The Arctic Home in the Vedas c13.s2.1

Language: English

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There are a few more Vedic legends which indicate or suggest the Arctic conditions of climate or calendar, and I propose to briefly examine them in this chapter. One of these legends relates to Viṣhṇu and his three long strides, which are distinctly mentioned in several places in the Rig-Veda (I, 22, 17-18; I, 154, 2). Yâska (Nir. XII, 19) quotes the opinion of two older writers regarding the character of these three steps. One of these, *viz.*, Shâkapûṇi, holds that the three steps must be placed on the earth, in the atmosphere, and in the sky; while Aurnavâbha thinks that the three steps must be located, one on the hill where the sun rises (*samârohaṇa*), another on the meridian sky (*Viṣhṇu-pada*), and the third on the hill of setting (*gaya-shiras*). Prof. Max Muller thinks that this three-fold stepping of Viṣhṇu is emblematic of the rising, the culminating and the setting of the sun; and Muir quotes a passage from the Râmâyaṇa (IV, 40, 64), which mentions udaya-parvata, or the mountain of sun-rise, and says that on the top of it is the peak Saumanasa, the place where Viṣṇu’s first step was planted. We are then told that his second step was placed on the summit of Meru; and that “when the sun had circled round Jambudvîpa by the north, he is mostly visible on that lofty peak.” It seems, therefore, that according to the Râmâyaṇa the third step of Viṣṇu was round Jambudvîpa, and was planted after sunset, whatever that may mean.

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In the Purâṇic literature, Viṣṇu’s three steps appear as the three steps of Vâmana, the fifth incarnation of Viṣṇu. Bali, the powerful enemy of the gods, was celebrating a sacrifice, when, assuming the form of a dwarf, Viṣṇu approached him, and begged for three paces of ground. No sooner the request was granted than Viṣṇu assumed a miraculous form and occupied the whole earth by the first step and the atmosphere and everything above it with the second. Bali, who was the lord of the universe before, was surprised at the metamorphosis of the dwarf; but had to make good his own word by offering his head for the third step of Vâmana. The offer was accepted and Bali was pressed down under the third step into the nether world, and the empire of the earth and heavens above was again restored to Indra from whom it had been snatched away by Bali. Amongst these various interpretations one thing stands out very clear, viz., that Viṣṇu represents the sun in one form or another. But Vedic scholars are not agreed as to whether Viṣṇu’s strides represent the daily or the yearly course of the sun. We must, therefore, carefully examine the Vedic passages relating to Viṣṇu, and see if any indication is found therein to decide which of these two views is more probable or correct. Now in I, 155, 6, Viṣṇu is described as setting in motion, like a revolving wheel, his ninty steeds with their four names, evidently referring to 360 days, divided into four groups or seasons of 90 days each.

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This is good evidence to hold that the yearly course of the sun must be taken as the basis of the exploits of Viṣṇu. The Ṛig-Veda further tells us that Viṣṇu 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 Viṣṇu! stride vastly,' (also cf. VIII, 12, 27)"; and in I, 156, 4, Viṣṇu is said to have opened the cows' stable with the assistance of his friend, while both Indra and Viṣṇu 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 Viṣṇu was the associate of Indra in his fight with Vṛitra (cf. VIII, 63, 9); 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 Viṣṇu 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 Viṣṇu 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 Viṣṇu helped Indra in his fight with Vṛitra, his third step must be taken to correspond with the home of Vṛitra;

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in other words, Viṣṇu's strides represent the annual course of the sun divided into three parts. During two of these the sun was above the horizon, and hence two of Viṣṇu'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, Viṣṇu'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 chapter that Indra’s fight with Shambara commenced on the fortieth day of Sharad or in the eighth month after the beginning of the year with Vasanta. These eight months of sunshine and four of darkness may very well be represented by two visible and one invisible step of Vishnu, and the Purânic story of Vishnu’s sleeping for four months in the year further supports the same view. It may also be noticed that Vishnu is said to sleep on his serpent bed in the midst of the ocean; and the ocean and the serpent here alluded to are evidently the waters (āpaḥ) and Ahi or Vritra mentioned in the Vritra legend. It is said that the sleep of Vishnu represents the rainy season of four months; but this is a later misrepresentation of the kind we have noticed in the last chapter in regard to waters.

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When the exploits of Indra were transferred from the last season of the year, viz., Hemanta, to Varshâ or the rainy season, the period during which Vishnu lay dormant, must have been naturally misunderstood in the same way and identified with the rainy season. But originally Vishnu’s sleep and his third step must have been identical; and as the third step is said to be invisible, we cannot suppose that it was planted in the rainy season, which is visible enough. The long darkness of the winter night in the Arctic region can alone adequately represent the third step of Vishnu or the period of his sleep; and the legend about the Phrygian god, who, according to Plutarch, was believed to sleep during winter and resume his activity during summer, has been interpreted by Prof. Rhys in the same way. The Irish couvade of the Ultonian heroes also points out to the same conclusion.¹