History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.115

v6.c82.115

⁷²² अप्सरा जारमुपसिष्मियाणा योषा बिभर्ति परमे व्योमन्। चरत्प्रियस्य योनिशु प्रियः सन्त्सीदत्पक्षे हिरण्यये स वेनः ॥ ऋ. X. 123 5. In the first verse of this hymn Vena is described as ज्योतिर्जरायुः i. e. surrounded by a sack of light as a foetus is surrounded by a sack and as pushing (towards earth) the waters that are in the bosom of the variegated one. Vena is called Gandharva situated high in the heaven. Gandharva appears to have meant 'any bright heavenly body'. (*Continued from last page*) For example, in वाज सं. IX 7 'वातो वा मनो वा गन्धर्वा सप्तविंशति. । ते अग्रेऽश्वमयुञ्जंस्तेऽस्मिञ्जवमादधु. ॥' the गन्धर्वs and the 27 (नक्षत्रs) are separately mentioned. In वाज सं. 18 40 we have 'सुषुम्ण. सूर्यरश्मिश्चन्द्रमा गन्धर्वस्तस्य नक्षत्राण्यप्सरसो भेकुरयो नाम' which is explained in शतपथ IX 4.1 9. In अथर्व II 2 5 the Apsarases are called 'wives of Gandharvas.' In तै स III. 4. 7. 1–3ff गन्धर्व is metaphorically identified with पर्जन्य, यज्ञ, सूर्य, काम and so on and अप्सरस are identified with दक्षिणा, विष्ट, प्रजा, आधि respectively and so on. It is therefore rather difficult to say what गन्धर्व primarily meant in the early Vedic age, but when वेन is called गन्धर्व and उषस् is called अप्सरस् in ॠ X. 123.5 it would not be altogether wrong to hold that the morning star Venus is called गन्धर्व वेन and उषस् is called अप्सरस्.