Note 1. The fourth verse carries on the same ideas which were hinted at in the third. We must again change rodasî´, the dual, into rodasî´m, which is sufficiently indicated by the accent. Yavyâ I take as an instrumental of yavî, or of

yavyâ. It means the youthful maid, and corresponds to yuvati in verse 6. Yavyâ would be the exact form which Curtius (Grundzüge, p. 589) postulated as the Sanskrit prototype of Hebe a. Now, if the Maruts correspond to Mars in Latin, and to Ares in Greek, the fact that in the Iliad Hebe bathes and clothes Ares b, may be of some significance. Sâdhâranî is used in the sense of uxor communis, and would show a familiarity with the idea of polyandry recognised in the epic poetry of the Mahâhhârata.

But although the Maruts cling to this maid (the Vâk, or thunder), they do not cast off Rodasî, their lawful wife, the lightning, but wish her to grow for their friendship, i. e. as their friend.

Ayâ´sah yavyâ´ must be scanned   ̆  ̄̆  ̄  ̆  ̄  ̄. In VI 66, 5, ayâ´sah mahnâ´ must be scanned as   ̆  ̄̆  ̆  ̄  ̆  ̄  ̄ (mahimnâ?).

Note 2. Vrídham, as the accent shows, is here an infinitive governed by gushanta.

Verse 5.

See von Bradke, Dyaus Asura, p. 76.

Verse 6.

I translate arká by poet. The construction would become too cumbersome if we translated, 'as soon as the hymn with the libations was there for you, as soon as the sacrificer sang his song.'

Verse 7.

The meaning of the second line is obscure, unless we adopt Ludwig's ingenious view that Rodasî is here conceived as Eileithyia, the goddess who helps mothers in childbirth. I confess that it is a bold conjecture, and there is nothing in Vedic literature to support it. All I can say is that Eileithyia is in Greek, like Hebe (Yavyâ) and Ares (Marut), a child of Hera, and that lightning as well as dawn might become a symbol of birth. The etymology and the

very form of Εἰλείθυια is doubtful, and so is that of Rodasî´. It is tempting to connect rodasî, in the sense of heaven and earth, with O. S. radur, A. S. ródor (Grimm, Myth. p. 662), but that is impossible. Cf. I, 101, 7.

Verse 8.

Note 1. I do not see how pânti, the plural, can refer to Mitra and Varuna, nor how these gods could here be introduced as acting the part of the Maruts. I therefore refer pânti to the Maruts, who may be said to protect Mitra and Varuna, day and night, and all that belongs to them, from evil and disgrace. Aryaman is then brought in, as being constantly connected with Mitrâ-varunau, and the finding out, the perceiving from a distance, of the infamous enemies, who might injure Mitrâ-varunau, is parenthetically ascribed to him. See Ludwig, Anmerkungen, p. 239.