i. 91, 2. tvám vríshâ vrisha-tvébhih.

Thou, Soma, art strong by strength.

i. 175, 1. vríshâ te vríshne índuh vâgĩ sahasra-sấtamah. For thee, the strong one, there is strong drink, powerful, omnipotent.

In the ninth Mandala, specially dedicated to the praises of Soma, the inspiriting beverage of gods and men, the repetition of vríshan, as applied to the juice and to the god who drinks it, is constant. Indo vríshâ or vríshâ indo are incessant invocations, and become at last perfectly meaningless.

There can be no doubt, in fact, that already in the hymns of the Veda, vríshan had dwindled away to a mere epitheton ornans, and that in order to understand it correctly, we must, as much as possible, forget its etymological colouring, and render it by hero or strong. Indra, Agni, the Asvins, Vishnu, the Ribhus (iv. 35, 6), all are vríshan, which means no longer male, but manly, strong.

In the following passages vríshan is thus applied to Indra:

i. 54, 2. yáh dhrishnúnâ sávasâ ródasî (íti) ubhé (íti) vríshâ vrisha-tva vrishabháh ni-riñgáte.

(Praise Indra) who by his daring strength conquers both heaven and earth, a bull, strong in strength.

i. 100, 1. sáh yáh vríshâ vríshnyebhih sám-okâh maháh diváh prithivyẩh ka sam-rất satîná-satvâ hávyah bháreshu marútvân nah bhavatu índrah ûtï.

He who is strong, wedded to strength, who is the king of the great sky and the earth, of mighty might, to be invoked in battles,—may Indra with the Maruts come to our help!

i. 16, 1. ẩ tvâ vahantu hárayah vríshanam sóma-pîtaye, índra tvâ sura-kakshasah.

May the bays bring thee hither, the strong one, to the Soma-draught, may the sunny-eyed horses (bring) thee, O Indra!

iv. 16, 20. evá ít índrâya vrishabhaya vríshne brahma akarma bhrígavah ná rátham.

Thus we have made a hymn for Indra, the strong bull, as the Bhrigus make a chariot.

In all the passages which we have hitherto examined vríshan clearly retained its etymological meaning, though even then it was not always possible to translate it by male.

The same meaning has been retained in other languages in which this word can be traced. Thus, in Zend, arshan is used to express the sex of animals in such expressions as aspahé arshnô, gen. a male horse; varâzahe arshnô, gen. a male boar; géus arshnô, gen. a male ox; but likewise in the sense of man or hero, as arsha husrava, the hero Husrava. In Greek we find äpoŋv and äppŋy used in the same way to distinguish the sex of animals, as apσeves iππоi, Bouv aporeva. In Latin the same word may be recognized in the proper name Varro, and in varo and báro.

We now come to another class of passages in which vríshan is clearly intended to express more than merely the masculine gender. In some of them the etymological meaning of spargere, to pour forth, seems to come out again, and it is well known that Indian commentators are very fond of explaining vríshan by giver of rain, giver of good gifts, bounteous. The first of these meanings may indeed be admitted in certain passages, but in others it is more than doubtful.

i. 181, 8. vríshâ vâm megháh may be translated, your raining cloud.

i. 129, 3. dasmáh hí sma vríshanam pínvasi tvákam. Thou art strong, thou fillest the rainy skin, i. e. the cloud.

See also iv. 22, 6; and possibly v. 83, 6.

It may be that, when applied to Soma too, vríshan retained something of its etymological meaning, that it meant gushing forth, poured out, though in many places it is impossible to render vríshan, as applied to Soma, by anything but strong. All we can admit is that vríshan, if translated by strong, means also strengthening and invigorating, an idea not entirely absent even in our expression, a strong drink.

i. 80, 2. sáh tvâ amadat vríshâ mádah, sómah sutáh. This strong draught inspirited thee, the poured out Soma-juice.

i. 91, 2. tvám vríshâ vrisha-tvébhih.

Thou, Soma, art strong by strength.

i. 175, 1., vríshâ te vríshne índuh vâgi sahasra-satamah. For thee, the strong one, there is strong drink, powerful, omnipotent.

In the ninth Mandala, specially dedicated to the praises of Soma, the inspiriting beverage of gods and men, the repetition of vríshan, as applied to the juice and to the god who drinks it, is constant. Indo vríshâ or vríshâ indo are incessant invocations, and become at last perfectly meaningless.

There can be no doubt, in fact, that already in the hymns of the Veda, vríshan had dwindled away to a mere epitheton ornans, and that in order to understand it correctly, we must, as much as possible, forget its etymological colouring, and render it by hero or strong. Indra, Agni, the Asvins, Vishnu, the Ribhus (iv. 35, 6), all are vríshan, which means no longer male, but manly, strong.

In the following passages vríshan is thus applied to Indra:

i. 54, 2. yáh dhrishnúnâ sávasâ ródasî (íti) ubhé (íti) vríshâ vrisha-tva vrishabháh ni-ringáte.

(Praise Indra) who by his daring strength conquers both heaven and earth, a bull, strong in strength.

i. 100, 1. sáh yáh vríshâ vríshnyebhih sám-okâh maháh diváh prithivyẩh ka sam-rất satîná-satvâ hávyah bháreshu marútvân nah bhavatu índrah ûtï.

He who is strong, wedded to strength, who is the king of the great sky and the earth, of mighty might, to be invoked in battles, may Indra with the Maruts come to our help!

i. 16, 1. a tvâ vahantu hárayah vríshanam sóma-pîtaye, índra tvâ sûra-kakshasah.

May the bays bring thee hither, the strong one, to the Soma-draught, may the sunny-eyed horses (bring) thee, O Indra!

iv. 16, 20. evá ít índrâya vrishabhaya vríshne bráhma akarma bhrígavah ná rátham.

Thus we have made a hymn for Indra, the strong bull, as the Bhrigus make a chariot.

In all the passages which we have hitherto examined vríshan clearly retained its etymological meaning, though even then it was not always possible to translate it by male.

The same meaning has been retained in other languages in which this word can be traced. Thus, in Zend, arshan is used to express the sex of animals in such expressions as aspahé arshnô, gen. a male horse; varâzahe arshnô, gen. a male boar; géus arshnô, gen. a male ox; but likewise in the sense of man or hero, as arsha husrava, the hero Husrava. In Greek we find άpony and appŋy used in the same way to distinguish the sex of animals, as åpσeves iπtoi, Boûv apσeva. In Latin the same word may be recognized in the proper name Varro, and in varo and báro.

We now come to another class of passages in which vríshan is clearly intended to express more than merely the masculine gender. In some of them the etymological meaning of spargere, to pour forth, seems to come out again, and it is well known that Indian commentators are very fond of explaining vríshan by giver of rain, giver of good gifts, bounteous. The first of these meanings may indeed be admitted in certain passages, but in others it is more than doubtful.

i. 181, 8. vríshâ vâm megháh may be translated, your raining cloud.

i. 129, 3. dasmáh hí sma vríshanam pínvasi tvákam. Thou art strong, thou fillest the rainy skin, i.e. the cloud.

See also iv. 22, 6; and possibly v. 83, 6.

It may be that, when applied to Soma too, vríshan retained something of its etymological meaning, that it meant gushing forth, poured out, though in many places it is impossible to render vríshan, as applied to Soma, by anything but strong. All we can admit is that vríshan, if translated by strong, means also strengthening and invigorating, an idea not entirely absent even in our expression, a strong drink.

i. 80, 2. sáh tvâ amadat vríshâ mádah, sómah—sutáh.

This strong draught inspirited thee, the poured out Soma-juice.

i. 91, 2. tvám vríshâ vrisha-tvébhih.

Thou, Soma, art strong by strength.

i. 175, 1. vríshâ te vríshne índuh vâgĩ sahasra-satamah. For thee, the strong one, there is strong drink, powerful, omnipotent.

In the ninth Mandala, specially dedicated to the praises of Soma, the inspiriting beverage of gods and men, the repetition of vríshan, as applied to the juice and to the god who drinks it, is constant. Indo vríshâ or vríshâ indo are incessant invocations, and become at last perfectly meaningless.

There can be no doubt, in fact, that already in the hymns of the Veda, vríshan had dwindled away to a mere epitheton ornans, and that in order to understand it correctly, we must, as much as possible, forget its etymological colouring, and render it by hero or strong. Indra, Agni, the Asvins, Vishnu, the Ribhus (iv. 35, 6), all are vríshan, which means no longer male, but manly, strong.

In the following passages vríshan is thus applied to Indra:

i. 54, 2. yáh dhrishnúnâ sávasâ ródasî (íti) ubhé (íti) vríshâ vrisha-tva vrishabháh ni-riñgáte.

(Praise Indra) who by his daring strength conquers both heaven and earth, a bull, strong in strength.

i. 100, 1. sáh yáh vríshâ vríshnyebhih sám-okâh maháh diváh prithivyẩh ka sam-rất satîná-satvâ hávyah bháreshu marútvân nah bhavatu índrah ûtî.

He who is strong, wedded to strength, who is the king of the great sky and the earth, of mighty might, to be invoked in battles,—may Indra with the Maruts come to our help!

i. 16, 1. ấ tvâ vahantu hárayah vríshanam sóma-pîtaye, índra tvâ sûra-kakshasah.

May the bays bring thee hither, the strong one, to the Soma-draught, may the sunny-eyed horses (bring) thee, O Indra!

iv. I6, 2O. evá ít índrâya vrishabhaya vríshne bráhma akarma bhrígavah ná rátham.

Thus we have made a hymn for Indra, the strong bull, as the Bhrigus make a chariot.