Abstract
The four-eyed dog is found in the Yama cycle of the Rig Veda, where two four-eyed dogs lead the dead to the fathers in heaven. In the Avestan Videvdat, however, a white dog, spotted with yellow on the ears, plays an important role in the funeral rites, and among the modern Parsees it appears at the Sag-did ceremonies again.
Ethnography supports the dog and spottedness symbolism in the wide territorial extent and requires some correction of views which, for example, the late Rev. M. Modi has expounded.
Originally the two dogs represented the death and the rebirth, which later have been incorporated in one dog with spotted colour and four eyes.
The writer also interprets, against Prof. P. Thieme, Rig Vedic çvagbnin- as one who playing dice at the rite of passage gains two aces, a deuce-ace, and sacrifices the four-eyed dog in order to become sacred, renovate oneself and get rebirth.
