Gods and Saints of the Great Bnihmaiia. 41 



asked. " What you will," replied the desperate gods. He claimed 

 then the right to have these utterances recited in his name, 

 inaddevatyasii. With Agni as a horse at their head the gods 

 advanced against the foe. Then Indra said " Who and I (with me) 

 will follow this up ? •' I and " (yovi), said Varuna (to act as aid : 

 hence, as both helped, the laud is theirs, cf 11. 11. 5-6). At last 

 Indra 's bolt was cast at the dragon Vrtra with the Brhat the glor}- 

 of which became another chaunt (cf. the " division of Veda " and 

 the power left over as material for new chaunts in 7. 10. 10; 8. 6. 

 1 ; 9. 6 ; 9. 2. 3 ; 12. 9. 21). Except for fighting, the gods as a bod}" 

 only divided cows and the Word (as metres) and " apportioned 

 (vyabhajaiita, vyakiirvata) the Veda," 8. 6. 1 ; 9. 2. 3.i 



Although the godVisnu is duly recognized, he is not really prominent. 

 He is a rt(?6'a, invoked with other gods, 21. 10. 13, as "head of the 

 sacrifice," 1. 1. 8 (cf. 1. 6. 5; 12. 13. 22); he is the anta of divin- 

 ities, 21. 4. 6; supports Indra, 8. 8. 7, and is identified with sacrifice. 

 9. 6. 10 and 9. 7. 5 (vJryaiii, va indro yajno visnuh) = 9. 7. 8 and 10. 

 (ya/'/lo vfd visnuh sipivisfo yajna eva visnau pratitistliati \ sipivisfa as 

 the Creator's cattle-form, 18. 6. 25-26). He, as sacrifice, " sets to 

 rights," 13. 5. 5. Prajapati, 20. 3. 2, gets back his cattle by appeal- 

 ing to Visiui (iiiidii ma Ipsa), who " stepped forth," after P. had 

 vainl}- tried to get them back with the help of Agni, Indra, and the 

 All-gods. As in SB. 14. 1. 1. 9 f (cf. (?) TS. makhasya iiro 'si, 1. 

 1. 8. 1.), Visnu answers to Makha in TS. 5. 1. 6. 3, " M. is sacrifice. " 

 Compare the scene where the gods get the power of Makha at 

 (PB.) 7. 5. 6—16: " Desiring glory, the gods held a sacrificial session, 

 Agni, Indra, Vayu, Makha. They agreed to share whatever glor}' 



* Tlie metres are divided as usual. Giiyatri to Agni and the otlier 

 Vasus at the morning pressing (on caste meti-es, cf. 6. 1. 11) ; the Tristubh 

 at midday to Indra and his Maruts ; the JagatT at eve to All-gods and 

 Adityas. The famous Viraj, identified with man (cf. TS. b. 6. 10. 3) as 

 tenfold, 2. 7. 8; 19. 4. 5. is of ten sjdlables, G. 8. 2: 12. 10. 8; 13. 7. 8: 

 15. 1. 5; 11. 13; 23. 3. 3; of thirty' syllables, 10. 3. 12: 23. 26. 2: and. 

 as parcnuii^ is o£ a thousand syllables, 25. 9. 4 (cf. the pahkti Viraj\ and 

 group of iovty, 24. 10. 2) ; identified with food, 8. 10. 8 ; 12. 10. 8 ; 13. 

 18; 13. 7. 8; 16. 0. 5 (cf. 12. 11. 22). To it belong the vishmibhas, 12. 

 10. 10 ; it is the light of metres, 6. 3. 6 ; and is personified, stanai'ofl, a.s 

 a milch-cow, giving wishes, 20. 1. 5 (13. 11. 18, of Prajapati) ; with Praja- 

 pati is connected the Vairiija Saman, 16. 5. 17. Deficient metres are said 

 to belong to the J\Iaruts, 17. 1. 3 ; three-syllable refrains (intercalated) are 

 Visiui's meti-e, 12. 13. 21 (see IS. 8 76). " Metres are powers with wliicli 

 one overpowers others," 9. 4. 7. Tor metres fetching Soma, see 8. 4. 1 f. 



