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tation are prone to belittle the etymology. But there is little gain in pooh-poohing an etymology which will not stay pooh-poohed. The time will never be when any interpretation that disregards this obvious comparison will pass current free from perplexity and misgivings. All settlements 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 important 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-European time, and that he represents, on the impeccable testimony of οὐρανός, some aspect of the heavens, probably the encompassing sky, in accordance with the stem uoru which is its essential element. Rig-Veda 8. 41. 3 states that Varuna, the distinguished god, embraces the all, and Rig-Veda 1. 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 interpretation 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