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MANDALA IV, HYMN 2.
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didhitî (instr. sing.), they went along in pure devotion'? Didhiti seems to be what is called in III, 31, 1; IX, 102, 1. 8, ritásya dîdhitih.
Verse 17. Note 1. See Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 252.
Note 2. Evidently the pious men, not the gods, form the subject. I propose to read, therefore, devấm (gen. plur.) gánimâ ; cf. verse 18 devânâm yát gánimâ. They kindle Agni; they strengthen Indra: in short, they treat the divine people as the smith treats the metal.
Note 3. I do not enter here upon the archaeological question as to the meaning of ayah. Comp. on this muchdiscussed question especially Max Müller, Biographies of Words, p. 252 seq.; Schrader, Sprachvergleichung und Urgeschichte (2nd ed.), p. 271 seq. ; von Bradke, Methode der arischen Alterthumswissenschaft, p. 93 seq. Note 4. Cf. X, 61, 13. parishadvânah agman.
Verse 18. Note 1. Pasváh is genitive sing. ; it depends on yûthả. Cf. V, 31, 1; VI, 19, 3.
Note 2. There is no reason for taking, as Lanman (p. 516) does, kshumáti as acc. plur. neut., which would be kshumấnti. See Joh. Schmidt, Pluralbildungen der Indogermanischen Neutra, p. 237; Bartholomae, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXIX, p. 493. Bartholomae translates, bei einem wolhabenden.'
Note 3. Is this vocative ugra right? It would be easy to correct, with Ludwig, ugrá ( when the mighty generations of the gods were near him') or ugráh, as suggested by Delbrück (Grassmann's Translation, vol. i, p. 573): 'the mighty one (Agni) looked on them,' &c.
Note 4. I believe that Geldner (Ved. Studien, I, 263, note 1) is right in contending that Urvasi, wherever it occurs, is the name of an Apsaras and nothing else. The name of Ayu, occurring in the fourth Pâda, confirms this; for Âyu, as is well known, is the son of Purûravas and of the nymph Urvasî. Geldner translates, 'Selbst mit den
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