MR J. MUIR ON THE PRINCIPAL DEITIES OF THE RIGVEDA. 577 



river nymphs, but (most of them, at least) personifications of some department of 

 religious worship, or sacred science. In many, or in most, of the passages where 

 Sarasvati is praised, her original character is distinctly preserved, — as, where she is 

 mentioned along with other streams, or characterised as the divinest of rivers, or 

 as one of the seven rivers, or as the mother of rivers, or as flowing pure from the 

 mountains to the sea, or as wearing away the hills on her banks with her impetuous 

 and resounding current. But she is also described as a purifier, as unctuous with 

 butter, as stimulating, directing, and favouring the prayers of the worshippers, as 

 riding on the same chariot with the oblations and with the sainted forefathers, as 

 bringing prosperity and riches, as the source of life, as affording perfect protec- 

 tion, as sheltering her votaries like a tree, as conquering enemies, or delivering 

 from them, as the wife of a heroic husband, as carrying a golden spear, as a slayer 

 of foes or of Vrittra, and as filling the terrestrial and intermediate regions. 



In the later mythology, Sarasvati became the wife of the god Brahma, and is 

 regarded as the goddess of eloquence, in which capacity she is frequently invoked, 

 much in the same fashion as the Muses were by the Greeks. 



The other goddesses of the Veda are not of much consequence. We have, 

 indeed, a Varunanl, an Indrani, and an Agnayi, who were regarded as the con- 

 sorts of Varuna, Indra, and Agni, and a Rodasi, who is said by Yaska to be the 

 wife of Rudra, all of whom might therefore have been expected to occupy posi- 

 tions corresponding to the rank of their respective husbands. Such, however, is 

 not the case. They play no such important parts as Juno and Minerva perform in 

 classical mythology. They are rarely mentioned ; except Indrani, they are never 

 associated with their husbands,* and no distinct functions are assigned to them. 



We meet also with a few personifications, such as Sraddha, of religious faith ; 

 Nirriti, of evil; Aranyani, of sylvan solitude, &c. &c. 



Though it thus appears that in the Vedic age there was no female divinity of 

 much importance, the case has been far otherwise in later times. Passing over 

 the consorts of Vishnu, and of his incarnate representatives, Rama and Krishna, 

 I need only refer to the spouse of Mahadeva, who, under the names of Uma, Par- 

 vati, Durga, Kali, &c., has held a prominent place in Indian mythology ever since 

 the age of the great Epic poems, who still continues to be one of the principal 

 objects of popular terror and adoration in all parts of India, and who is identified 

 by some of the Brahmanical sectaries with the great divine Energy from which 

 the creation of the universe is declared to have proceeded. 



* In iii. 53, 4 ff. Indra is thus addressed : — "A wife, Indra, is one's home ; she is a man's dwell- 

 ing : therefore let thy horses be yoked, and carry thee thither. But whenever we pour forth a libation 

 of soma, then may Agni hasten to call thee. Depart, Indi-a ; come hither, brother Indra ; in both 

 quarters thou hast inducements. Whenever thy great chariot halts, thy steed is unharnessed. 

 Depart, Indra, to thy home; thou hast drunk the soma; thou hast a handsome wife, and pleasure 

 in thy house. Wherever thy great chariot halts, thy steed should be unharnessed." 



