Brief Summary of the Book

The Orion

Or research onto

The Antiquity of Vedas

Tilak states that the high antiquity of the Egyptian civilization is an accepted fact. However, the scholars hesitated to accept the antiquity of Vedic Civilization earlier than 2400 BCE. He has tried, to show and explain in this book, that the traditions recorded in the Rgved point to a period around 4000 BCE, when the vernal equinox was in Orion (The Dog Star), or when the Dog-star commenced the equinoctial year.

He reasons how legends corroborated in later Sanskrit works are corroborated by the legends of Iran and Greece. He has placed all this evidence, in the form of explanations and interpretations of various texts, quoted by him. He has used the astronomical method for his interpretation of the Sanskrit texts. He has not touched upon the antiquity of the epic texts the Ramayan and Mahabharat, as he found that some accounts in the Puranas are conflicting.

He discusses how time was documented by ancient Aryans in performing various rituals. In doing so the Aryans must have had some sort of method to calculate time. Vedic literature and legends across the Indian continent were also important sources, which he has considered. He shows how all legends, originating from the same astronomical configuration as recorded in Vedic and later Puranic texts existed in Greeks, Parsis, Germans, Egyptians and others in a similar form.

Tilak states that the opinions of the scholars were formed based on the traditions current during their times. This was evident from their treatises and hence the notions of Christian scholars do not place antiquity beyond 4000 BCE. However, some Indian theologists and scholars believe Vedas to have come down from unknown antiquity.

He admits that the astronomical method of determining antiquity is a bit vague because it cannot determine the exact dates of all Vedic hymns or works. However, it is definitely logical and more accurate than the linguist methods. He also states and corrects the misconception that Hindu astronomers could not have borrowed it from Greeks/ Egyptians. The extraordinary history of Indian science is similarly ignored or, as some would argue, deliberately downplayed. The Vedic priests/ Aryas seem to have mastered the art of timekeeping all for their yearly rituals.

He has, therefore confined his work to the interpretation of Vedic texts and related Puranic accounts and astronomical references therein to corroborate his findings, in deciding the antiquity of the Vedas and corresponding evolution of the Aryanic race. He claims that there is no reasonable objection to placing the Vedic literature further back by 1000 years or so around 4000 BCE.