In the Ṛgveda this number is often activated via the phrase 'tríḥ saptá'. See Thieme P. 1985. ‘The First Verse of the Triṣaptīyam (AV, Ś 1.1 ~ AV, P 1.6) and the Beginnings of Sanskrit Linguistics’. Journal of the American Oriental Society 105, 3: 559-565. 

Best, 

Joanna

---

dr hab. Joanna Jurewicz, prof. UW

Katedra Azji Południowej /Chair of South Asia

Wydział Orientalistyczny / Faculty of Oriental Studies

Uniwersytet Warszawski /University of Warsaw

ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28

00-927 Warszawa

https://uw.academia.edu/JoannaJurewicz

2016-03-18 12:07 GMT+01:00 Dipak Bhattacharya <dipak.d2004@gmail.com>:

21 is a holy number pertaining, originally, to the twenty-one declensional forms of word --the three-into-seven declensional forms. The matter is not undiscussed.

Best

DB

On Fri, Mar 18, 2016 at 2:58 PM, James Hartzell <james.hartzell@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Colleagues

I’ve come across two references in the Brāhmaṇas to the Sun as ‘the twenty-first’ –

ŚB 6.7.1.1: …” It (the plate) is round, for he (the Sun) is round. It has twenty-one knobs, for he is the twenty-first. He wears it with the knobs outside, for the knobs are his (the Sun's) rays, and his rays are outside." (Eggeling 1894:265),”
and
AB 4.18: "They perform the ceremonies of the Ekaviṃśa day, which is the equator, dividing the year (into two equal parts). By means of the performance of this day, the gods had raised the Sun up to the heavens. This Ekaviṃśa day on which the Divākīrtya mantra (was produced) is preceded by ten days, and followed by ten days, and is in the midst (of both periods). On both sides it is thus put in a Virāṭ: (the number ten). Being thus put in a Virāṭ (in the number ten) on both sides, this (Ekaviṃśa, i.e. the Sun) becomes not disturbed in his course through these worlds." (Haug 1977:288-289).

Does anyone have other references to the Sun as the 21st, and any other explanations for this other than these two Brahmana explanations?

Cheers

James Hartzell, PhD^(2x)
Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC)
The University of Trento, Italy

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