The Vedic Fathers of Geology, Part 9

BY: SUN STAFF -  24.1 2025


 

A serial presentation on Vedic discoveries in Geology, from the book by Narayan Bhavanrao Pavgee.

While on the one hand we find our Vedic ancestors after they left Aryavarta, their Mother-Country, and reached the Arctic regions which they subsequently colonized, delighted to see the everlasting or rather continuous Dawns, shining for days and months together, with increasing brilliancy, followed by long days, with expressions of wonder at the unusual sight, having not been accustomed to it during their stay in Aryavarta their Home and Cradle.

We, on the other hand, observe our Tertiary forefathers exhibiting extreme impatience for the end of nights and for the morning light, entertaining misgivings about the coming Dawn, nay even manifesting their utmost fear that darkness would never come to an end (Atharva Veda XIX, 47.2), and expressing desire that they may pass uninjured in their body, through each succeeding night.

The expression of amazement and wonder (R.V. III, 55) at the sight of an unusually long day and night lasting for months together, was evidently subsequent to our leaving Aryavarta, our original Home, and after we reached and colonized the Arctic 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.V. I, 113.10; III, 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 the long nights (R.V. I, 32.10; II, 27.14; X, 127.6; A.V. XIX, 47.2).

It may not be out of place here to state that in the Arctic regions, the continuous long nights without a break lasted for so long a period as even six months, like six months' long days, thus making a year consist of one long night and one long day each of six months' duration, and thereby confirming the tradition found in the Taittiriya Brahmana which says, "That which is a year is but a single day of the Gods" (T.B. III, 9.22.1).

Moreover, in the Taittiriya Aranyaka and in the Rig-Veda we find the year personified, and in the text of the former, there appears a distinct expression that to the right and the left side of the Year-God, there are the bright and the dark days. The following verses refer to this, and the same being important for our purpose, I quote them here below:

[Sanskrit slokas omitted]
(T.A. 1.2.4)
(R.V. VI, 58.1)

This means in substance, that the Year-God's one form is bright while the other is sacrificial or dark. But, in another place, the Taittiriya Aranyaka goes still further and says that, "the year has one head and two different mouths," observing at the same time that, "all this is but the season-characteristic." (T.A. 1.2.3)

And the tradition of one whole year having been divided into ahani (nycthemeron), consisting of one continuous day and night, each of six months' duration, which in fact was actually witnessed by our Rishis of the Rig-Veda period, appears to have been preserved not only in the later Vedic works, but also in the Mahabharata, the Code of Manu, and the astronomical works like the Surya-Siddhanta:

[Slokas omitted]
(Mahabharata. III, 165, South Indian Texts Edition, 1908)
(Manu Smriti I, 67)
(Surya Siddhanta. XII, 67)

Now, the phenomena of ever-lasting or rather continuous Dawns, long days, and long nights, are the sure characteristics of the Polar regions, and as these traditions are always founded on the observation of Nature, as remarked by Sir Charles Lyell in his Elements of Geology (Vol. I, p. 8, Edn. 11th), we have every reason to suppose that at one time, in the by-gone-Age, our Rig-Vedic ancestors and their forefathers had certainly colonised the Arctic regions and made vast settlements there. It appears, therefore, necessary to find out when this was done, and also to see whether there is any evidence to fortify our conclusions.

It seems that the climate of the Arctic Circle was genial, and the regions, as far as the North Pole, were habitable in the Tertiary Epoch and before the place was invaded by Ice, which not only occupied the higher latitudes but rendered the Arctic regions unsuited for the habitation of man, beast, and even plant. In the light of these geological facts, therefore, as also Vedic evidence placed before the reader heretofore, it appears that in the Tertiary Epoch and before the advent of the Great Ice Age, the adventurous progeny of our Primitive fore-fathers had, after leaving their Mother-Country, colonised the Arctic regions and made settlements almost everywhere, as the climate was mild and genial at the time, keeping all the while constant, nay uninterrupted communication with their Mother-land Aryavarta, which they loved most. [1] In the Arctic colonies, they had remained for a considerable time, till forced to leave these once genial tracts, owing to the overpowering floods of Ice, and take resort to the then, as now, highest Mountains in the world, the Himalayas, for returning to Aryavarta, their original Home and Cradle.

And the fact, that when after the Great Deluge, caused by the incessant and heavy Ice- floods in our colonies of the Arctic Regions, our ancestor Manu thought of sailing to the South, owing to the Deluge and the thick sheets of Ice that were fast covering the Arctic Regions, he had in his memory this very Northern Mountain, meaning thereby the Himalaya Mountain to the North of Aryavarta, where he and his older ancestors were born and had lived first, and seen the Mountain-wall to their North, proves that we did not at first belong to the Arctic Regions, nor to Europe, nor to the Central Asiatic Plateaux, but had gone there from Aryavarta, for colonization, for conquests abroad, and for quenching the thirst of curiosity.

Moreover, this appears to have been corroborated by the remarkable Deluge-story narrated in the Shata-Patha-Brahmana, in which the Fish is said to have sailed to the South and landed Manu in a ship on a peak of the highest mountain, known to him as the Northern Mountain, because it was to the North of Aryavarta, in the Aryan Cradle (Sh. P. Br. I, 8.1.5).

However, apart from this, and to crown the whole, there comes in unexpectedly the testimony from an altogether independent source, and the Avestic evidence affords, beyond all doubt, strong corroboration and supports the theory of the Aryavartic Home and the Aryan Cradle in the Land of the Sapta-Sindhus, or the famous region watered by the World-renowned Seven Rivers of Aryavarta. For, in the first Fargard of the Vendidad, there appears the description of the sixteen, lands created by Ahurmazd, the Supreme God of the Iranians, in which, among others, the regions of (1) Harahwaiti, (2) Hapta-Hendu, and (3) Rangha seem to be included, and these respectively appear to have been identified with the (1) Sarasvati, (2) the Sapta-Sindhus [2], and (3) the Rasa Rivers, which appear to be distinctly mentioned in the Rig-Veda (X, 75.5/6).

 

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Our older ancestors seem to have had an ideal love for their Mother-Country Aryavarta, the renowned Land of the Seven Rivers, and the pathos with which they sing her praises and the valour of their Aryan Race, nay speak of the glory and Majesty of her most stupendous Himalayan Mountains, describe the purity of the most sacred river the Sarasvati, and singularly mark out her lovely Regions, appears simply unique. While, the unbounded patriotism of our ancestors appears to run through every rein, and seems to be beyond all comparison, I, therefore, venture to give a few extracts from the ancient Sanskrit Literature, as I think they will certainly repay perusal:

[Slokas omitted]

(1)
(R.V. I, 32.12)
(R.V. V, 61.10)
(R.V. I, 51.8)

In fact, Bharata-Varsha (India), or for the matter of that Aryavarta, was, as thought by our ancestors, and as has been admitted even now to be, the blessed land of the Sapta-Sindhus, which has been watered by the most renowned Seven Rivers with the Sarasvati the dearest of them all, and which was the scene where lndra, who had achieved his first exploits after conquering his enemy and killing Vritra, was requested to favour the Aryas, and punish the non-sacrificers.

(2)
(R.V. I, 3-10)
(R.V. II, 41.17)

It has been the region watered by the most sacred river, the Saraswati, which was, with just pride, considered to be the Scene of creation and the region where life had first commenced, (vide pp. 99 @ 102).

(3)
(A.V. XII, 2)

It has been the Land of the brave and the pious, of heroism and enterprise, of commerce and trade, of science and art, of virtue and greatness, of countless medicinal herbs and plants.

(4)
(A.V. XII, 3)

The Land, encircled by the ocean, and fed by the renowned Seven Rivers, such as the great Indus, the Ganges, and others, and abundantly supplied with grain and food-staffs of all kinds.

(5)
(A.V. XII, 5)

The Land, where the most ancient Aryans, our Primitive fore-fathers were born and had lived, and. where the Gods overthrew the Asuras and evil doers.

(6)
(A.V. XII, 11)

The Land, on which extended the Himalayas, the highest Mountains in the world, as also the most beautiful Forests.

(7)
(A.V. XII, 1.41)
(Ait. Br. 2.19)
(Koush. Br. 12.3)

The Land of Sacrifices and sacred pleasures, of Valour and Renown, of Patriotism and Self -Sacrifice, of Virtue and Kindness.

(8)
(A.V. XII, 36)

The Land of six seasons, and of equal days and nights. (Vide ante p. 74, note 8).

(9)
(Manu Smr. 2.17)
(Mahabharata III, 81, 204-5)

The Land of Choice-Regions, created by God, and considered to be the scene of creation and the very Heaven on Earth. This sort of extreme love, reverence, and fond affection for Aryavarta, the Mother-Country and the renowned Land of the Seven Rivers made our ancestors keep constant and uninterrupted communication with it, while they were sojourning in the distant colonies of the Arctic Regions and elsewhere.

[2] The Sapta-Sindhus or the seven celebrated rivers of Aryavarta are the Ganges, the Yamuna or the Janma, the Saraswati, the Satlaj (Shutudri), the Ravi (Parushni or Iravati); the Chenab (Chandra Bhaga or Asikni), and the Sindhu or the Indus.