Vol. V, No. 4.] The Hero-Gods of the Rigveda. 103 
[N.S.] 
‘¢ Another myth which is not often mentioned and the details 
of which chiefly occur in a single hymn (10,108) is that of the 
capture by Indra of the cows of the Panis (§67).’’ The Panis 
had concealed the cows in a dark cavern closed by two doors 
altered as to mislead anybody looking at them. Indra, Brihas- 
pati and Aydsya at the head of the Angiras family were long 
in search of them. At last with the help of a female called 
acat they found out the place. Then, one evening, they came 
there in a body and broke the cave. Early next morning they 
opened the doors, let in the rays of the sun and brought out 
the cows. 
pressions like ‘‘ the breaking of the rock or rocky cow-pen,” 
‘lighting up the dark cavern,” etc., were used in describing 
all conquest of cows in later times. And this was the case 
to the region of the clouds, and by at: was meant not ‘‘ a milch 
cow” but figuratively ‘‘light”’ or ‘‘ water. 
The word aq: is derived from the root # to cover and 
means a hiding place, a cavern, a cave. The phrase aT 
occurs in four places in the Rigveda, namely, IV, 1-13; V,31-3; 
VII, 104-3 and the present rik X, 8-7. In VII, 104-3 Indra 
and Soma have been asked to throw the evil-doer into 44 
t aafa—a bottomless dark cavern. In the first two riks 
milch cows concealed in a2 @=t!—dark cavern—are said to have 
been released. I have no doubt in the present rik also 4% WE 
refers to the dark cavern where the cows of the son of Tvasta 
were confined. This shews the relation of riks 7 and 8. Rik 7 
speaks of the preparation preliminary to the attack of the 
place where the cows had been concealed, and Rik 8 of the actual 
conquest. : 7 
This brings us to the word wifa! The word is ordinarily 
derived from ¥t to meditate and it then means primarily 
“thought.” One of its secondary meanings is a hymn, @ com- 
position in praise of a god, a prayer in the present rik the 
word is not so derived. Here it is derived from uta form - 
@t to shine, and the word ¥ifa means light. “aa qe: ita yee. 
of this rik is exactly the same thing as Cqafa sffafcaea”’ of rik 
~ 67-4. 
saat svat qe wHat ar yet fasdlesae Fat | 
aeufaaate aitfafieqeet sats fe fre aa! 
ye | e918 
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