Stotras refer only to the day, but not to the night?” and answers it by stating that the Stotras are the same for the day and the night. It is clear from this that Soma juice was extracted and purified at night during the *Ati-râtra* sacrifice, and Indra was the only deity to whom the libations were offered in order to help him in his fight with the Asuras, who had taken shelter with the darkness of the night. That the *Ati-râtra* is an ancient sacrifice is further proved by the occurrence of a similar ceremony in the Parsi scriptures. The word *Ati-râtra* does not occur in the Avesta, but in the Vendidad, XVIII, 18 (43)-22 (48), we are told that there are three parts of the night, and that in the first of these parts (*thrishvai*), Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, calls upon the master of the house to arise and put on his girdle and to fetch clean wood in order that he may burn bright; for, says the Fire, "Here comes Azi (Sans. *Ahi*), made by the Daêvas (Vedic *Asuras*), who is about to strive against me, and wants to put out my life." And the same request is made during the second and the third part of the night. The close resemblance between this and the three *paryâyas* of the *Ati-râtra* sacrifice does not seem to have been yet noticed; but whether noticed or not, it shows that the *Ati-râtra* is an ancient rite performed during the night for the purpose of helping Indra, or the deity that fought with the powers of darkness, and that such sacrificial acts as putting on the girdle (*kosti*) or squeezing the Soma, were performed during this period of darkness.