Note 1. On yayíh, see note to I, 87, 2; but it seems better to take it here as an adjective.

Note 2. On svâyudha, see Geldner, Ved. Stud. I, p. 143; Oldenberg, Gött. Gel. Anzeigen, 1890, p. 424.

Verse 6.

Note 1. Prásiti may be, as Ludwig translates it, fangschnur, a noose, but it can hardly mean Noth, as Grassmann

suggests. I take it here in the sense of shooting forth, onslaught, raid; cf. VII, 46, 4. Geldner, Ved. Stud. I, p. 139, takes it for a trap. Lanman, p. 386, is right in considering the locative in au before consonants a sure sign of the modern origin of this hymn.

Verse 7.

Note 1. The idea that the earth is stretched out or becomes large during a thunderstorm has been met with before, V, 58, 7. We read I, 37, 8; 87, 3, that at the racings of the Maruts the earth trembled, and that the Maruts enlarged the fences in their races. I therefore translate, though tentatively only, that the earth is opened far and wide, as a race-course for the faultless Maruts, whose hosts â´, appear, ágmeshu, on the courses, maháh, quickly. If the accent of paprathe could be changed, we might translate, 'at whose coursings (ágmeshu â´) the seat of the earth is quickly stretched out far and wide,' and then take sárdhâmsi ádbhutainasâm in apposition to rudrâ´sah. Adbhutainas, in whom no fault is seen.

Bergaigne translates, 'faisant du mal mystérieusement.' See Geldner, in K. Z. XXVIII, 199, Anm. 2; Bezzenberger's Beiträge, III, 169.

Verse 8.

Note 1. Cf. VI, 48, 10.

Verse 9.

Note 1. Susámi, generally explained as a shortened instrumental, for susamî = susamyâ, used in an adverbial sense. Susámi has a short i here, because it stands at the end of a pâda, otherwise the i is long, see VII, 16, 2; X, 28, 12, even before a vowel. The same applies in the Rig-veda to sami; it has short i at the end of a pâda, see II, 31, 6; VIII, 45, 27; X, 40, 1. The phrase dhiyâ´ sámi, which has short i in II, 31, 6; X, 40, 1, has long i in IX, 74, 7. dhiyâ´ sámî. It is shortened, however, before vowels in the middle of a pâda, and written samy; see I, 87, 5; III, 55, 3.

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