MR J. MUIR ON THE PRINCIPAL DEITIES OF THE RIGVEDA. 561 



youthful as well as ancient, undecaying, strong, agile, heroic, martial, all-conquer- 

 ing, lord of unbounded wisdom and irresistible power, wielder of the lightnings, &c., 

 &c. He has vigour in his body, strength in his arms, a thunderbolt in his hand, 

 and wisdom in his head. He assumes the most beautiful forms, and is invested 

 with all the splendour of the sun. The Vedic poets have described a few of 

 the features of his personal appearance. The epithet which is most constantly 

 applied to him is Susipra or Siprin, — in the interpretation of which the Indian 

 commentator wavers "between god with the handsome cheeks or nose," and 

 " the god with the shining helmet or turban." He is also called " the ruddy- 

 cheeked," the "ruddy-haired," the "ruddy, or golden-hued." He wears a ruddy, 

 or golden beard, which is violently agitated when he puts himself in motion. He 

 is also called the "iron god," which the commentator explains to mean that he 

 wears a coat of iron mail. But his forms are endless ; he can assume any shape 

 he pleases. Holding in his hand a golden whip, he is mounted on a golden car, 

 which moves more swiftly than thought, drawn by two ruddy or tawny steeds, 

 snorting, neighing, and irresistible, with flowing golden manes, hair like peacock's 

 feathers, and tails like peacocks. He is also said to be borne along by the horses of 

 the sun; or, by a natural and obvious image, by the horses of the wind (Vata). 

 He is armed with a thunderbolt, forged by Tvashtri, the Indian Vulcan, which is 

 variously described as of gold and of iron, as four-angled, as ending in a hundred, 

 and a thousand points. He is elsewhere said to carry a bow, and to discharge 

 arrows with a hundred points, and winged with a thousand feathers. Invoked 

 by his mortal worshippers, he speedily obeys their summons, and arrives in his 

 chariot to receive their offerings. He finds food prepared for his horses, and 

 large libations of the juice of the soma plant \Asdep)ias acida, or Sarcostemma 

 viminale) are poured out for himself to quaff. All the gods, we are told, hasten 

 eagerly, when invited, to partake of this beverage, but Indra is particularly 

 addicted to the indulgence, and seems to be dependent upon it for all his valour 

 and energy. His mother gave him this juice to drink on the very day of his 

 birth. Exhilarated by copious draughts of this elixir, and fortified by the 

 encouragement both of gods and men (who are even said to place the thunderbolt 

 in his hand), Indra hurries off, escorted by troops of Maruts or Winds, and some- 

 times attended by his faithful comrade Vishnu, or by Agni, or by Vayu, to 

 encounter the hostile powers in the atmosphere, who malevolently shut up the 

 liquid treasures of the clouds. These demons of drought, who are called by a 

 great variety of names, such as Ahi, Vrittra, Sushna, Namuchi, &c., &c., and who, 

 on their side, also, are armed with every variety of celestial artillery, vainly 

 attempt to resist the onset of the god. Heaven and earth quake with affright 

 at the crash of Indra's thunder, and even Tvashtri himself, the forger of that 

 thunder, trembles at the noise of his own handiwork, and at the fury of the 

 impetuous deity by whom it is wielded. The enemies of Indra are speedily 



