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to try going into a certain direction. It can be disproved when this leads to absurd consequences" (pp. 16 and 17).
While one may fully agree with Thieme regarding the method sugge. sted by him and with the results arrived at by him by the application of this method, it seems possible to offer a few suggestions with regard to the interpretation of certain Vedic passages cited by him. It is hoped that these suggestions will lead to a better understanding of these passages.
i. On pp. 39 and 42, Thieme cites RV 3.59.1a and b: mitró jánān yätayati brutānáh mitītó dādhāra pithivi'm utá dyam and translates, "Contract, when named, makes peoples array (arrange) themselves with regard to each other). Contract has earth and heaven in keeping." While commenting on b Thieme says that it refers to the cosmic function of Mitra and that it is contrasted with his rôle in human society which is spoken of in a. (Also cf. p. 58. Mitra keeps not only earth but also heaven). One is, however, inclined to feel that in the above passage, b is not intended to contrast with a. On the other hand, it gives a concrete example of the function of Mitra expressed by the term yātayati. Mitra arranges men (a), as he has before arranged earth and heaven (b). The keeping of earth and heaven is looked upon as an arrangement between them. It may be noted that in the RV 5.72. 2b, where the form yātayájjanā is used, it is accompanied by dhármaņā in the instrumental. From this, one is led to suppose that dhármanā is to be understood also in our passage. When we do this--mitró jánän (dhármana) yātayati-, the use of dūdhāra in b is easily explained, and further, the interpretation suggested above is confirmed.
2. On p. 44, Thieme cites RV 3.59.2, the last quarter of which-nainam ánho aśnoty ántito má dūrát-he translates, "narrowness (anxiety) does not reach him neither from near, nor from afar." From his commentary on this verse it appears that Thieme takes ámhas (anxiety) to refer to the possible lawless attacks in peace. It is, however, not clear why the literal meaning of ámhas 'narrowness' is considered inadequate by Thieme. The line assures the one who keeps his contractual vow (yás ta āditya siksati vraténa) that he will never be in the danger of facing narrowness of space. He will always have wide expanses at his disposal. This becomes quite clear from the use of várimann & prthivydh 'on the width of the earth' in the next verse (RV.3.59.3).
3. On p. 49, Thieme cites RV 3.59.4 : ayam mitró namasyàsuśévo Täjä sukşató ajanista vedhiḥ which he translates as, "Contract, (who is) worthy of (sacrificial) reverence, benevolent, a king of good rulership has been born (now) as this leader (?)". Thieme thus connects ayam with vedhah which is at a considerable distance from it. In his commentary on this verse, Thieme says that ayám ajanista should refer to fire because fire is occasionally present
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