Here we see samudrá used clearly in the sense of sea, the Indian sea, and we have at the same time a new indication of the distance which separates the Vedic age from that of the later Sanskrit literature. Though it may not be possible to determine by geological evidence the time of the changes which. modified the southern area of the Penjâb and caused the Sarasvatî to disappear in the desert, still the fact remains that the loss of the Sarasvatî is later than the Vedic age, and that at that time the waters of the Sarasvatî reached the sea. Professor Wilson had observed long ago in reference to the rivers of that part of India, that there have been, no doubt, considerable changes here, both in the nomenclature and in the courses of the rivers, and this remark has been fully confirmed by later observations. I believe it can be proved that in the Vedic age the Sarasvatî was a river as large as the Sutlej, that it was the last of the rivers of the Penjâb, and therefore the iron gate, or the real frontier against the rest of India. At present the Sarasvatî is so small a river that the epithets applied to the Sarasvatî in the Veda have become quite inapplicable to it. The Vedic Rishis, though acquainted with numerous rivers, including

the Indus and Ganges, call the Sarasvatî the mother of rivers (VII, 36, 6. sárasvatî saptáthî síndhu-mâtâ), the strongest of rivers (VI, 61, 13. apásâm apáh-tamâ), and in our passage, VII, 95, 2, we have, as far as I can judge, conclusive evidence that the old Sarasvatî reached in its course the Indian sea, either by itself, or united with the Indus a.

But this passage, though important as showing the application of samudrá, i. e. confluvies, to the Indian sea, and proving the acquaintance of the Vedic Rishis with the southern coast of India, is by no means the only one in which samudrá must be translated by sea. Thus we read, VII, 49, 2:

yâ´h â´pah divyâ´h utá vâ srávanti khanítrimâh utá vâ yâ´h svayam-gâ´h, samudrá-arthâh yâ´h súkayah pâvakâ´h tâ´h â´pah devî´h ihá mâ´m avantu.

The waters which are from heaven, or those which flow after being dug, or those which spring up by themselves, the bright, pure waters that tend to the sea, may those divine waters protect me here!

I, 71, 7. agním vísvâh abhí príkshah sakante samudrám ná sravátah saptá yahvî´h.

All kinds of food go to Agni, as the seven rivers go to the sea.

Cf. I, 190, 7. samudrám ná sravátah ródha-kakrâh.

V, 78, 8. yáthâ vâ´tah yáthâ vánam yáthâ samudráh égati.

As the wind moves, as the forest moves, as the sea moves (or the sky).

In hymn X, 58, the same expression occurs which we have in our hymn, and samudrám arnavám there as here admits but of one explanation, the surging sea.

Samudrá in many passages of the Rig-veda has to be taken as an adjective, in the sense of watery or flowing:

VI, 58, 3. yâ´s te pûshan nâ´vah antáh samudré hiranyáyîh antárikshe káranti.