on the horizon, the sun and stars in the sky make circular motions, and these paintings can only be seen in the circumpolar (and polar) regions. «Tilak notes that, judging by the monuments, Ursa Major, referred to as the constellation of the seven prophets in India It is always visible high in the sky when darkness sets in (R.V.I), while in the more southern regions – and especially in India – it appears only low below the northern horizon this is also an important observation, since from those ancient times these seven prophets have been revered in Hinduism as the authors of the Vedas hymns and the founders of all sacred knowledge. This constellation must have played an important role in orienting people according to the stars associated with economic activity, which did not cease, naturally, during the «sleep of the gods», polar night».
Polar day in winter
Undoubtedly, the text of the epic of Mahabharata also points to Arctic realities, which states that: «As the Arctic Circle moves continuously, three hundred and sixty divisions are found on it,» and those lines of Rigveda hymns, where the period of «flickering twilight», called the dawn, which happens twice a year and lasts about 50—60 days, including the appearance of the edge of the sun above the horizon (such «periods of dawn» are called in the literature of India by dawn and sunset of the day of the gods).»
N. R. Guseva notes that: «Tilak’s attention was drawn to the description of how the goddess Ushas (the goddess Dawn) is sad with the onset of long twilight associated with the sun going into darkness, and enjoys the dusk of dawn, marking the imminent appearance of the sun in the sky.»
Twilight of dawn
Among the polar realities of Mahabharata, the text that says that in the middle of the Milky Sea in the north there is a mountain onto which the creator god Brahma descends, «leaving the sparkling throne in a flash, deserves attention». And the story of the sacred bird of Garuda to the hermit Galava that in the north is the Seven Rishi, the goddess Arunhati and Swati are constantly moving around the North Star fortified in the sky. (Arunhati is the constellation of Cassiopeia; Swati is a bright star in the constellation Bootes). We repeat that to see these stars high above the horizon and to observe their circular motion is possible only in the Northern latitudes, not south of 55—56° N. Bootes Garuda, describing the Northern country, says that it is called «Ascended», that the Golden Ladle (Big Dipper) road runs here, and that «A cruel, insensitive and lawless person does not live in this vast northern region.» And it is here that the heavenly gods live, the Polar Star shines here, which the Great Ancestor «strengthened», the «Blistavitsa – Polar Lights» sparkle here.
And finally, it is difficult to imagine that somewhere, in addition to the northern, circumpolar countries, people could praise the fire with these words:
«3—4. (One) who is the germ of the waters, the germ of the trees, And also the germ of those who stand, having given birth to those what are moving…
7—8. Who will be strengthened by many nights that are not like days (That) that stands / and that / that moves,
(Agni) descended from universal law.
9—10. You accept praise among cows, trees.
All bear tribute to our sun.
You are respected by men in many places.
They share (you) as (sons) the property of the old father.»
(R.V.I.70)
Or
«3. To him, surprisingly, the first is addressed
Aryan tribes devoted to the gods on sacrifices.» (R.V. I.77).
«2. They cried out loudly to you (all) nights (and) dawns, O Agni, like dairy cows on pastures to a calf.
Like a charioteer of heaven – through human generations, You shine through continuous nights,
O possessor many elected workers!
12. Give us blessings, enormous radiant wealth,
Consisting of children, of good offspring!» (R.V.II.2).
They say of fire that he is «awakened to meet the morning dawns,» he is «an inspirational planner of paths for poets,» he «dissolved the gates of darkness,» «flashed like a messenger in the light of the Dawn» (RVIII.5), that he “ the closest dawn when lighting a new dawn»,» God carrying happiness «that» hidden inside the infinite, he appeared «and thanks to him» messy darkness disappeared, the sky flashed, the divine ray of Dawn appeared, the Sun rose on the high plains» (R.V. IV.1) that the fire «noticed the beginning of the morning dawns». (R.V. IV.13), etc.
Polar Ural
Where, besides the North, could people sing the Fire and Dawn with the words of the sacred hymn:
«6. Flaming lights rose.
The coveted blessings hidden in the darkness —
The sparkling dawns make them visible (R.V.I.123)
5. In the eastern part of the inaccessible dark space
The parent of the cows raised the banner.
Here it spreads – into the distance – in breadth —
Filling the bosom of both parents.
6. Here she shows herself, the very first of many
8.Sister (night) gave way to older sister (dawn)
She walks away from her, like the one to be met.
9. Their these former sisters for days
She goes closest to the former.
May these new morning dawns now as before
Wealth and good days will shine upon us.» (R.V.I.124)
Chapter 4 The sacred mountains of the Aryan ancestral home
Among the amazing phenomena of the land of the Aryans, written off in the Vedas and Mahabharata, there is one extremely important, which for almost a century has been attracting the closest attention of researchers. These are the sacred Northern Mountains of the Aryan ancestral homeland: Meru – in Indian traditions, Hara – in Iranian. Describing these mountains, the epic of the Mahabharata states:
«On the northern slope of Himavat, full of all qualities, pure, beautiful, gentle, desirable there is a world called the other world. Sinless, pure, spotless people, merciless, completely abandoned error, greed are here. That country is similar to heaven, it possesses excellent properties: (There people) disease will not touch, immortality from the ages… The northern part of the land of all others is cleaner, more beautiful; those who live here, virtuous people are reborn when, after receiving (posthumous) honors, they leave».
Such descriptions, creating the image of a mythical, happy country, would seem to doom any attempt at real localization of the sacred mountains of Aryan antiquity. But in addition to purely mythical motifs in the descriptions of the sacred mountains, there are a number of very interesting, repeated in various sources, details.
So the White Island, on which the wise men of Ekat, Dvat, Trita plunged into the radiance of the «thousand-breasted God,» and Narada saw the Supreme Creator in the form of the Polar Lights, located according to many texts, northwest of Mount Meru and the coast of the Milk Sea. Moreover, this localization is constantly emphasized: so Narada, having climbed Meru, «looked to the northwest» and «saw a wonderful, glorious image. In the north of the Milk Sea there is a large island known as the White Island (Svetadvipa).» Ekata, Dvata, Trita report that «The northern slope of Meru, the coast of the Milk Sea is the country where we have committed the most severe killing of the flesh…