The Vedic fathers of geology

48 Tur Vepic Fararers or GroLoey.

as such the oldest’ and the greatest of them all (gaat hk. ४, 1. 32.5). Here, the expression the first born of Serpents and the oldest and the greatest of them all ( प्रथम नासडहीना--- चतरं )

is really pregnant with meaning, and there

fore will require an explanation, which |

will presently offer. But, before 1 do that, I

must remind the reader, that Indra’s a or

thunderbolt represents Jightning, while the

clouds that hold water are represented as Ser-

pents. These had held off by force ( aréat KR. Y.

J. 32. 8 ) the rain-waters, and thereby prevent-

ed them ( ar: vafaza R. V.1.32. 8) from fall-

ing on the Land of the Seven Rivers. Indra,

therefore, by means of his thunderbolt clea ved the Serpents (ft [ar] ) and rent asunder the clouds.

The waters then forth-with trickled down trom

the clouds ( ea-eatat stat: ), and flowed to the

६९. (सखवमवजञ्खरापः 1 1६. ए. 1. 32. 2). Thus, the

metaphor is complete, the meaning is clear, and

it is all plain sailing, so far. We shall, therefore,

turn our attention for a while to the expression

“the first born of Serpents’, used in regard to

Vritva, as it has a very deep meaning. Nay, it

nas also vast importance and sigiisicance,

all its own. I shall therefore endeavour to ex-

plain this as briefly as possible.

1 As between Indra and Yvitra, the former is still the more ancient, (Vide ante p 43. R,V.1Y. 30. 1).