The name of the poet is due to the refrain Evayâ´marut which occurs in every verse, and sometimes as an integral portion of the verse. Evayâ´marut is a sacrificial shout, much like Εὐοῖ in Greek, Evoe in Latin, though I do not mean to say that the two are identical. Evayâh, as I explained in note to I, 168, 1, is an epithet of Vishnu, as well as of the Maruts, meaning quickly moving. Evayâmarut, therefore, may mean the 'quick Marut.' This is strange, no doubt, because in the Rig-veda the Maruts always occur in the plural, except in some doubtful passages. Still Evayâmarut, the quick Marut, might be a name of Vishnu. It cannot be taken as a Dvandva, Vishnu and the Maruts.

This hymn was translated by Benfey in his glossary to the Sâma-veda, p. 39. Benfey takes evayâ as identical with εὐοῖ, and explains it as an adverbial instrumental, like âsuyâ, in the sense of stürmisch. But this would leave evayâvan unexplained.

Verse 1.

Note 1. Giri gâ´h may mean 'produced on the mountains,' but it may also mean 'produced in the throat or voice,' and it is so explained elsewhere, for instance in SV. I, 462 (Bibl. Ind., vol. i, p. 922). girau vâki nishpannâh; [also by another commentator, hridaye gâtâ, yagñagâtâ vâ ity uktam]. Oldenberg suggests girige, which would be much better, considering how Vishnu is called girikshit, girishthâ, &c.; see Bergaigne, II, 47. Most of the epithets have occurred before. I take sávase as a substantive, like sardhas, not as an adjective. As to dhûnivrata, see V, 58, 2; as to práyagyu, V, 55, I.

Verse 2.

Note 1. Krátvâ, dânâ´, and mahnâ´ seem to me in this place to belong together. The difficulty lies in the transition from vah to eshâm, but this is not uncommon. On mahinâ´ = mahimnâ, dânâ´, and mahnâ´, see Wenzel, Instrumentalis, p. 17; Lanman, p. 533. Pischel, Ved. Stud. p. 101, translates, 'Ihre Macht gereicht ihnen zu grosser Gabe.' See also VIII, 20, 14. Gâtâ´h mahinâ´, born by greatness, seems to mean born in greatness, or born great. It would be easy to write mahínâh.

Verse 3.

Note 1. The translation of írî is purely conjectural.

Note 2. Syandrâ´sah, as suggested by Oldenberg, are probably meant for rathâh. Syandana is a carriage in later Sanskrit. In VIII, 20, 2, we have to supply rathaih; in VI, 66, 2, rathâh.

Note 3. Prá, with the verb understood, they come forth; cf. VII, 87, 1. prá árnâmsi samudríyâ nadî´nâm; X, 75, 1. Dhuni, like dhûti, has become almost a name of the Maruts, see I, 64, 5.

Verse 4.

Note 1. The god here meant seems to be Vishnu, mentioned already in verse 1, and probably recalled by the Evayâ in Evayâmarut.

Note 2. 'We must either take víspardhasah and vímahasah with Benfey as names of the horses, or accept them as vocatives, addressed to the Maruts. Vimahas is used as an epithet of the Maruts, see I, 86, 1.

Verse 5.