The Vedic fathers of geology

ELISODE OF THE GLACIAL PERIOD. 135

began to be restored. And such of the A’ryans as had left AvYydvarta—their Home—and colonised the Arctic regions, but were compelled to abandon those genial tracts owing to the advent of the Great Ice Age, commenced returning Home to A’ryavarta, or began selecting new settlements according to their choic3 and the surrounding circumstances.

IT need hardly state, that our Vedic Fathers were aware of the Ice Age. But, this apppears to have been designated, in our Vedic Works, as the Deluge (a@4:, atta: ). For, the oldest of these accounts has been incorporated in the Shatapatha! Brahmana (1. 8.1.1-10), and this only speaks of the Deluge (sita:). T have already made a passing reference to the Deluge which destroyed our magnificent and extensive colonies in the Arctic

1 In regard to the antiquity of this composition, Mr, Bal Gagadhar Tilak, the author of the Orien and the Arctic Home in the Vedas says, ‘‘the story of the Deluge is found in such an ancient book a3 the Shatapatha Bréhmana, the date of which has now been ascertained to be not later than 2500 B.C., from the fact that it expressly assigns to the Krittik’s, or the Pleiades, a position in the due Hast. It is evident, therefore, that the story of the Deluge is A’ryan in origin, and in that ease, the Avestic and the Vedic account of the deluge must be traced to the same source.” ( Arctic Home ia the Vedas p. 387.)