Note 1. The poet begins with a somewhat abrupt description of a sunrise. Indra is taken as the god of the bright day, whose steed is the sun, and whose companions the Maruts, or the storm-gods. Arushá, meaning originally red, is used as a proper name of the horse or of the rising sun, though it occurs more frequently as the name of the red horses or flames of Agni, the god of fire, and also of the morning light. In our passage, Arushá, a substantive, meaning the red of the morning, has taken bradhná as an

adjective,—bradhná meaning, as far as can be made out, bright in general, though, as it is especially applied to the Soma-juice, perhaps bright-brown or yellow. Names of colour are difficult to translate from one language into another, for their shades vary, and withdraw themselves from sharp definition. We shall meet with this difficulty again and again in the Veda; see RV. X, 20, 9.

As it has actually been doubted whether bradhná arushá can be meant for the sun, and whether the Vedic poets ever looked upon the sun as a horse, I may quote Vâg. Samh. XXIII, 4, where the same verse occurs and is declared to be addressed to the sun; and Satap. Br. XIII, 2, 6, 1, where we read, yuñganti bradhnam arusham karantam iti, asau vâ âdityo bradhnoऽrushoऽmum evâsmâ âdityam yunakti svargasya lokasya samashtyai. Ludwig remarks justly that the sun has been conceived as a chariot also, and that bradhná arushá may have been thus understood here. Delbrück translates quite boldly: Sie schirren die rothe Sonne an. See also Tait. Br. III, 7, 7, 4; Tândya Br. XXIII, 3, 5; Sâṅkh. Br. II, 17, 3; Ludwig, Comm. ii. p. 173. M. Bergaigne (Rél. Ved. iii. p. 324) remarks very truly: 'Le soleil est tantôt une roue, tantôt un char, tantôt un cheval, trainant le char, tantôt un héros monté sur le char et dirigeant les chevaux.'

The following passages will illustrate the principal meaning of arushá, and justify the translation here adopted.

Arushá, as an Adjective.

Arushá is used as an adjective in the sense of red:

VII, 97, 6. tám sagmâ´sah arushâ´sah ásvâh bríhaspátim saha-vâ´hah vahanti,—nábhah ni rûpám arushám vásânâh.

Powerful red horses, drawing together draw him, Brihaspati: horses clothed in red colour, like the sky.

III, 1, 4. svetám gagñânám arushám mahi-tvâ´.

Agni, the white, when born; the red, by growth. III, 15, 3. krishnâ´su agne arusháh ví bhâhi.

Shine, O Agni, red among the dark ones.

III, 31, 21; VI, 27, 7.

VII, 75, 6. práti dyutânâ´m arushâ´sah ásvâh kitrâ´h adrisran ushásam váhantah.

The red horses, the beautiful, were seen bringing to us the bright dawn.

V, 43, 12; I, 118, 5; IV, 43, 6; V, 73, 5; I, 36, 9; VII, 3, 3; 16, 3; X, 45, 7; I, 141, 8.

II, 2, 8. sáh idhânáh ushásah râ´myâh ánu svâ´h na dîdet arushéna bhânúnâ.

He (Agni), lit after the lovely dawns, shone like the sky with his red splendour.