Give to these men world-wide glory. Cf. III, 2, 15.

The next difficulty is the exact meaning of visvá-karshani, and such cognate words as visvá-krishti, visvá-manusha. The only intelligible meaning I can suggest for these words is, known to all men; originally, belonging to, reaching to all men; as we say, world-wide or European fame, meaning by it fame extending over the whole of Europe, or over the whole world. If Indra, Agni, and the Maruts are called by

these names, they mean, as far as I can judge, known, worshipped by all men. Benfey translates allverständig.

Verse 15.

Note 1. Riti, the first element of riti-sáham, never occurs by itself in the Rig-veda. It comes from the root ar, to hurt, which was mentioned before (p. 65) in connection with ár-van, hurting, árus, wound, and ári, enemy. Sám-riti occurs I, 32, 6. Riti therefore means hurting, and riti-sáh means one who can stand an attack. In our passage rayím vîrá-vantam riti-sáham means really wealth consisting in men who are able to withstand all onslaughts.

The word is used in a similar sense, VI, 14, 4:

agníh apsâ´m riti-sáham vîrám dadâti sát-patim, yásya trásanti sávasah sam-kákshi sátravah bhiyâ´.

Agni gives a strong son who is able to withstand all onslaughts, from fear of whose strength the enemies tremble when they see him.

In other passages riti-sáh is applied to Indra:

VIII, 45, 35. bibháya hí tvâ´-vatah ugrâ´t abhi-prabhaṅgínah dasmâ´t ahám riti-sáhah.

For I stand in fear of a powerful man like thee, of one who crushes his enemies, who is strong and withstands all onslaughts.

VIII, 68, 1. tuvi-kûrmím riti-sáham índra sávishtha sát-pate.

Thee, O most powerful Indra, of mighty strength, able to withstand all onslaughts.

VIII, 88, 1. tam vah dasmám riti-sáham—índram gîh-bhíh navâmahe.

We call Indra the strong, the resisting, with our songs.

Note 2. The last sentence finishes six of the hymns ascribed to Nodhas. It is more appropriate in a hymn addressed to single deities, such as Agni or Indra, than in a hymn to the Maruts. We must supply sardha, in order to get a collective word in the masculine singular.

Nú, as usual, should be scanned n̆ū.

Note 3. Dhiyâ´-vasu, as an epithet of the gods, means rich in prayers, i. e. invoked by many worshippers. It does

not occur frequently. Besides the hymns of Nodhas, it only occurs independently in I, 3, 10 (Sarasvatî), III, 3, 2, III, 28, 1 (Agni), these hymns being all ascribed to the family of Visvâmitra. In the last verse, which forms the burden of the hymns of Nodhas, it may have been intended to mean, he who is rich through the hymn just recited, or he who rejoices in the hymn, the god to whom it is addressed.

Nodhas, the poet, belongs, according to the Anukramanî, to the family of Gotama, and in the hymns which are ascribed to him, I, 58-64, the Gotamas are mentioned several times: