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324
VEDIC HYMNS.
irregular gen. plur., referring to ganám mârutam, the Maruthost of the young men; see V, 58, 1. Lanman (p. 515) takes it for a gen. plur. fem., but in that case it could not refer to ráthânâm. Zimmer translates endlos, Bergaigne (II, 400) thinks of new or rejuvenescent mothers.
Verse 11.
Note 1. See III, 26, 6.
Verse 14. Note 1. Usrl, in the morning. Lanman (p. 427) proposes to read ushári, but the metre would be better preserved by reading vrishtví as trisyllabic. The difficulty is the construction of the gerund vrishtví, which refers to the Maruts, and syama sahá, which refers to the sacrificers.
Note 2. On sám yoh, see I, 165, 4, note 2.
The metrical structure of this hymn is interesting. If we represent the foot of eight syllables by a, that of twelve by b, we find the following succession: Tiaba
3 a a a a 12a a ba
4 ba a 5aaa
8 aaa III 6 ba ba m e ba ba
7 ba ba (12 a a a v 10 a ba VI 13 b a ba
15 a ba li a ba ( 14 ba ba
VII
16 baba We find that I contains the question, II the answer, III description of rain, IV prayer and invitation, V praise of the companions, VI prayer, VII conclusion. Comp. Oldenberg's Prolegomena, p. 106 seq. :
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