Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

In the first place attention was drawn to the fact that the Indian word deva a god was indentical with Latin deus and with the word tivar which is used to denote the gods in the religious songs of the ancient Norwegians: the word itself was clearly derived from the root div to shine which is also found in the word dyaus the sky day. [...] Siirya the sun was the force of light and warmth Agni was fire itself and Dyaus-pith was the idea of fatherhood the active generating force as seen in the sky from which the rain came and fertilised the eternal force of generation hidden in Earth. [...] When we come to consider the question of the difference in language between the works of the original Namadeva and Jfianebvara the first thing that strikes us is the uncertainty of this criterion. [...] There is however another question to be cosidered namely that of the evident differences that we observe between the vocabulary and the forms of grammar to be found in the poems of Eidnevara on the one hand and of Namadeva on the other. [...] How can these differences be reconciled with the view that the two poets were contemporaries ? In deciding this question it is important that we should keep in view such matters as the native place of the authors concerned and the vocabulary there current the culture and education of each the subjects treated of and the terminology required in that72 Annals of the Bhandarkar Institute.