THE REV. W. ST. CLAIE TISDALL^ D.D.^ ON MITHRAISM. 245 



alone, but one famous hymn* in his sole honour speaks of him 

 as having borne both earth and sky, as viewing the races of 

 men without winking, as overspreading earth, stream, and sky, 

 as bearing all the gods (or the Yisva-devas), and as protecting 

 his worshippers from trouble, defeat, and death. He is spoken 

 of as priyatamo nrindin'] (" the most friendly of males ? " " the 

 greatest friend of males ? "). Though Miti-a is the Sungod in 

 the Eig-Veda, yet in later hymns we find his fertilising energy 

 dwelt upon to some extent. Thus in the Atharva Veda,t while 

 Yaruna is god of waters, including especially the ocean, Mitra 

 and he are conjointly gods of rain. In Persia this aspect of his 

 character, that of giver of fertility, was further developed. 



When we turn to the latter country we find Mithra spoken 

 of in the Avesta as son of Ahura Mazda by his own daughter 

 Speiita Armaiti, and as brother of the other Amesha Spehtas^ 

 of Ashi Vanuhi, Sraosha, Eashnu, and many other deities.§ He 

 holds a high position, his praise is sung in long poems,|| he 

 punishes untruth and breaches of faith, presides over justice, 

 and is famed for his wisdom. He sees and hears everything 

 that occurs. He is distinctly the Sungod, as is evident from 

 very many passages, of which it suffices to quote the following : 



" Mithra, owner of broad pastures, the watchful one, do we 

 honour, him whom red, swift, yoked steeds draw in a chariot 

 with one golden wheel : and his spear-points are all-resplendent 

 if one bears offerings towards his abode."ir 



risen, is coming : he who has graciously beheld all beings has compre- 

 hended zeal in mortals." 



* Kig-Veda, Mandala iii, Hymn 59. 



t Eig-Veda, Mandala vii, Hymn 62, si. 4. 



X Atharva- Veda v, 24, sll. 4-5. 



§ Vide Yasna, xlv, 4 ; xxxiv, 10 ; Yasht xvii, 16 ; xvii, 2 ; Yasna xi, 

 2 ; xxxvi, 3 ; xlvii, 2. In the Pahlavi commentary on Vendidad xi, 5 :, 

 Ahura Mazda is husband of other female divinities besides Armaiti 

 cf. Yasna xxxviii, 1 ; Visp. iii, 4. 



II The whole of the long tenth Yasht is in his honour. 

 IT Yasht X, 136 :— 



Mithrem vouru-gaoyaoittm, etc., jagliaurvwhlieni. 

 yahmai aurusha aurvanta 

 y<\khta vasha thanjaswnte 

 aeva cakhra zaranaena : 

 asanasca vispo-bama, 

 yezi-she zaothrw baraiti 

 avi-she maethanem. 

 Notice his loheel (disc ; cakhra =• Skt. cakra\ his red steeds {aurusha — 

 Skt. arusha, used of Agni and his horses), his resplendent spear-points or 

 rays, and his association with Ahura Mazda. 



