42 E. W. Hopkins, 



came to them. Glory came to Makha, but he went off with it. 

 The gods surrounded him, wishing b}' force to make him give it 

 up. He stood leaning on his bow. The bow-end flew up and cut 

 off his head, which became the Pravargya, introductor}' sacrifice. 

 Makha is sacrifice. When they offer the Pravarg}a, they replace 

 the head of sacrifice.'" In the subsequent division, Agni got the 

 chavmt explained here as " howling " {rditrava, equivalent to cattlej ; 

 for the demons stro^'e about the gods, and Agni (rfira) burned them 

 till they howled (aravauta). Indra got the " victor " chaunt and the 

 thunder-bolt : and Vayu (wind) got breaths (vital powersj as the 

 ausana chaunt). Here there is no mention of Soma, as in SB., nor 

 is it said that ants gnawed the bow-string, as in .SB. above (still less 

 that Indra as an ant did this, or that Makha was Rudra. as in TA. 

 1. 5. 2). In TS. 3. 2. 4. 2, Rudra is Makhahan, but so are Agni 

 and Indra " sla3'ers of Makha '" (sacrifice). 



ludra. 



The accepted successor gf Prajapati is Indra. called his " eldest 

 son" in TB. 1. 5. 9. 1. Though Prajapati created all creatures, the}' 

 would not " stand for " his superiority. " But he extracted the ess- 

 ence of the four quarters of the world and of all creatures and 

 made thereof a wreath. And when he had put this wreath vipon 

 himself the}' acknowledged his superiorit}'. But he desired that 

 Indra should be the best among his children and he put the wreath 

 vipon him. Then all creatures acknowledged Indra's superiorit}'. 

 seeing upon him that wonder-work which the}' were wont to see 

 upon the father," 16. 4. 1-3.1 



Indra is the typical warrior. At the Mahavrata ceremony, girded 

 knights in full panopl}' march about representing the Indra-power, 

 5. 5. 21. His people are the Maruts, storm-gods, but chiefly rain- 

 gods of inferior position, so that they are identified with the pros- 

 perous husbandmen of earth, who are the pre}' of the nobles. The 

 Great Brahmana has not much to say about them, but what it says 

 is valuable as a testimony of the low regard in which the agri- 

 culturist was held. Their prosperity is indeed without limit; they 



^ The next section says that in the same way a son who gets most 

 (during tlie father's life) is popularly regarded as the heir of all the 

 pi'operty (JUB. 1. 51. 5. eldest son has first choice). Indra. thus honored. 

 •• conquered all " (but only by means of sacrifice) ib. 5. On silpa the 

 wreath-wonder, beautv. <'f. ib. 'J and IG. 6. 13 ; 15. 2. 



