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" The follow- ing is the view taken of them by the late Professor Goldstiicker, as printed in IMuir's Texts, vol. v. : — " The myth of the Aswins is, in my opinion, one of that class of myths in which two distinct elements, the cosmical and the human or historical, have gradually become blended into one. It seems necessary, therefore, to separate these two elements in order to arrive at an understanding of the myth. The historical or human element in it, I believe, is represented by those legends which refer to the wonderful cures effected by the Aswins, and to their performances of a kindred sort ; the cos- mical element is that relating to their luminous nature. The link which connects both seems to be the mysteriousness of the nature and effects of the phenomena of light and of the healing art at a remote antiquity. That there might have been some horsemen or warriors of great renown, who inspired their con- temporaries with awe by their wonderful deeds, and more especially by their medical skill, appears to have been also the o])inion of some old commentators mentioned by Yaska [in the Kirukta], for some * legendary writers,' he says, took them for ASWINS—A THARVANGIRASAS. 31 < two kings, performers of holy acts,' and this view seems like- wise borne out by the legend in which it is narrated that the gods refused the Aswins admittance to a sacrifice on the ground that they had been on too familiar terms with men. It would appear, then, that these Aswins, like the i^ibhus, were originally renowned mortals, who, in the course of time, were translated into the companionship of the gods. . . . " The luminous character of the Aswins can scarcely be matter of doubt, for the view of some commentators, recorded by Yaska, according to which they are identified with ' heaven and earth,' appears not to be countenanced by any of the passages known to us. Their very name, it would seem, settles this point, since Aswa, the horse, literally ' the pervader,' is always the symbol of the luminous deities, especially of the sun. . . . " It seems to be the opinion of Yaska that the Aswins repre- sent the transition from darkness to light, when the intermin- gling of both produces that inseparable duality expressed by the twin nature of these deities. And this interpretation, I hold, is the best that can be given of the character of the cosmical Aswins. It agrees with the epithets by which they are invoked, and with the relationship in which they are placed. They are young, yet also ancient, beautiful, bright, swift, &c. ; and their negative character, the result of the alliance of light with dark- ness, is, I believe, expressed by dasra, the destroyer, and also by the two negatives in the compound ndsatya (na + a-satya) ; though their positive character is again redeemed by the ellipsis of ' enemies, or diseases ' to dasra, and by the sense of ndsatya, not untrue, i.e., truthful" ATHAEVA, ATHAEYAN. The fourth Yeda. See Yeda. ATHAEYAN". Name of a priest mentioned in the Rig- veda, where he is represented as having " drawn forth " fire and to have " offered sacrifice in early times." He is mythologically represented as the eldest son of Brahma, to whom that god revealed the Brahma- vidy a (knowledge of God), as a Prajapati, and as the inspired author of the fourth Yeda. At a later period he is identified with Angiras. His descendants are called Atharvanas, and are often associated with the Angirasas. ATHAEYANGIEASAS. This name belongs to the descen- dants of Atharvan and Angiras, or to the Angirasas alone, who are especially connected with the Atharva-veda, and these 32 ATMA-BODHA—A URVA. names are probably given to the hymns of that Veda to confer on them greater authority and holiness. ATMA-BODHA. 'Knowledge of the sonl' A short work attributed to /S'ankaracharya. It has been printed, and a ti-anslation of it was pubhshed in 1812 by Taylor. There is a French version by Neve and an EngUsh translation by Kearns in the Indian Antiquary, vol. v. ATMAN", ATMA. The souL The principle of life. The supreme souL ATREYA. A patronymic from Atri. A son or descendant of Atri ; a people so called. ATRI. 'An eater.' A itishi, and author of many Vedic hpnns. " A Maharshi or great saint, who in the Vedas occurs especially in hymns composed for the praise of Agni, Indra, the Aswins, and the Yi.swa-devas. In the epic period he is con- sidered as one of the ten Prajapatis or lords of creation engen- dered by Manu for the purpose of creating the universe ; at a later period he appears as a mind-born son of Brahma, and as one of the seven jR/shis who preside over the reign of Sw^ayam- bhuva, the first Manu, or, according to others, of Swarochisha, the second, or of Vaivaswata, the seventh. He married Anasuya, daughter of Daksha, and their son was Durvasas." — Goldstilcher. In the RamayaTia an account is given of the visit paid by Rama and Sita to Atri and Anasuya in their hermitage south of Chitra- ku^a. In the Purawas he was also father of Soma, the moon, and the ascetic Dattatreya by his wife Anasuya. As a Ri^hi he is one of the stars of the Great Bear. AURVA. A jRishi, son of Urva and grandson of Bhrigu. He is described in the Maha-bharata as son of the sage Chyavana by his wife Arushi. From his race he is called Bhargava. The Maha-bharata relates that a king named Knta-virya was very liberal to his 2:)riests of the race of Bh?'igu, and that they grew rich upon his munificence. After his death, his descendants, who had fallen into poverty, begged help from the Bh?-igus, and met with no liberal response. Some of them buried their money, and when this was discovered the imjDoverished Kshatriyas were so exasperated that they slew all the Bhrigus down to the chil- dren in the womb. One w^oman concealed her unborn child in her thigh, and the Kshatriyas being informed of this, sought the child to kill it, but the child " issued forth from its mother's A UR VA—A VA TAR A. 33 tliigli M'itli lustre and blinded the persecutors. From being produced from the thigh (uru), the child received the name of Aurva. The sage's austerities alarmed both gods and men, and he for a long time refused to mitigate his wrath against the Kshatriyas, but at the persuasion of the PitHs, he cast the fire of his anger into the sea, where it became a being with the face of a horse called Haya-siras. While he was living in the forest he prevented the wife of King Bahu from burning herself with her husband's corpse. Thus he saved the life of her son, with Avhom she had been pregnant seven years, "\^^len the child was born he was called Sagara (ocean) ; Aurva was his preceptor, and bestowed on him the Agneyastra, or fiery weapon with wdiich he conquered the barbarians who invaded his country. Aurva had a son named i^ichlka, who was father of Jamadagni. The Hari-vansa gives another version of the legend about the off- spring of Aurva. The sage was urged by his friends to beget children. He consented, but he foretold that his progeny would live by the destruction of others. Then he j)roduced from his thigh a devouring fire, Avhich cried out with a loud voice, " I am hungry ; let me consume the world. " The various regions were soon in flames, when Brahma interfered to save his creation, and promised the son of Aurva a suitable abode and maintenance. The abode Avas to be at Bac?ava-mukha, the mouth of the ocean ; for Brahma was born and rests in the ocean, and he and the newly produced fire were to consume the w^orld together at the end of each age, and at the end of time to devour all things with the gods, Asuras, and Rakshasas. The name Aurva thus signifies, shortly, the submarine fire. It is also called BafZavanala and Samvarttaka. It is represented as a flame with a horse's head, and is also called Kaka-dliwaja, from carrying a banner on which there is a crow. AU^'ANA, or AU/S'AXASA PURAiYA. See Purawa. AUTTAMI The third Manu. See Manu. AYANTl, AYANTIKA. A name of Ujjayinl, one of the seven sacred cities. AYATARA. 'A descent.' The incarnation of a deity, espe- cially of Yish??u. The first indication, not of an Avatara, but of what subsequently develojDcd into an Avatara, is found in the itig-veda in the "three steps" of "Yishnu, the unconquer- able preserver," who "strode over this (universe)," and "in C 34 AVATARA. three places planted his step.