Indian Antiquary Vol 18

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 39

JANUARY, 1889.]
MISCELLANEA.
ing an enemy's tongue. The reference is to the is derived from the root smi, to be clear, to Dasyus. Megasthenes refers to Indian tribes beam;' cf. Lat. micare for smicare. It was who were noseless (appuves) or monthless (dorowo) originally an adjective like varuna and indra;
Anas, if it is a + nás (as Ludwig takes it) cf. mitramahas, having gleaming splendour. means noseless, if it is an + as it is mouthless. So also Varuņa is wrongly derived from Dr. Bollensen suggests that the latter is the root var 'surround. It is from another root correct interpretation,-the Aborigines, speak- var or vas, 'to shine,' and is an adjective ing unintelligibly (msidhra-vách) and when meaning "shining. It occurs more than once spoken to being monthless, i.e. dumb.
as a simple adjective in the Rig Veda. As a god, Amongst the Aryans, the head of the nobles Varuņa is the day-light as distinct from sun(súri) was the Maghavan, who always rode in light, i.e. the light of day when the sun is a carriage. The other nobles usually rode on obscured. horse-back. So it was in the god-world. Indra, Varuna's frequent companion, is a The chief gods always had their carriages. special Indian creation, and does not belong to Hence the Asvins were not so much riders the original Aryan Pantheon. His name must (Reiter) or knights (Ritter), as travellers in a be derived from a root in current use in India, carriage drawn by horses. The horses were and not from one which has fallen into oblivion called váhní (vii. 73, 4) and are described as like those of Mitra and Varuņa. With Grassplump (sámbhrita) and strong-hoofed (vilupam). mann, Dr. Bollensen connects it with indh, to Dr. Bollensen maintains that they do not re- be clear,' with loss of the aspiration. It was present the twilight, but the morning and the also originally an adjective, cf. indratamá evening stars.
(ushús) 'very cle wr,' 'very bright. As a god, The next note deals with grammar, and Indra is the clear one,' the bright one,' and refers to Rig Veda vi. 61, 13, in which the loc. therefore the first morning light, that precedes pl. term su is believed to have been elided the aurora and the sun. The stars are then after an á. Incidental mention is also made still in the sky and harness his chariot. of the word apus, fem., water, or used as an Every morning, darkness and light are at adjective following.
warfare, and Indra conquers Sushna the In dealing with ulóka and lóka Dr. Bollensen demon of darkness, who holds the light maintains at considerable length that the former imprisoned. Then he brings into manifestais the original word and discusses Prof. tion the dawn, the sun, and day-light. He is Ludwig's objections to the theory. Amongst accordingly a war-god. other poets, he draws attention to the fact | In the next paper, Prof. Oldenberg, criticises that löka occurs only eight times, and only in M. Bergaigne's essay on the adhyâya division the most modern hymns, while ulóka 29 times of the Rig Veda in the latter publication. and only in the most ancient ones.
Dr. O. von Böhtlingk next combats Dr. The earliest Trinity of the Aryans, was Bühler's proposition that iti and cha, can have Mitra, Varuņa, and Aryaman. The last is the meaning of ádi. This is a continuation of the most mysterious. He is only mentioned in an old controversy. one hymn of the R. V. (vii. 64, 3), where the | The number concludes with a review, by plural verb shows that besides Mitra and Dr. J. Löw, of Ascherson and Schweinfurth's Varuņa, the words dévú arya must refer to him. Illustration de la Flore d'Egypte. Dr. Bollensen sees in déra aryas, the God (d)-Part IV. commences with translations Aricus, the tribe-father of the Aryans, their by Dr. H. Hübschmann of some Ossetio folk. peculiar national God from an ethnic, as Indra tales of more than usual interest. The first is from a religioas, point of view.
fifteen relate to the Narts, a fabulous tribe, Mitra is pre-Indian, and was the Sun-God half-men half-angels, and the concluding one of the Indian world. On Indian ground he is deals with Ossetic beliefs as to the fate of the superseded by Savitar as the sun-genius, and soul after death. by Surya as the Sun in visible form. He is Baron von Schlechta-Wassehrd next gives merely described as the friend of Varuņa, a translated extracts from Firdûsi's Ydsaf and colourless etymology enough. Really the word 'Zulikhd, in German verse.