The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c17.s6.4

v1.c17.s6.4

The meaning of the word as 'he who grows in his mother' is clearly authentic:³ the root is *çu*, and the formation of the word is not open to serious exception; the accent, which is on the third syllable, is due to the analogy of such words as *prātarítvan*. The nature of the god can hardly be doubted in view of his relation to Agni: he must be the Agni who descends to earth in the form of lightning, and who like Agni himself grows in his mother. The only alternative view which has any plausibility is that of Oldenberg⁴ who sees in him a Prometheus only, without any divine nature other than the bringing down of fire. This view is, however, open to the fatal objection that it is only reasonable to interpret the Prometheus legend in itself in the sense of the descent of fire; the god originally himself descends: it is later speculation which makes an independent personage the cause of his descent.