A Note on Haritah Ayasah
By Manindra Nath Banerji
Summary
The commentary of Skandasvamin offers a fresh interpretation of the term "haritah ayasah" in the Rigveda, particularly in verses like Rk X.95.3,4,8 and X.96.3,4, where Indra's Vajra and person are described as "haritah." Skandasvamin explains "haritah adityasya" (Rk X.6.3) as "haritavarparasmayah pritaradityasya," linking the color to the morning sun's hue rather than tawny or copper. This contrasts with traditional translations by Griffiths and Ludwig, who render "haritah" as "golden," "yellow," or "tawny," often associating it with copper due to the reddish tint of dawn. The text distinguishes "haritah" (morning sun's color) from "syava" (dawn's tawny hue), emphasizing that "pratah" (full sunrise) occurs 2 hours and 24 minutes after the sun's complete appearance, while "arunodaya" (dawn) spans 1 hour and 36 minutes prior to it. This aligns with Hindu temporal divisions, where "aruna" (dawn) precedes "pratah," and the sun's full brilliance follows. Observations of sunrise phenomena support this distinction, noting the transition from reddish hues to the sun's bright, steel-like appearance. The analysis critiques earlier scholarship, particularly Zimmer's erroneous association of "haritah" with copper, arguing that Vedic interpretations remain consistent with traditional Hindu conceptions. The paper concludes that "haritah" accurately reflects the morning sun's color, separate from
Conclusion
This analysis of "haritah ayasah" clarifies the nuanced relationship between color terminology and Vedic concepts, particularly challenging the conventional association of *harita* with tawny or copper. By examining Skandasvamin’s interpretation of "haritah adityasya" as the morning sun’s distinct reddish hue—contrasted with the tawny *syava* color at dawn—the study highlights the specificity of Vedic linguistic usage. The distinction between *pratah* (full solar emergence) and *aruna* (pre-dawn twilight) further underscores the precision of Vedic temporal and chromatic descriptors. The findings reveal that while *harita* and *ayas* are often linked to gold or yellow, such interpretations risk oversimplifying the Vedic understanding of colors tied to natural phenomena. This study thus contributes to a more accurate and contextually grounded comprehension of Vedic terminology, emphasizing the need to consider both linguistic precision and traditional cosmological frameworks.