who, watching like a footpad, comes to us dividing the wealth of the infidel.

Here it is clear again from the context that Indra only can be meant.

But in other passages this is more doubtful:

iii. 61, 7. ritásya budhné ushásâm ishanyán vríshâ mahĩ (íti) ródasî (íti) a vivesa.

The hero in the depth of the heaven, yearning for the dawns, has entered the great sky and the earth.

The hero who yearns for the dawns, is generally Indra; here, however, considering that Agni is mentioned in the preceding verse, it is more likely that this god, as the light of the morning, may have been meant by the poet. That Agni, too, may be called vríshan, without any other epithet to show that he is meant rather than any other god, is clear from such passages as,

vi. 3, 7. vríshâ ruksháh óshadhîshu nûnot.

He the wild hero shouted among the plants.

In vii. 60, 9, vrishanau, the dual, is meant for Mitra and Varuna; in the next verse, vrishanah, the plural, must mean the same gods and their companions.

That Soma is called simply vríshan, not only in the ninth Mandala, but elsewhere, too, we see from such

passages as,

iii. 43, 7. índra píba vrísha-dhûtasya vríshnah (a yám te syenáh usaté gabhẩra), yásya máde kyaváyasi prá krishtih yásya máde ápa gotra vavártha.

Indra drink of the male (the strong Soma), bruised by the males (the heavy stones), inspirited by whom thou makest the people fall down, inspirited by whom thou hast opened the stables.

Here Sâyana, too, sees rightly that 'the male bruised by the males' is the Soma-plant, which, in order to yield the intoxicating juice, has to be bruised by stones, which stones are again likened to two males. But unless the words, enclosed in brackets, had stood in the text, words which clearly point to Soma, I doubt whether Sâyana would have so readily admitted the definite meaning of vríshan as Soma.

i. 109, 3. mã khedma rasmín íti nadhamânâh pitrînẩm

saktih anu-yákkhamânâh, indrâgní-bhyâm kám vríshanah madanti ta hí ádri (íti) dhishánâych upá-sthe.

We pray, let us not break the cords (which, by means of the sacrifices offered by each generation of our forefathers, unite us with the gods); we strive after the powers of our fathers. The Somas rejoice for Indra and Agni; here are the two stones in the lap of the vessel.

First, as to the construction, the fact that participles are thus used as finite verbs, and particularly when the subject changes in the next sentence, is proved by other passages, such as ii. 11, 4. The sense is that the new generation does not break the sacrificial succession, but offers Soma, like their fathers. The Soma-plants are ready, and, when pressed by two stones, their juice flows into the Somavessel. There may be a double entendre in dhishánâyâh upá-sthe, which Sanskrit scholars will easily perceive.

When vríshan is thus used by itself, we must be chiefly guided by the adjectives or other indications before we determine on the most plausible translation. Thus we read:

i. 55, 4. sáh ít váne namasyu-bhih vakasyate karu gáneshu pra-bruvânáh indriyám, vríshâ khánduh bhavati haryatáh vríshâ kshémena dhénâm maghá-vâ yát ínvati.

In the first verse the subject is clearly Indra: 'He alone is praised by worshippers in the forest, he who shows forth among men his fair power.' But who is meant to be the subject of the next verse? Even Sâyana is doubtful. He translates first: The bounteous excites the man who wishes to sacrifice; when the sacrificer, the rich, by the protection of Indra, stirs up his voice.' But he allows an optional translation for the last sentences: 'when the powerful male, Indra, by his enduring mind reaches the praise offered by the sacrificer.'

According to these suggestions, Wilson translated: 'He (Indra) is the granter of their wishes (to those who solicit him); he is the encourager of those who desire to worship (him), when the wealthy offerer of oblations, enjoying his protection, recites his praise.'

Benfey: The bull becomes friendly, the bull becomes desirable, when the sacrificer kindly advances praise.' Langlois 'When the noble Maghavan receives the

homage of our hymns, his heart is flattered, and he responds to the wishes of his servant by his gifts.'

As far as I know, the adjective khándů does not occur again, and can therefore give us no hint. But haryatá, which is applied to vríshan in our verse, is the standing epithet of Soma. It means delicious, and occurs very frequently in the ninth Mandala. It is likewise applied to Agni, Pûshan, the Haris, the thunderbolt, but wherever it occurs our first thought is of Soma. Thus, without quoting from the Soma-Mandala, we read, x. 96, 1, haryatám mádam, the delicious draught, i. e. Soma.

x. 96, 9. pîtva mádasya haryatásya ándhasah, means having drunk of the draught of the delicious Soma.

viii. 72, 18. padám haryatásya ni-dhânyãm, means the place where the delicious Soma resides.

iii. 44, 1. haryatáh sómah.

Delicious Soma.

ii. 21, 1. bhara índrâya sómam yagataya haryatám. Bring delicious Soma for the holy Indra.

i. 130, 2. mádâya haryataya te tuvíh-tamâya dhấyase. That thou mayest drink the delicious and most powerful draught, i. e. the Soma.

If, then, we know that vríshan by itself is used in the sense of Soma, haryatá vríshan can hardly be anything else, and we may therefore translate the second line of i. 55, 4, the strong Soma is pleasing, the strong Soma is delicious, when the sacrificer safely brings the cow.'

That Indra was thirsting for Soma had been said in the second verse, and he is again called the Soma-drinker in the seventh verse. The bringing of the cow alludes to the often mentioned mixture with milk, which the Soma undergoes before it is offered.

That the Maruts are called vríshan, without further explanations, will appear from the following passages:

i. 85, 12. rayím nah dhatta vrishanah su-vîram. Give us wealth, ye heroes, consisting of good offspring. viii. 96, 14. íshyâmi vah vrishanah yúdhyata âgaú. I wish for you, heroes (Maruts), fight in the race! In all the passages which we have hitherto examined, vríshan was always applied to living beings, whether

animals, men, or gods. But as, in Greek, άppŋ means at last simply strong, and is applied, for instance, to the crash of the sea, Kтúτоs άρσпY TÓνTOU, SO in the Veda vríshan is applied to the roaring of the storms and similar objects.

v. 87, 5. svanáh vríshâ

Your powerful sound (O Maruts).

x. 47, 1. gagribhmá te dákshinam indra hástam vasuyávah vasu-pate vásûnâm, vidmá hí tvâ gó-patim sûra gónâm asmábbyam kitrám vríshanam rayím dâh.

We have taken thy right hand, O Indra, wishing for treasures, treasurer of treasures, for we know thee, O hero, to be the lord of cattle; give us bright and strong wealth.

Should kitrá here refer to treasures, and vríshan to cattle?

x. 89, 9. ní amítreshu vadhám indra túmram vríshan vríshanam arushám sisîhi.

Whet, O hero, the heavy strong red weapon, against the

enemies.

The long â in vríshânam is certainly startling, but it occurs once more, ix. 34, 3, where there can be no doubt that it is the accusative of vríshan. Professor Roth takes vríshan here in the sense of bull (s. v. tumra), but he does not translate the whole passage.

iii. 29, 9. krinóta dhûmám vríshanam sakhâyah.

Make a mighty smoke, O friends!

Strength itself is called vríshan, if I am right in translating the phrase vríshanam súshmam by manly strength. It occurs,

iv. 24, 7. tásmin dadhat vríshanam súshmam índrah.

May Indra give to him manly strength.

vi. 19, 8. a nah bhara vríshanam súshmam indra.

Bring to us, O Indra, manly strength.

vii. 24, 4. asmé (íti) dádhat vríshanam súshmam indra. Giving to us, O Indra, manly strength.

See also vi. 19, 9, súshmah vrishabháh, used in the same

sense.

This constant play on the word vríshan, which we have observed in the passages hitherto examined, and which give by no means a full idea of the real frequency of its

occurrence in the Veda, has evidently had its influence on the Vedic Rishis, who occasionally seem to delight in the most silly and unmeaning repetitions of this word, and its compounds and derivatives. Here no language can supply any adequate translation; for though we may translate words which express thoughts, it is useless to attempt to render mere idle play with words. I shall give a few instances:

i. 177, 3. a tishtha rátham vríshanam vríshâ te sutáh sómah pári-siktâ mádhûni, yuktva vrísha-bhyâm vrishabha kshitînẩm hári-bhyâm yâhi pra-vátâ úpa madrík.

Mount the strong car, the strong Soma is poured out for thee, sweets are sprinkled round; come down towards us, thou bull of men, with the strong bays, having yoked them.

But this is nothing yet compared to other passages, when the poet cannot get enough of vríshan and vrishabhá.

ii. 16, 6. vríshâ te vágrah utá te vríshâ ráthah vríshanâ hárî (íti) vrishabhẩni ấyudhâ, vríshnah mádasya vrishabha tvám îsishe índra sómasya vrishabhásya tripnuhi.

Thy thunderbolt is strong, and thy car is strong, strong are the bays, the weapons are powerful, thou, bull, art lord of the strong draught, Indra rejoice in the powerful Soma!

v. 36, 5. vríshâ tvâ vríshanam vardhatu dyaúh vríshâ vrísha-bhyâm vahase hári-bhyâm, sáh nah vríshâ vrísha-rathah su-sipra vrísha-krato (íti) vríshâ vagrin bháre dhâh.

May the strong sky increase thee, the strong; a strong one thou art, carried by two strong bays; do thou who art strong, with a strong car, O thou of strong might, strong holder of the thunderbolt, keep us in battle!

v. 40, 2-3. vríshâ gravâ vríshâ mádah vríshâ sómah ayam sutáh, vríshan indra vrísha-bhih vritrahan-tama, vríshâ tvâ vríshanam huve.

The stone is strong, the draught is strong, this Soma that has been poured out is strong, O thou strong Indra, who killest Vritra with the strong ones (the Maruts), I, the strong, call thee, the strong.

viii. 13, 31-33. vríshâ ayám indra te ráthah utó (íti) te vríshanâ hárî (íti), vríshâ tvám sata-krato (íti) vríshâ hávah. vríshâ gravâ vríshâ mádah vríshâ sómah ayam sutáh, vríshâ yagñáh yám ínvasi vríshâ hávah. vríshâ tvâ vríshanam