Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/184

 168 The Religion of the Veda.

of heaven which suggests the god’s salient quality of overseer, be it encompassing sky, be it moon. I choose two other gods es the type of translucent gods, Vishnu and Pﬁshnu ; in both cases we shall he engaged with variant aspects of the sun. This may seem to some minds a suspicious monotony of em pluustion, in feet it is the smashed solar theory. But I am nothing daunted: the sun is important and ever present with early observers; I shall let him ﬁght his own battles.

If I am not mistaken, I have done the cause of Vishnu a service in pointing out that the name itself is compounded of the two words 222' and 5722;, meaning “ through the back." ‘ The leading fact in. Vishuu’s activity in the Veda is that he takes three strides (trad/2:2” w' tram). A passage in the Sﬁma~Veds states that “Vishnu strode through over the back of the earth.” Here the word for “through” is of; the word for “ back ” is stiﬂe (srzu)—-~—the two parts of the name Vishnu. The third of these enormous strides lands Vishnu in the highest heaven, in the bright realm of light, where even the winged birds do not dare to ﬂy.” There in the highest stepping

1 American journal 0f Philology, vol. xvii, p. 428. 9 Sims-Veda 2. 3:024, yew sis/zzzur m’ mémme pftfzivyﬁ Ltd/ii
 * é'ﬂazxi.

3 Rig-Veda I. 155. 3, 5.