The Vedic fathers of geology

28 Tue Vepio Farurrs or Groroay.

बहस्पतिः प्रथमं जायमानः । तिष्यन्नक्चजमाभेसंवभूव । (Ao Alo 3-2-2-% ),

lividently, the observation of thc phenomena is a relevant fact, and as it has been proved by the text itself, Mr. Ketkar has endeavoured to establish, that this sort of observation of the heavenly bodies was possible only at about 4650 B. C.

But, apart from this, Mr. Tilak, resting on other grounds, which he has very ably discussed in the Orion, has stated to say, that “‘ the oldest period in the Aryan Civilization may therefore be called the Aditi or the pre-Orion period, and we may roughly assign 6000-4000 B. C.,as its limits”. (Vide The Orion, or the Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas. p 206, 1893 )

However, having had due regard to the matter-of-fact evidence found in the Rig-Veda, which goes to prove the great antiquity of the Rig-Veda,—antiquity going so far back as the hoary period of the Tertiary Epoch, of which therefore I shall speak later on,—one is likely to ask whether the aforesaid period of 6000 4000 years B.C.,is not too modest for the oldest Vedic age. And, here, therefore, | am constrained to think that, the aforesaid limit is by no means to be considered as the U7/fzma