Note 1. Sádma, as a neuter, means originally a seat, and is frequently used in the sense of altar: IV, 9, 3. sáh sádma pári nîyate hótâ; VII, 18, 22. hótâ-iva sádma pári emi rébhan. It soon, however, assumed the more general meaning of place, as

X, 1, 1. agníh bhânúnâ rúsatâ vísvâ sádmâni aprâh.

Agni with brilliant light thou filledst all places.

It is lastly used with special reference to heaven and earth, the two sádmanî, I, 185, 6; III, 55, 2. In our passage sádma pâ´rthivam is the same as pâ´rthive sádane in VIII, 97, 5. Here the earth is mentioned together with heaven, the sea, and the sky. Sâyana takes sádma as 'dwelling,' so do Wilson and Langlois. Benfey translates 'der Erde Sitz,' and makes it the subject of the sentence, which may be right: 'From the roaring of the Maruts the seat of the earth trembles, and all men tremble.' Sadman, with the accent on the last syllable, is also used as a masculine in the Rig-veda, I, 173, I; VI, 51, 12. sadmâ´nam divyám.

Verse 11.

Note 1. I have translated vîlu-pâníbhih, as if it were vîlupânibhih, for this is the right accent of a Bahuvrîhi

compound. Thus the first member retains its own accent in prithú-pâni, bhû´ri-pâni vrísha-pâni, &c. It is possible that the accent may have been changed in our passage, because the compound is used, not as an adjective, but as a kind of substantive, as the name of a horse. Pâní, hand, means, as applied to horses, hoof:

II, 31, 2. prithivyâ´h sâ´nau gáṅghananta pâní-bhih.

When they strike with their hoofs on the summit of the earth.

This meaning appears still more clearly in such compounds as dravat-pâni:

VIII, 5, 35. hiranyáyena ráthena dravátpâni-bhih ásvaih.

On a golden chariot, on quick-hoofed horses.

The horses of the Maruts, which in our verse are called vîlu-pâní, strong-hoofed, are called VIII, 7, 27. híranyapâni, golden-hoofed:

ásvaih híranyapâni-bhih dévâsah ûpa gantana.

On your golden-hoofed horses come hither, O gods.

Those who retain the accent of the MSS. ought to translate, 'Maruts, with your strong hands go after the clouds.'

Note 2. Ródhasvatî is explained by Sâyana as river. It does not occur again in the Rig-veda. Ródhas is enclosure or fence, the bank of a river; but it does not follow that ródhasvat, having enclosures or banks, was applicable to rivers only. II, 15, 8, it is said that he emptied or opened the artificial enclosures of Bala, these being the clouds conquered by Indra. Hence I take ródhasvatî in the sense of a cloud yet unopened, which is followed or driven on by the Maruts.

Kitrá, bright or many-coloured, is applied to the clouds, V, 63, 3. kitrébhih abhráih.

Note 3. Roth and Ludwig take ákhidrayâman for a name of horse, which seems right. The word does not occur again in the Rig-veda.