Verse 4, note 3. If we retain the reading of the MSS. súshmah iyarti, we must take it as an independent phrase, and translate it by 'my strength rises.' For súshma, though in this and other places it is frequently explained as an adjective, meaning powerful, is, as far as I can see, always a substantive, and means power, strength. There may be a few passages in which, as there occur several words for strength, it might be possible to translate súshma by strong. But even there it is better to keep to the general meaning of súshma, and translate it as a substantive. Iyarti means to rise and to raise. It is particularly applied to prayers raised by the poet in honour of the gods, and the similes used in connection with this, show clearly what the action implied by iyarti really is. For instance, i. 116, 1. stómân iyarmi abhríyâ-iva vấtah. I stir up hymns as the wind stirs the clouds. X. 116, 9. su-vakasyẩm iyarmi síndhau-iva prá îrayam navam. I stir up sweet praise, as if rowing a ship on the river. In the sense of rising it occurs, X. 140, 2. pâvaká-varkâh sukrá-varkâh ánûna-varkâh út iyarshi bhânúnâ. Thou risest up with splendour, Agni, thou of bright, resplendent, undiminished majesty. We might therefore safely translate in our verse my strength rises,' although it is true that such a phrase does not occur again, and that in other passages where iyarti and súshma occur together, the former governs the latter in the accusative. Cf. iv. 17, 12; X. 75, 3. Verse 5, note 1. If, as we can hardly avoid, we ascribe this verse to the Maruts, we must recognize in it the usual offer of help to Indra on the part of the Maruts. The question then only is, who are the strong friends in whose company they appear? It would be well if one could render antamébhih by horses, as Sâyana does, but there is no authority for it. Svá-kshatra is an adjective, meaning endowed with independent strength, synonymous with svá-tavas, i. 166, 2. It is applied to the mind of Indra, i. 54, 3; v. 35, 4; to the Maruts, v. 48, 1, but never to horses. As it stands, we can only suppose that a distinction is made between the Maruts and their followers, and that after calling together their followers, and adorning themselves for battle, they proceed to harness their chariots. Cf. i. 107, 2. Verse 5, note2. Étân, in all MSS. which I consulted, has here the accent on the first syllable, and Professor Aufrecht ought not to have altered the word into etấn. If the accent had not been preserved by the tradition of the schools, the later interpreters would certainly have taken etân for the demonstrative pronoun. As it is, in spite of accent and termination, Sâyana in i. 166, 10, seems to take étâh for eté. In other passages, however, Sâyana, too, has perceived the difference, and in i. 169, 6, he explains the word very fully as prishadvarnâ gantâro vâ asvâ vâ. In this passage the Etas are clearly the deer of the Maruts, the Prishatîs: i. 169, 6. ádha yát eshâm prithu-budhnẩsah étâh. In the next verse, however, éta seems applied to the Maruts themselves : i. 169, 7. práti ghorẩnâm étânâm ayẩsâm marútâm srinve â-yatẩm upabdíh. The shout of the terrible, speckled, indefatigable Maruts is heard, as they approach; unless we translate: The noise of the terrible deer of the indefatigable Maruts is heard, as they approach. In i. 166, 10, ámseshu étâh, I adopt Professor Roth's conjecture, that étâh means the skins of the fallow deer, so that we should have to translate: On their shoulders are the deer-skins. In the other passages where éta occurs, it is used as a simile only, and therefore throws no light on the relation of the Etas to the Maruts. In both passages, however (v. 54, 5; x. 77, 2), the simile refers to the Maruts, though to their speed only, and not to their colour. Verse 5, note 3. Máhah-bhih, which I have translated 'with all our might,' seems to be used almost as an adverb, mightily or quickly (makshu), although the original meaning, with our powers, through our might, is likewise applicable. The original meaning is quite perceptible in passages like v. 62, 3. ádhârayatam prithivim utá dyẩm mítra-râgânâ varunâ máhah-bhih. Kings Mitra and Varuna, you have supported heaven and earth by your powers. vii. 3, 7. tébhih nah agne ámitaih máhah-bhih satám pûrbhíh ấyasîbhih ní pâhi. With those immeasurable powers, O Agni, protect us, with a hundred iron strongholds. i. 90, 2. té-máhah-bhih, vrata rakshante visvẩhâ. They always protect the laws by their powers. vii. 71, 1. tvám nah agne máhah-bhih pâhí. Protect us, Agni, with thy power. In other passages, however, we see máhah-bhih used of the light or of the flames of Agni and of the dawn: iv. 14, 1. deváh rókamânah máhah-bhih. Agni, the god, brilliant with his powers. vi. 64, 2. devi rókamânâ máhah-bhih. O goddess, brilliant with thy powers. The powers of the Maruts are referred to by the same name in the following passages: v. 58, 5. prá-pra gâyante—máhah-bhih. The Maruts are born with their powers. vii. 58, 2. prá yé máhah-bhih ógasâ utá sánti. The Maruts who excel in power and strength. Cf. iii. 4, 6. Verse 6, note1. Indra in this dialogue is evidently represented as claiming everything for himself alone. He affects contempt for the help proffered by the Maruts, and seems to deny that he was at any time beholden to their assistance. By asking, Where was that custom of yours that you should join me in battle? he implies that it never was their custom before, and that he can dispense with their succour now. He wants to be alone in his battle with Ahi, and does not wish that they should join him: (cf. i. 33, 4) Professor Roth takes sam-ádhatta in the sense of implicating, but it can hardly be said that the Maruts ever implicated Indra in his fight against Ahi. Certainly this is not in keeping with the general tenor of this dialogue, where, on the contrary, Indra shuns the company of the Maruts. But while on this point I differ from Professor Roth, I think he has rightly interpreted the meaning of ánamam. Out of the four passages in which badha-snaíh occurs, it is three times joined with nam, and every time has the sense of to bend away from, to escape from. See also Sonne, in Kuhn's Zeitschrift, vol. xii. p. 348. Verse 7, note 1. See vii. 39, 6. sakshîmáhi yúgyebhih nú devaíh. Verse 7, note 2. The last words leave no doubt as to their meaning, for the phrase is one of frequent occurrence. The only difficulty is the vocative marutah, where we should expect the nominative. It is quite possible, however, that the Maruts should here address themselves, though, no doubt, it would be easy to alter the accent. As to the phrase itself, see vii. ỐI, 4. táthâ ít asat indra krátvà yáthâ vásah. May it be so, O Indra, as thou desirest by thy mind. viii. 66, 4. vagri—ít karat indrah krátvà yáthân vásat. May Indra with the thunderbolt act as he desires in his mind. Cf. viii. 20, 17; 28, 4, &c. Verse 8, note 1. Here again Indra claims everything for himself, denying that the Maruts in any way assisted him while performing his great deeds. These deeds are the killing of Vritra, who withholds the waters, i. e. the rain from the earth, and the consequent liberation of the waters so that they flow down freely for the benefit of Manu, that is, of man. When Indra says that he slew Vritra indriyéna, he evidently chooses that word with a purpose, and we must therefore translate it, not only by might, but by Indra's peculiar might. Indriyá, as derived from índra, means originally Indra-hood, then power in general, just as verethraghna in Zend means victory in general, though originally it meant the slaying of Vritra. Verse 9, note 1. Devátâ in the ordinary sense of a deity never occurs in the Rig-veda. The word, in fact, as a feminine substantive occurs but twice, and in the tenth Mandala only. But even there it does not mean deity. In x. 24, 6, devâh devátayâ means, O gods, by your godhead, i. e. by your divine power. In x. 98, 1, bríhaspate práti me devátâm ihi, I take devátâ in the same sense as devátâti, and translate, O Brihaspati, come to my sacrifice. In all other places where devátâ occurs in the Rig-veda it is a local adverb, and means among the gods. I shall only quote those passages in which Professor Roth assigns to devátâ a different meaning: i. 55, 3. prá vîryẽna devátâ áti kekite. He is pre-eminent among the gods by his strength. i. 22, 5. sáh kéttâ devátâ padám. He knows the place among the gods. i. 100, 15. ná yásya devẩh devátâ ná mártâh ấpah kaná sávasah ántam âpúh. He, the end of whose power neither the gods among the gods, nor mortals, nor even the waters have reached. Here the translation of devátâ in the sense of 'by their godhead,' would be equally applicable, yet nothing would be gained as, in either case, devátâ is a weak repetition. vi. 4, 7. índram ná tvâ sávasâ devátâ vâyúm prinanti radhasâ nrí-tamâh. The best among men celebrate thee, O Agni, as like unto Indra in strength among the gods, as like unto Vâyu in liberality. Verse 9, note 2. The juxta-position of gấyamânah and gâtáh would seem to show that, if the latter had a past, the former had a future meaning. To us, 'No one who will be born and no one who has been born,' would certainly sound more natural. The Hindu, however, is familiar with the idea as here expressed, and in order to comprehend all beings, he speaks of those who are born and those who are being born. Thus in a Padasishta of the Pâvamânîs (ix. 67) we read: yan me garbhe vasatah pâpam ugram, |