II. 104 the charge of a 'magician' is furiously
repudiated; yet do an incantation against a rival wife, a mocking hymn
of exultation after subduing rivals, and a few other hymns of like
sort show that magical practices were well known.[55]

The sacrifice occupies a high place in the religion of the Rig Veda,
but it is not all-important, as it is later. Nevertheless, the same
presumptuous assumption that the gods depend on earthly sacrifice is
often made; the result of which, even before the collection was
complete (IV. 50), was to teach that gods and men depended on the will
of the wise men who knew how properly to conduct a sacrifice, the
key-note of religious pride in the Brahmanic period.

Indra depends on the sacrificial _soma_ to accomplish his great works.
The gods first got power through the sacrificial fire and _soma_.[56]
That images of the gods were supposed to be powerful may be inferred
from the late verses, "who buys this Indra," etc. (above), but
allusions to idolatry are elsewhere extremely doubtful.[57]

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Compare T[=a]itt. S. VII. 4.2.1. The gods win
immortality by means of 'sacrifice' in this later
priest-ridden period.]

[Footnote 2: Ludwig (IV. p. 134) wrongly understands a hell
here.]

[Footnote 3: 'Yama's seat' is here what it is in the epic,
not a chapel (Pischel), but a home.]

[Footnote 4: This may mean 'to Yama (and) to death.' In the
Atharva Veda, V. 24. 13-14, it is said that Death is the
lord of men; Yama, of the Manes.]

[Footnote 5: It is here said, also, that the 'Gandharva in
the waters and the water-woman' are the ties of
consanguinity between Yama and Yam[=i], which means,
apparently, that their parents were Moon and Water; a late
idea, as in viii. 48. 13 (unique).]

[Footnote 6: The passage, X. 17, 1-2, is perhaps meant as a
riddle, as Bloomfield suggests (JAOS. XV. p. 172). At any
rate, it is still a dubious passage. Compare Hillebrandt,
_Vedische Mythologie_, I. p. 503.]

[Footnote 7: Cited by Scherman, _Visionslitteratur_, p.
147.]

[Footnote 8: Possibly, 'streams.']

[Footnote 9: AV. XVIII. 3. 13.]

[Footnote 10: Compare AV. VI. 88. 2: "King Varuna and God
Brihaspati," where both are gods.]

[Footnote 11: [Greek: Kerberos](=Cabala)=_C[=a]rvara_.
Saram[=a]