136 The Religion of the Veda
perception at an earlier date than has hitherto been suspected, at a date when the Shemites had not as yet evolved any ethical ideas of quite as fine a flavor as the flat.
Professor Oldenberg is not the only scholar to whom Varuna has suggested the moon. Yet I think that this interpretation, when taken outside of that hypothesis which involves the entire solar system, has not very much in its favor beyond the close dualic connection of Varuna with Mitre, the sun. I confess, moreover, that I am not quite willing to listen to any interpretation of this god which leaves out in the cold Greek Clzipevds'. There has been some phonetic scepticism about the equation nomads-m wiper/(is which time has not justified. Greek oziparvds’ is Indo~European gore-{mos or gory-mas; Sanskrit warmer is Indo-European gram-7:05. The two forms differ no more than, forinstance, Vedic reflexes and muons, “recent,” or Greek drag/mid; and e'rsyrds', “covered.” Here is a situation met with quite often in this kind of inquiry. The interpre tation of the myth is, as usual, not quite certain. Few interpretations of advanced myths are quite certain. Next, the etymology, like that of many etymologies of mythic proper names, likewise brings with it no bonded guaranty. The next step is, that they who do not believe in the interpre
