of defence, and he is a castle,[1] just as Gwydion was a thick door of protection.
2. With regard to wisdom and poetry he is the most sagacious of the wise[2] and the most skilled in song;[3] he is called an old friend of the poets,[4] and he is not unfrequently associated with an ancient race of singers known by the name of Angiras;[5] he has assumed the inspiration of prophets,[6] and he can take all forms through his magic power;[7] lastly, he gives his friends faithful guidance,[8] like Ogmios or Mercury.
3. Daylight and rain are among the chief boons conferred on man by Indra; so he is described as recovering from the dark powers the dawns and the rains,[9] which in Sanskrit phraseology are called the cows:[10] in other terms, he is said to split open the sides of the mountain in order to bring forth the cows from their stone prison, to overthrow the mountain or to dissolve it for the same purpose.[11] It is right, however, to call attention to the
- ↑ See Rig-Veda, viij. 69, 7; also p. 188 of the Journal of the American Oriental Society for 1882-5, in which a long and elaborate paper has been published on Indra in the Rig-Veda, by Dr. E. D. Perry.
- ↑ Perry, p. 196 (Rig-Veda, x. 112, 9).
- ↑ Ib. (Rig-Veda, i. 100, 4).
- ↑ Ib. p. 188 (Rig-Veda, vi. 18, 5, The Rig Veda/Mandala 6/Hymn 21|vi. 21. 5, 8]]).
- ↑ Bergaigne, i. 150 (Rig-Veda, x. 108, 8), ij. 175, 183; Perry, pp. 140-1 (Rig-Veda, i. 62, 3, i. 83, 4, iv. 16, 8).
- ↑ Perry, p. 196 (Rig-Veda, iij. 36, 5).
- ↑ Ib. (Rig-Veda, iij. 53, 8, The Rig Veda/Mandala 6/Hymn 47|vi. 47, 18]]).
- ↑ Ib. p. 189 (Rig-Veda, v. 31, 8).
- ↑ Bergaigne, i. pp. xvi, xviii.
- ↑ Ib. ij. 179.
- ↑ Ib. ij. 180 (Rig-Veda, v. 30, 4, vi. 17, 5, vi. 43, 3, viij. 45, 30, x. 112, 8).
