Note 1. If, as we can hardly avoid, we ascribe this verse to. the Maruts, we must recognise in it the usual offer of help to Indra on the part of the Maruts. The question then only is, who are the strong friends in whose company they appear? It would be well if one could render antamébhih by horses, as Sâyana does, but there is no authority for it. Svá-kshatra is an adjective, meaning endowed with independent strength, synonymous with svá-tavas, I, 166, 2. It is applied to the mind of Indra, I, 54, 3; V, 3, 4; to the Maruts, V, 48, 1, but never to horses. As it stands, we can only suppose that a distinction is made between the Maruts and their followers,

and that after calling together their followers, and adorning themselves for battle, they proceed to harness their chariots. Cf. I, 107, 2.

Note 2. Etân, in all MSS. which I consulted, has here the accent on the first syllable, and Professor Aufrecht ought not to have altered the word into etâ´n. If the accent had not been preserved by the tradition of the schools, the later interpreters would certainly have taken etân for the demonstrative pronoun. As it is, in spite of accent and termination, Sâyana in I, 166, 10, seems to take étâh for eté. In other passages, however, Sâyana, too, has perceived the difference, and in I, 169, 6, he explains the word very fully as prishadvarnâ gantâro vâ asvâ vâ. In this passage the Etas are clearly the deer of the Maruts, the Prishatîs:

I, 169, 6. ádha yát eshâm prithu-budhnâ´sah étâh.

In the next verse, however, éta seems applied to the Maruts themselves:

I, 169, 7. práti ghorâ´nâm étânâm ayâ´sâm marútâm srinve â-yatâ´m upabdíh.

The sound of the terrible, speckled, indefatigable Maruts is heard, as they approach; unless we translate:

The noise of the terrible deer of the indefatigable Maruts is heard, as they approach.

In I, 166, 10, ámseshu étâh, I adopt Professor Roth's conjecture, that étâh means the skins of the fallow deer, so that we should have to translate: On their shoulders are the deer-skins.

In the other passages where éta occurs it is used as a simile only, and therefore throws no light on the relation of the Etas to the Maruts. In both passages, however (V, 54, 5; X, 77, 2), the simile refers to the Maruts, though to their speed only, and not to their colour.

Note 3. Máhah-bhih, which I have translated 'with all our might,' seems to be used almost as an adverb, mightily or quickly (makshu), although the original meaning, with our powers, through our might, is likewise applicable. The original meaning is quite perceptible in passages like

V, 62, 3. ádhârayatam prithivî´m utá dyâ´m mítra-râgânâ varunâ máhah-bhih.

Kings Mitra and Varuna, you have supported heaven and earth by your powers.

VII, 3, 7. tébhih nah agne ámitaih máhah-bhih satám pûrbhíh â´yasîbhih ví pâhi.