The Vedic fathers of geology

GEOLOGICAL ANTIQUITY OF THE VEDAS. 69

that darkness would never come to an end ( रात्रि रािमतरिष्यन्तस्तरेम तन्या TT LT ATT: TR azar | A. V. XIX. 47.2), and expressing desire that they may pass uninjured in their body, through each succeeding night.

The expression of amazement and wonder ( महदेवानामखुरत्वमेकमर्‌ 17. ४. [[[. 55); 9 the sight of an unusually long day and night lasting for months together, was evidently subsequent to our leaving A ryAvarta ( strata ) —our original Home—and after we reached and colonized the A’rctic Regions. For, while in Aryavarta, we were not at all accustomed to the phenomena of long days and long nights. But, when, after going to the Arctic regions from Aryavarta, our Tertiary ancestors had noticed them all of a sudden, it naturally caused amazement at the sight of long’ Dawns ( R. VY. I. 113. 10 ; [11.55.16 ) and long? days (R. V. X. 138. 3), and struck terror into the hearts of our hoary ancestors when visited by tiresome nights, as they could not see the end of darkness and of

1 कियात्या (उषसः ) यत्समया नघाति. ॥(ऋ ० वे ° १-९१३-९०). नव्या नव्या युवतयो नवंती मंहदहेवानामद्खरत्वमेकरम्‌ ॥ ( ऋ० Fo ३-९९-१६ ). २ विद्यो मध्य अखुचद्रथं दिवो विदददासाय प्रतिमानमायेः ( ऋ० वे° ९०-१३८-३ ).