________________
318
together with the Maruts for his reward.' Whatever the verse may mean, eshâm devấn cannot mean the gods of the Maruts, or prove the existence of idols, as Bollensen (Z. D. M. G. XXII, 587) and even Muir (S. T. V, 454) imagined. The translation of Pischel, Ved. Stud. p. 101, sûríbhih angíbhih mit 'Herren, die schmieren, d. h. ordentlich bezahlen,' seems too exclusively German. Could angin be an adjective, in the sense of possessed of angis?
VEDIC HYMNS.
Verse 16.
Note 1. If síkvas is not to be derived from sak (see Hübschmann, Vocalsystem, pp. 64, 186), we should have to derive nis, night, from a root altogether different from that which yields nakt, nákta, &c. But how does síkvas come to mean, according to Ludwig, both bunch of flowers, and flaming? Does he connect it with sikhâ? Surely, if siksh may stand for sisak-s, why not sik-vas for *sisakvas? 'Bright' leaves it doubtful whether it means clever or flaming.
Verse 17.
Note 1. The seven, seven heroes need not be the Maruts, but some liberal patrons who rewarded Syâvâsva. See Bergaigne, Rel. Véd. II, 371.
Digitized by Google
