Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
"Referring to the legend of Rudra piercing Prajapati, Sayana in his commentary on Shatapatha Brahmana ii.2.1.2.8 observes that he, the terrible form created by the gods, cut off Prajapati's head by the arrow," and "the arrow and the head both jumped up to the heavens and are there stationed." The Aitareya Brahmana iii. 33 gives the same story, and there too Pashuman or Bhutavan is said ta have pierced Prajapati with an arrow.
But it does not distinctly say whether it was the head or the body that was pierced by him though in the Shatapatha Brahmana Mrigashiras is described as the head of Prajapati. The tradition of piercing the head does not, however, occur in this form in the Rigveda, though in Rig. x.61.5-7 this story of Prajapati is alluded to. But Rig. x.61.5-7, this story of Prajapati in many places where Indra is mentioned as killing Vritra we are told that he cut off the head of his enemy i.52.10; iv.18.9; viii.6.7 and in Rig. v.34.2 and viii.93.14, Indra's enemy is described as appearing in the form of an antelope.
This shows that the Rigveda indirectly speaks of an antelope's head having been cut off by Indra, and it may justify us in holding that Rudra did the same. We have seen how Mrigashiras may have been primitively conceived. After this it is not difficult to identify the other stars. The Rohini is no other than Aldebaran. Rudra is the presiding deity of Ardra, and we may therefore suppose Rudra to be represented by the star in the right shoulder of Orion. But the Aitareya Brahmana iii. 33 identifies Rudra with Sirius or what} is now called the Mriga-vyadha (hunter of the antelope)."
BG Tilak, "Orion or the Antiquity of Vedas. Chapter V, 'The Antelopes Head', Page 98 onwards
Mrigashīrshe mrigashīrastasminnevāgrahāyanī l Invakāstachchirodeshe tārakā nivasanti yāh l Amara 1.3.23 Tachchirodshe – Mrigashīrshashirodeshe according to Bhanu Diksheeta.
But it does not distinctly say whether it was the head or the body that was pierced by him though in the Shatapatha Brahmana Mrigashiras is described as the head of Prajapati. The tradition of piercing the head does not, however, occur in this form in the Rigveda, though in Rig. x.61.5-7 this story of Prajapati is alluded to. But Rig. x.61.5-7, this story of Prajapati in many places where Indra is mentioned as killing Vritra we are told that he cut off the head of his enemy i.52.10; iv.18.9; viii.6.7 and in Rig. v.34.2 and viii.93.14, Indra's enemy is described as appearing in the form of an antelope.
This shows that the Rigveda indirectly speaks of an antelope's head having been cut off by Indra, and it may justify us in holding that Rudra did the same. We have seen how Mrigashiras may have been primitively conceived. After this it is not difficult to identify the other stars. The Rohini is no other than Aldebaran. Rudra is the presiding deity of Ardra, and we may therefore suppose Rudra to be represented by the star in the right shoulder of Orion. But the Aitareya Brahmana iii. 33 identifies Rudra with Sirius or what} is now called the Mriga-vyadha (hunter of the antelope)."
BG Tilak, "Orion or the Antiquity of Vedas. Chapter V, 'The Antelopes Head', Page 98 onwards
Mrigashīrshe mrigashīrastasminnevāgrahāyanī l Invakāstachchirodeshe tārakā nivasanti yāh l Amara 1.3.23 Tachchirodshe – Mrigashīrshashirodeshe according to Bhanu Diksheeta.
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