Vol. V, No. 4.] The Hero-Gods of the Rigveda. 101 
[N.8.] 
As regards the several points raised by Professor Macdonell 
in connection with Ydaska’s interpretation of rik I, 105-17, the 
first two can only be briefly answered here. For the relate to 
the whole question of the belief of the Vedic Risis regarding 
the god of the atmosphere. This can be attacked only after a 
great deal of preliminary work has been gone through. 
It is well known to the readers of the Rigveda—both of 
the east and of the west—that the oldest god of this region 
was Vata or Vayu. The whole space between heaven and the 
earth was believed to be filled with air, and the air was a god. 
is two most important attributes were ‘‘ blowing ”? and 
‘*pervasiveness.’’ The importance of this god was afterwards 
very much lessened and a new god of a different character 
new gods T'rita, Indra and few others differed from the older 
ods Dyaus, Prithivi, Surya, etc., im one very important respect. 
new gods were of a different nature. Trita or Indra, for exam- 
ple, was the ruler of the mid-region but there was nothing there— 
neither the air, the clouds, the lightning nor the space itself —with 
which these gods could be identified. This fact appears most 
prominently in Hymn 12 of the IT mandal where the Risi is most 
eloquently trying to prove the existence of Indra to the 
sceptical people—probably a large number of people, for the 
Risi in addressing them uses the word siata:—who found it 
difficult to believe in him as they could not point out any 
the earth. It is simply impossible that the Risi would use 
such language with regard to a place from which Tita would 
pray to the gods to be rescued. And if in ,ik I, 105-17 Trita 
be the god of the atmosphere, his praying to other gods to be 
rescued from the darkness by which he has been overwhelmed 
would be an absurdity. For, the driving of darkness is the 
special function of the atmospheric god. Then if the mid- 
