Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/153

 The Prehistoric Gods 137

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tation are prone to belittle the etymology. But there is little gain in pooh-poohing an etymol— ogy which will not stay pooh-poohed. The time will never be when any interpretation that disre- gards this obvious comparison will pass current free from perplexity and misgivings. All settle... ments that do not regard it will be temporary and doomed in the end to be repudiated. It would seem to me that we must accept this im- portant etymology, and submit to its guidance... It shows that Varuna belongs not only to the Indo- Iranian (Aryan) time, but reaches back to the Indo-Eumpean time, and that he represents, on the impeccable testimony of odpcwé's, some aspect of the heavens, probably the encompassing sky, in accordance with the stem gram which is its essential element... Rig-Veda 8. 41. 3 states that Varuna, the distinguished god, embraces the all, and Rig»Veda I. 50. 6 states that Mitra (the sun) is the eye of Varuna. The dualism of Heaven and its eye, the sun, is not less well taken than the dualism sun and moon.

Into the gusty discussion which has grown up in a particular degree around this point of interpreta- tion I would lead my hearers no farther. There is perhaps not a single point in the comparative study of this most important sphere of Aryan religion which