The Arctic Home in the Vedas c8.4

c8.4

The first hint, regarding the long duration of the Vedic dawn, is obtained from the Aitareya Brâhmaṇa, IV, 7. Before commencing the Gavâm-ayana sacrifice, there is a long recitation of not less than a thousand verses, to be recited by the Hotṛi priest. This Ashvina-shastra, as it is called, is addressed to Agni, Uṣhas and Ashvins, which deities rule at the end of the night and the commencement of the day. It is the longest recitation to be recited by the Hotṛi, and the time for reciting it is after midnight, when "the darkness of the night is about to be relieved by the light of the dawn," (Nir. XII, 1; Ashv. Shr. Sûtra, VI, 5, 8).¹ The same period of time is referred to also in the Rig-Veda, VII, 67, 2 and 3. The shastra is so long, that the Hotṛi, who has to recite it, is directed to refresh himself by drinking beforehand melted butter after sacrificing thrice a little of it, (Ait. Br. IV, 7; Ashv. Shr. Sutra, VI, 5, 3). "He ought to eat ghee," observes the Aitareya Brâhmaṇa, "before he commences repeating. Just as in this world a cart or a carriage goes well if smeared (with oil),² thus his repeating proceeds well if he be smearwith ghee (by eating it).” It is evident that if such recitation has to be finished before the rising of the sun, either the Hotṛi must commence his task soon after midnight when it is dark, or the duration of the dawn must have been sufficiently long to enable the priest to finish the recitation in time, after commencing to recite it on the first appearance of light on the horizon as directed. The first supposition is out of question, as it is expressly laid down that the shastra is not to be recited until the darkness of the night is relieved by light. So between the first appearance of light and the rise of the sun, there must have been, in those days, time enough to recite the long laudatory song of not less than a thousand verses. Nay, in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ (II, 1, 10, 3) we are told that sometimes the recitation of the shastra, though commenced at the proper time, ended long before sunrise, and in that case, the Saṁhitâ requires that a certain animal sacrifice should be performed. Ashvalâyana directs that in such a case the recitation should be continued upto sunrise by reciting other hymns (Ashv. S. S. VI, 5, 8 ); while Âpastamba, (S. S. XIV, 1 and 2), after mentioning the sacrifice referred to in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ, adds that all the ten Maṇḍalas of the Ṛig-Veda may be recited, if necessary, in such a case.¹ It is evident from this that the actual rising of the sun above the horizon was a phenomenon often delayed beyond expectation, in those days; and in several places in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ, (II, 1, 2, 4),² we are told that the Devas had to perform a *prâyaschitta* because the sun did not shine as expected.