Note 4. Ragastû´h may mean rousing the dust of the earth, a very appropriate epithet of the Maruts. Sâyana explains it thus, and most translators have adopted his explanation. But as the epithets here are not simply descriptive, but laudatory, it seems preferable, in this place, to retain the usual meaning of rágas, sky. When Soma is called ragastû´h, IX, 108, 7, Sâyana too explains it by tegasâm prerakam, and IX, 48, 4, by udakasya prerakam.

Note 5. Rigîshín, derived from rigîsha. Rigîsha is what remains of the Soma-plant after it has once been squeezed, and what is used again for the third libation. Now as the Maruts are invoked at the third libation, they were called rigîshín, as drinking at their later libation the juice made of the rigîsha. This, at least, is the opinion of the Indian commentators. But it is much more likely that the Maruts were invoked at the third libation, because originally they had been called rigîshín by the Vedic poets, this rigîshín being derived from rigîsha, and rigîsha from rig, to strive, to yearn, like purîsha from prî, manîshâ from man; (see Unâdi-sûtras, p. 273.) This rig is the same root which we have in ὀρέγειν, to reach, ὀργή, emotion, and ὄργια, furious transports of worshippers. Thus the Maruts from being called rigîshín, impetuous, came to be taken for drinkers of rigîsha, the fermenting and overflowing Soma, and were assigned accordingly to the third libation at sacrifices.

[paragraph continues] Rigîshín, as an epithet, is not confined to the Maruts; it is given to Indra, with whom it could not have had a purely ceremonial meaning (VIII, 76, 5).

Verse 13.

Note 1. Âpríkkhya, literally, to be asked for, to be inquired for, to be greeted and honoured. A word of an apparently modern character, but occurring again in the Rig-veda as applied to a prince, and to the vessel containing the Soma.

Note 2. Púshyati might be joined with krátu and taken in a transitive sense, he increases his strength. But púshyati is also used as an intransitive, and means he prospers:

I, 83, 3. ásam-yatah vraté te ksheti púshyati.

Without let he dwells in thy service and prospers.

Roth reads asamyattah, against the authority of the MSS.

Verse 14.

Note 1. The difficulty of this verse arises from the uncertainty whether the epithets dhanasprítam, ukthyãm, and visvákarshanim belong to súshma, strength, or to toká, kith and kin. Roth and Benfey connect them with toká. Now dhanasprít is applicable to toká, yet it never occurs joined with toká again, while it is used with súshma, VI, 19, 8. Ukthyã, literally, to be praised with hymns, is not used again as an epithet of toká, though it is quite appropriate to any gift of the gods. Lastly, visvákarshani is never applied to toká, while it is an epithet used, if not exactly of the strength, súshma, given by the gods, yet of the fame given by them:

X, 93, 10. dhâtam vîréshu visvá-karshani srávah.