Chapter IX: Preface (9)

Name of the Dawn. It requires a considerable acquaintance with
phonetic laws to doubt the identity of the names Ushas in Sanskrit and
Eos in Greek. Yet I believe that even this has been achieved by those
who seem to imagine that scepticism is the best proof of knowledge.

Footnote 23:

Savit_ri_, the sun-god, but distinct from Sûrya, the sun and sun-god.

Footnote 24:

Name of Dawn.

Footnote 25:

Day and Night, Dawn and Twilight are conceived as sisters, and spoken
of as Ahanî, the two days, one bright, the other dark, like the
A_s_vins.

Footnote 26:

Varu_n_a, sometimes the highest god, whose laws have to be obeyed by
all creatures.

Footnote 27:

Their appointed course.

Footnote 28:

Kratu, thought, will, here command.

Footnote 29:

The order in which the heavenly bodies come and go, which gave the
first intimation of order in the universe.

Footnote 30:

The sun.

Footnote 31:

Dawn is often spoken of in the plural, being conceived as new every
day, or being considered manifold in her wide expanse.

Footnote 32:

Perhaps it should be remembered that in the Mahâbhârata the wife of
Ka_s_yapa, the mother of the Âdityas, was called Dakshâya_n_î; see
Pramatha Nâth Mullick, “Origin of Caste,” p. 33.

Footnote 33:

Cf. “Chips,” IV, p. 385.

Footnote 34:

The two words are used together, as ubhayor antara_m_ veda,
sûn_ri_tân_ri_tayor api, Mahâbh. V, 5667.

Footnote 35:

Agni, fire, is here, as often, taken for the light of day.

Footnote 36:

Mitra and Varu_n_a stand for morning and evening, or day and night.

Footnote 37:

Râtrî, night, sometimes called the black day, Kr_i_sh_n_am ahar,
opposed to Ar_g_unam ahar, the bright day. Cf. Rig-Veda VI, 9, 1.

Footnote 38:

Evil, physically darkness, morally sin.

Footnote 39:

Pins of the chariot.

Footnote 40:

The departed.

Footnote 41:

Explained as stars.

Footnote 42:

The sun.

Footnote 43:

Bergaigne, Vol. II, p. 277: ‘Les interprétations purement
naturalistes, appliquées à l’analyse des mythes du Rig-Véda, laissent
toujours, ou presque toujours, un résidu liturgique, et ce résidu, le
plus souvent négligé jusqu’alors, en est précisément la partie la plus
importante pour l’exégèse des hymnes.’

Footnote 44:

See M. M., “Physical Religion,” p. 120.

Footnote 45:

I have tried to preserve some of the Vedic rhythm in these
translations, but I must apologise for these poetic efforts of mine in
English. I have consulted, of course, the translations of Grassmann,
Ludwig, Griffiths, and Bergaigne, and others where accessible, and
have adopted some of the renderings which seemed to me particularly
happy.

Footnote 46:

Flowers and plants in general are supposed to be supported by warmth
within them.

Footnote 47:

The clouds that give their milk, the rain.

Footnote 48:

The culminating point of the sun, between sunrise and sunset.

Footnote 49:

The milk of the clouds, or the rain.

Footnote 50:

The fire on the hearth, in which oblations were offered.

Footnote 51:

On the altar or the omphalos of the earth.

Footnote 52:

Made visible.

Footnote 53:

The rubbing of the fire-sticks required great strength and skill to
bring out the fire that was supposed to be hidden in the wood. The
fire, when lighted on the hearth, was supposed to bring the gods to
their offerings; nay, by a change of cause and effect the fire kindled
on the hearth was identified with the light kindled in the sky at the
approach of the dawn.

Footnote 54:

The fire on the altar was supposed to call the gods, like a priest.

Footnote 55:

Heaven and earth, gods and men.

Footnote 56:

The place where the fire was kept.

Footnote 57:

X, 3, 3.

Footnote 58:

X, 4, 4.

Footnote 59:

The darkness of the night is lighted by the light of the moon and
stars.

Footnote 60:

The dawn or bright day that lasts from morning till evening.

Footnote 61:

The darkness, caused by the retreat of Dawn or Day, is lighted up by
the brilliant Night.

Footnote 62:

See “A Sketch of the Life of Gokulaji Zâlâ and of the Vedânta.” By
Manassukharâma Sûryarâma Tripâthi. 1881.

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