Note 3. I do not see how étâsah can here be taken in any sense but that suggested by the Pada, â´-itâsah, come near. Professor Roth thinks it not impossible that it may be meant for étâh, the fallow deer, the usual team of the Maruts. These Etas are mentioned in verse 5, but there the Pada gives quite correctly étân, not â´-itân, and Sâyana explains it accordingly by gantûn.

Note 4. The idea that the Maruts proclaim their own strength occurred before, I, 87, 3. It is a perfectly natural conception, for the louder the voice of the wind, the greater its strength, and vice versa.

Verse 2.

Note 1. Mánas here, as elsewhere, is used in the sense of thought preceding speech, desire, or devotion not yet expressed in prayer. See Taitt. Samh. V, 1, 3, 3. yat purusho manasâbhigakkhati tad vâkâ vadati, what a man grasps in his mind, that he expresses by speech. Professor Roth suggests an emendation which is ingenious, but not necessary, viz. mahâ´ námasâ, with great adoration, an expression which occurs, if not in VI, 52, 17, at least in VII, 12, 1. We find, however, the phrase mahâ´ mánasâ in

VI, 40, 4.

â´ yâhi sásvat usatâ´ yayâtha índra mahâ´ mánasâ soma-péyam,
ûpa bráhmâni srinavah imâ´ nah átha te yagñáh tanvẽ váyah dhât.

Come hither, thou hast always come, Indra, to our libation through our yearning great desire. Mayest thou hear these our prayers, and may then the sacrifice put vigour in thy body.

It is curious to observe that throughout the Rig-veda the instrumental singular mahâ´ is always used as an adjective belonging to some term or other for praise and prayer. Besides the passages mentioned, we find:

II, 24, 1. ayâ´ vidhema návayâ mahâ´ girâ´.

Let us sacrifice with this new great song.

VI, 52, 17. su-ukténa mahâ´ námasâ â´ vivâse.

I worship with a hymn with great adoration, or I worship with a great hymn in adoration. VIII, 46, 14. gâya girâ´ mahâ´ ví-ketasam. Celebrate the wise Indra with a great song. Otherwise we might translate, Thou hast always come with a great yearning desire.

Verse 3.

Note 1. We ought to scan kŭtāh t̆văm īnd̆ră mâ̄hĭnāh san, because yâsi, being anudâtta, could not begin a new pâda. It would be more natural to translate kútah by why? for the Maruts evidently wish to express their surprise at Indra's going to do battle alone and without their assistance. I do not think, however, that in the Rig-veda, even in the latest hymns, kútah has as yet a causal meaning, and I have therefore translated it in the same sense in which it occurs before in the poet's address to the Maruts.

Note 2. Sat-pati, lord of men, means lord of real men, of heroes, and should not be translated by good lord. Sat by itself is frequently used in the sense of heroes, of men physically rather than morally good:

II, I, 3. tvám agne índrah vrishabháh satâ´m asi.

Thou, Agni, art Indra, the hero among heroes.