 This theory too had its problems, in particular the fact that "Indra" was already evidently a divine figure, and not a man, in the Mittani treaties, where he appears in the company of Mitra and Varuna.That again raises more questions since the treaties echo the Rig Veda's invocation of all three as protectors of contract, again, not a property associated with "Verethragna".However, as Benveniste and Renou demonstrated, many of the objections to the first theory could be negated if the evidence were reviewed in light of the fact that the principal feature of "Verethragna" was not to slay noxious creatures but to overcome obstacles ("verethra"), in particular to unblock the flow of "apas", the waters, the holiest of the elements.