The Vedic fathers of geology

GEOLOGICAL ANTIQUITY OF THE YEDAS. 67

long darkness-come over us.” ( उवश्यासभयं ज्योतिRe ar at दीर्घा अभिनशन्तसिखाः॥ ). 476 10 ( X. 124.1), Agni is told that he had stayed very long ( 44 ), nay too long (satR ), in darkness (ज्योगेव दीघं तम आङायिष्ठाः ।). Moreover, in another place, we have an express. statement in which Night is invoked “to become fordable (@axT), with ease and without any difficulty ” ( Hata: aw va uu X. 127.6). But, more than this, we have in the Atharva Veda, a very distinct expression and clear state of mind of our older, nay Tertiary ancestors, in respect of the extreme length of night and the tiresome darkness, which they were actually afraid of, having not been accustomed to it before while in Ary@varta, as they seem to have exclaimed in great disappointment and dismay that, “its ( Night’s) yonder boundary is not seen” (4 यस्याः पारं दद्रो । A. VY. XIX. 47.2). While, in the Taittiriya Samhita, there is a statement which clearly says, after addressing the Night, “O Chitrdyasu ! Let me safely reach thy end” ( Frama स्वस्ति ते पारमङीय । {. 9. 1. 5.8.4 ). It then explains the very incident and the cause of it tersely, as follows :—“ Chitravasu is (7. e. means ) the night, and as it was apprehended, in the by-gone age, that the night would not come to an end, the