The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c18.s1.8

v1.c18.s1.8

¹ The long period of gestation (RV. v. 2) is probably an allusion to the long latency of fire in the wood, ere evoked by friction. The old mode of lighting the fire was preserved in the rite of rekindling on March 1 the fire of Vesta in Rome and in the occasional use of this method in kindling the ‘need fire’ in Germany (von Schroeder, *Arische Religion*, ii. 596 f.).