Note 2. Svadhâ´, literally one's own place, afterwards, one's own nature. It was a great triumph for the science of Comparative Philology that, long before the existence of such a word as svadhâ in Sanskrit was known, it should have been postulated by Professor Benfey in his Griechisches Wurzellexicon, published in 1839, and in the appendix of 1842. Svadhâ´ was known, it is true, in the ordinary Sanskrit, but there it only occurred as an exclamation used on presenting an oblation to the manes. It was also explained to mean food offered to deceased ancestors, or to be the name of a personification of Mâyâ or worldly illusion, or of a nymph. But Professor Benfey, with great ingenuity, postulated for Sanskrit a noun svadhâ´, as corresponding to the Greek ἔθος and the German sitte, O. H. G. sit-u, Gothic sid-u. The noun svadhâ has since been discovered in the Veda, where it occurs very frequently; and its true meaning in many passages where native tradition had entirely misunderstood it, has really been restored by means of its etymological identification with the Greek ἔθος or ἦθος. See Kuhn's Zeitschrift, vol. ii, p. 134; vol. xii, p. 158.

The expressions ánu svadhâ´m and svadhâ´m ánu are of frequent occurrence. They mean, according to the nature or character of the persons spoken of, and may be translated by as usual, or according to a person's wont. Thus in our passage we may translate, The Maruts are born again, i. e. as soon as Indra appeared with the dawn, according to their wont; they are always born as soon as Indra appears, for such is their nature.

I, 165, 5. índra svadhâ´m ánu hí nah babhû´tha.

For, Indra, according to thy wont, thou art with us.

VIII, 20, 7. svadhâ´m ánu sríyam nárah—váhante. According to their wont, the men (the Maruts) carry splendour.

Thou hast grown (Indra) according to thy nature.

IV, 33, 6. ánu svadhâ´m ribhávah gagmuh etâ´m.

According to their nature, the Ribhus went to her, scil. the cow; or, according to this their nature, they came.

IV, 52, 6; I, 33, 11; I, 88, 6; VII, 56, 13; III, 51, 11.