Note [5:3:2:3]3. On Mitra as the god of alliances, and the anointing of Mitra--possibly of an object that represents Mitra--see H. O., Religion des 2, p. 186, note 1. Cf. also Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 92 seq.

Verse 3.

Note [5:3:3:1]1. I. e. they have adorned themselves. Cf. VII, 39, 3. ura'v antarikshe margayanta subhra'h.

Note [5:3:3:2]2. Rudra of course is here a name of Agni.

Verse 4.

Note [5:3:4:1]1. Sudrisah, which I have translated as nom. plur., may also be understood as gen. sing.: 'by thy beauty, who art beautiful to behold, O god, the gods, assuming, &c.'

Note [5:3:4:2]2. Cf. Narasamsa.--This hemistich is nearly identical with IV, 6, 11.

Verse 5.

Note [5:3:5:1]1. Comp. above, III, 17, 5.

Note [5:3:5:2]2. The construction is rather free.

Verse 6.

Note [5:3:6:1]1. Vidatheshu ahnam: cf. above, I, 31, 6, note 2 (<page 26> seq.).

Verse 9.

Note [5:3:9:1]1. See Neisser, Bezzenberger's Beitrage, XVIII, 310.

Note [5:3:9:2]2. Bergaigne (Religion Vedique, II, 103) proposes to read yodhi without accent and to derive it, as Delbruck does, from yu (not from yudh); he translates the first hemistich: 'Protege-nous, ecarte le pere qui passe pour ton fils.' I think that he is right as to the verb yu, but that the accent of yodhi is correct; the words yodhi vidva'n form a parenthesis. Agni is invoked to protect the father of the sacrificing tribe (comp. verse to), or the father of

[paragraph continues] Agni himself, i. e. the sacrificer or the priest, who is himself considered, at the same time, as the son of Agni (see Bergaigne, I, 37 seq.; Geldner, Vedische Studien, I, 167).

Verse 10.

Note [5:3:10:1]1. 'The father' may either be the father spoken of in verse 9 (see verse 9, note 2). Or the word may refer to Agni: 'He who adores thee, gives many names to thee, if thou, the father, O Vasu, &c.'