I, 103, 6. bhû´ri-karmane vrishabhâ´ya vríshne satyá-sushmâya sunavâma sómam, yáh â-drítya paripanthî´-iva sû´rah áyagvanah vi-bhágan éti védah.

Let us pour out the Soma for the strong bull, the performer of many exploits, whose strength is true, the hero who, watching like a footpad, comes to us dividing the wealth of the infidel.

Here it is clear again from the context that Indra only can be meant.

But in other passages this is more doubtful:

III, 61, 7. ritásya budhné ushásâm ishanyán vríshâ mahî´ (íti) ródasî (íti) â´ vivesa.

The hero in the depth of the heaven, yearning for the dawns, has entered the great sky and the earth.

The hero who yearns for the dawns, is generally Indra; here, however, considering that Agni is mentioned in the preceding verse, it is more likely that this god, as the light of the morning, may have been meant by the poet. That Agni, too, may be called vríshan, without any other epithet to show that he is meant rather than any other god, is clear from such passages as,

VI, 3, 7. vríshâ ruksháh óshadhîshu nûnot.

He the wild hero shouted among the plants.

In VII, 60, 9, vrishanau, the dual, is meant for Mitra and Varuna; in the next verse, vrishanah, the plural, must mean the same gods and their companions.

That Soma is called simply vríshan, not only in the ninth Mandala, but elsewhere, too, we see from such passages as,

III, 43, 7. índra píba vrísha-dhûtasya vríshnah (â´ yám te syenáh usaté gabhâ´ra), yásya máde kyaváyasi prá, krishtî´h yásya máde ápa gotrâ´ vavártha.

Indra drink of the male (the strong Soma), bruised by the males (the heavy stones), inspirited by whom thou makest the people fall down, inspirited by whom thou hast opened the stables.

Here Sâyana, too, sees rightly that 'the male bruised by the males' is the Soma-plant, which, in order to yield the intoxicating juice, has to be bruised by stones, which stones are again likened to two males. But unless the words, enclosed in brackets, had stood in the text, words which clearly point to Soma, I doubt whether Sâyana would have so readily admitted the definite meaning of vríshan as Soma.

I, 109, 3. mâ´ khedma rasmî´n íti nâ´dhamânâh pitrînâ´m saktî´h anu-yákkhamânâh, indrâgní-bhyâm kám vríshanah madanti tâ´ hí ádrî (íti) dhishánâyâh upá-sthe.

We pray, let us not break the cords (which, by means of the sacrifices offered by each generation of our forefathers, unite us with the gods); we strive after the powers of our fathers. The Somas rejoice for Indra and Agni; for the two stones are in the lap of the vessel.

First, as to the construction, the fact that participles are thus used as finite verbs, and particularly when the subject changes in the next sentence, is proved by other passages,