138 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [April, 1909. 
his foes; .... and Azi Dahak and Spityura sawed Yima in 
twain—(S.B.K., Vol. XXIII. Darmesteter). 
e ©. B. says that Visnu, by the performance of sacrifice, 
became the most excellent of gods. But after a time he lost 
career after death, and the other the earthly career. It will be 
his glorious reign we learn also from the legendary history of 
Persia. According to it the character of Tita ( = Feridoon) 
also was of a mixed nature. 
Among the forefathers of the Parsis, Vivasvan, Yama and 
Trita were not deified. They remained as men, and the memory 
was correctly handed down generation after generation. Not so 
among the Vedic Risis and their forefathers. By them the three 
great kings were deified. But unfortunately even in India they 
end of the Rigvedic period a class of Risis arose who believed 
in one God only and questioned the right of these deified kings 
to occupy the Vedic pantheon. It was by these Risis that the 
position of the Aptya deities was lowered. aes 
3° According to the Brahmanas the word Aptya means 
born of waters. Hymn X, 51 seems to imply that the word 
rs. 
meanings should be rejected as it is inconsistent with the state- 
ments of the Rigveda. 
up as it does not positively follow from Hymn X, 51, while it is 
contradicted by other h mns. 
this epithet for some important act done by him with regard to 
king into the riks under group headed: ‘‘ Two 
Vv Trita,”’ we find that one of these was 
ost daring and beneficent act i ita ob- 
tained the title of Aptya. act done by him that Trita o 
