BOOK " Thou art Aryaman, when tliou, self-controlled, possessest the secret name of the maidens." ^
Agni, again, although along with Indra, Soma, and Parameshthin he is a son of Prajapati,^ is according to the same writers Prajapati himself.
" The man who became Prajapati is the same as this Agni who is kindled on the altar."
This name brings us at once to other equations, for Prajapati is Daksha : he is also Time and Death.
" The gods were afraid of this ender, death, the year which is Prajapati, lest he should by days and nights bring on the end of our life."
Elsewhere Prajapati is Brahma.
"Those men who know Brahma know him who occupies the highest place (Parameshthin) : he who knows Parameshthin and who knows Prajapati, they who know the ancient Brahmana (deity ?), they know Skambha." '
Vishnu the It is scarcely necessary, then, to say that in all the phrases which god.'"^ describe the attributes of Vishnu, the origin of each conception is plainly discernible. He is especially the god who traverses the heaven in three strides, these strides being taken by some commen- tators to denote his manifestations as fire on the earth, as lightning in the atmosphere, and as the sun in heaven, or in other words, his identity with Agni, Vayu, and Surya. By others they are regarded as setting forth the rising, culmination, and setting of the sun ; and there can be litde doubt that the latter idea was at the first most closely associated with the thoudit of Vishnu.* It would seem indeed that these gods are distinguished only when the worshipper wishes to add to the titles of the being whom he invokes in his litanies.
" Agni, Varuna, Mitra, ye gods, give us strength, and ye hosts of Maruts, and Vishnu. May both the Asvins, Rudra, and the wives of the deities, with Pushan, Bhaga, and Sarasvati, be pleased with us.
" I invoke for our protection Indra and Agni, Mitra and Varuna, Aditi, heaven, earth and sky, the Maruts, the mountains, the waters, Vishnu, Pushan, Brahmanaspati, Bhaga, Samsa, and Savitri.
- R. V. V. 3, I ; Muir, Sanskrit quently ascribed to Indra, Varuna,
Texts, pt. iv. ch. ii. sect. i. Vishnu, and Savitri.
- Satapatha Brahmana, xi. I, 6; "Vishnu, thou didst prop asunder
Muir, ib. these two worlds ; thou didst envelope ^ Ath. V. X. 7> 7 ; Muir, Sanskrit the earth on every side with beams of Texts, part iv. p. 17. Skambha is the light." — R. V. vii. 99. 3. supporter or propper, p. 37. This * Muir, Sanskrit Texts, pt. iv. p. function, Dr. Muir remarks, is fre- 57.
