38 E. U\ Hopkins, 



9. 1. 9. The gods (of light i revive the wasting day, 14. 9. 10 and 

 26 (b}' different Samansj. Some of the ritual is wrested from the 

 demons (borrowed from aborigines?), 8. 3. 3 (vidadvasu, RV. 8. 66. 1) ; 

 from whom they also get cattle (according to the extraordinary 

 interpretation of 8. 4. 6, the "sweetest," RV. 9. 1. 1!) The two 

 parties are not always " foes at sight." They decide their relative 

 position at times by a bargain, hi 13. 6. 7, for example, they " make 

 a compact " that all the cattle of both parties should fall to those 

 who got the " victory," and by the so-called " victor}' " (Samanj the 

 gods won ! A ver}' exciting contest took place on one occasion, a 

 duel of wits to determine what could not be determined b}- force 

 (21. 13. 2 f.). "The gods and demons contended together, but 

 neither side \\'on. They said, ' Let us win b\- matching (mating) 

 words. Whichever of us two fail to find the mate of a word, 

 shall be beaten'. (All agreed andj the gods said ekos (unus), but 

 the demons matched it by saying eka (unaj. The gods said dvan 

 (masc), but the demons matched it b}- saying dve (fem.). The 

 gods said trayas, but the demons matched it by sa3'ing tisras. The 

 gods said catvaras, but the demons matched it by sa3ing catasras 

 (fem., the last numeral to be so distinguished). The gods said 

 pailca. The demons found no match. Thereupon the gods won ; 

 the demons lost."i Compare SB. 1. 5. 4. 6 f . 



^ Tlie purpose of tliis tale is to ilhistrate the inherent importance of 

 a rite of five nights, apropos of which the text says that both man and 

 cattle are fivefold (a commonplace, but not always explained in the same 

 way : here S. " man is fivefold in having- feet, hands, and body," instead 

 of '• hair, skin, iiesh, bone, marrow.") The rite, it is said (cf. SB. 1. 9. 3. 19), 

 is '■ not a one-horse affair *" (that is. it is capable, in having two lauds 

 as steeds, more literally '• not a one-bullock cart.") for (as the proverb 

 says) " With a double team one gets where one will," 21. 13. 8. This 

 proverb appears again not of the asthnri but of the " wheeler " at 16. 15. 4 ; 

 aiid again at 23. 3. 8. of the winged bird (figure of rite), yatra yatra hi 

 pciHl kdiuayalr lad tad ahhyasmitc (in this form also at 24. 3. 3 ; 25. 3. 4). 

 At 25. 1 . (>, the cakrrc'aiii form has tad tad for fad, and at 20. 13. 2, yatra 

 yatra . . tad tad. The contrasting sthdri is found at 18. 9. 17, stJmri yava- 

 citaiii (TB, 1. 8. 2. 4, acchdvakasya), and it is contrasted at 16. 13. 12, as 

 a one-horse team going one krosa. with the dvyoga, pra^t/vdhin, and catur- 

 vdhin teams, with two, three, and four hoi-ses respectively, going a krosa 

 farther apiece (on fastenings, 16. 1.13: carrying ib. 10. 8; chaunt at wheel, 

 18. 7. 12—13: sound of car fastened -'spoke by spoke" follows devaratha 

 rathantara. 7. 8. 8—9 {ankdu and rein-liolders, 1. 7. 5—8 = TS. 1. 7. 7. 2: 

 TB. 1. 3. 5. 4). 



