Note 1. Ágma seems to express the act of racing or running (like âgi, race, battle), while yâ´ma is the road itself where the racing takes place. A very similar passage occurs in I, 87, 3. The comparison of the earth (fem.) to a king (masc.) would be considered a grave offence in the later Sanskrit literature. In I, 87, 3, vithurâ´ takes the place of vispáti.

Verse 9.

Wilson: Stable is their birthplace, (the sky); yet the birds (are able) to issue from (the sphere of) their parent: for your strength is everywhere (divided) between two (regions,—or, heaven and earth).

Benfey: Kaum geboren sind sie so stark, dass ihrer Mutter sie entfliehn: ist ja doch zwiefach ihre Kraft.

Ludwig: Denn fest ist ihr geburtsort, vögel (sind sie) von der mutter fortzugehn, nach dem, wie von altersher ihre kraft.

Oder, Denn fest ist ihre kraft geworden von der mutter sich zu trennen, da schon von alters her ihre kraft diss wollte.

Note 1. A very difficult verse. The birth of the Maruts is frequently alluded to, as well as their surpassing strength, as soon as born. Hence the first sentence admits of little doubt. But what follows is very abrupt. Váyas may be the plural of vi, bird, or it may be váyas, the neuter, meaning vital strength: see Kuhn's Zeitschrift, vol. xv, p. 217. The Maruts are frequently compared to birds (cf. I, 87, 2; 88, I), but it is usual to indicate the comparison by ná or iva. I therefore take váyas as a nom. sing. neut., in the sense of vigour, life. They are called brihadvayasah in a Nivid; see Ludwig, p. 226. Nir-i is used with particular reference to the birth of a child (cf. V, 78, 7; 9).

Verse 10.

Wilson: They are the generators of speech: they spread out the waters in their courses: they urge the lowing (cattle) to enter (the water), up to their knees, (to drink.)

Benfey: In ihrem Lauf erheben dann diese Söhne Getös und Fluth, die bis zum Knie den Kühen geht.

Ludwig: Und dise söne, die sänger, denten auf ihren zügen ihre banen aus, so dass brüllend sie uns ganz nahe kamen.

Note 1. If we could take sûnávah gírah in the sense of the sons of voice, i. e. of thunder, which would remove many difficulties, the accent of gírah would have to be changed. The commentator takes sûnu in the sense of utpâdaka, producers of sound. Gírah, however, occurs at least once more, in the sense of singers or poets, IX, 63, 10, where gírah can only be a vocative, O ye singers! In I, 6, 6, the translation of gírah by singers, i. e. the Maruts, may be contested, but if we consider that gírah, in the sense of

hymns, is feminine, and is followed by the very word which is here used, viz. devayántah, as a feminine, viz. devayántîh, VII, 18, 3, we can hardly doubt that in I, 6, 6, gírah is a masculine and means singers. The same applies to VI, 63, 10. In VI, 52, 9, ûpa nah sûnávah gírah srinvántu amrítasya yé, the construction is, of course, quite different.