Note [3:4:2:1]1. Comp. II, 3, 11. ghritam asya yonih.

Verse 3.

Note [3:4:3:1]1. Comp. X, 110, 3. sah enan yakshi ishitah yagiyan (cf. also X, 110, 9).

Verse 4.

Note [3:4:4:1]1. The text has the dual vam. But who are the two beings addressed? According to Sayana, Agni and the Barhis, which does not seem very probable. The structure of the phrase gives the impression--though this impression is by no means certain--that vam, which belongs to gatu, is to be supplied to soki'mshi also. If we are right in this supposition, are not the two beings in question the two first of the three sacred fires, the Ahavaniya and Garhapatya? These two fires are frequently spoken of in the ritual texts as of a dyad, with the omission of the third fire.--Prof. Max Muller proposes to change vam into va. According to him the meaning may be: Either the road has been made upward, i. e. the flames have gone upward to the sky, or Agni has sat down at heaven's navel.

Note [3:4:4:2]2. Comp. VII, 43, 2. urdhva' soki'mshi devayu'ni asthuh.

Note [3:4:4:3]3. Possibly the words urdhva' soki'mshi prasthita ragamsi may form one clause, 'upwards (your) flames are gone towards the sky.' M. M.

Verse 5.

Note [3:4:5:1]1. On this verse, comp. Pischel, Vedische Studien, II, 115 seq.

Note [3:4:5:2]2. On the seven priests of the ancient Soma sacrifice, comp. H. O., Religion des Veda, 383 seq.

Note [3:4:5:3]3. That this subject is to be supplied, is shown by the regular composition of the Apri hymns. It is confirmed by the word purvi'h, which is evidently an epithet of the divine doors; comp. I, 188, 5; VII, 2, 5.

Note [3:4:5:4]4. 'In human form.' M. M.

Note [3:4:5:5]5. The text has vidatheshu.

Verse 6.

Note [3:4:6:1]1. I. e. Night and Dawn.

Note [3:4:6:2]2. Comp. above, I, 142, 7.

Note [3:4:6:3]3. Comp. M. M., vol. xxxii, p. 196 seq.

Verse 7.

Note [3:4:7:1]1. Comp. above, I, 127, 5, note 1. Pischel (Vedische Studien, I, 96) may be right in taking the seven priksha'sah as the Angiras, the sapta viprah.

Verse 8.

Note [3:4:8:1]1. The verses 8-11 are repeated in VII, 2, 8-11.

Verse 10.

Note [3:4:10:1]1. The tree is the sacrificial post (yupa).