29. By upward roads, full of wind, by distant (pára) ones, stepping over those that are lower (ávara), thrice seven times did the departed (páreta) seers bear back death with the track-obstructor.
Ppp. reads for b apakrāmanto duritaṁ parehi. In Kāuç. 71. 18 and 86. 21, this verse is quoted with vs. 22 'for the purpose expressed in the texts' (mantroktam); and in 71. 19 and in 86. 22 the second half-verse is quoted to accompany 'the effacement (lup) of the tracks to the streams.' ⌊W's "(lup)" was intended to express his doubt as to the warrantableness of Bloomfield's change of lup to yup. Caland expresses the same doubt, WZKM. viii. 369: cf. his Todtengebräuche, p. 120.⌋
30. Come ye, obstructing the track of death, assuming further on a longer life-time; sitting in your station, thrust ye [away] death; then may we, living, speak to the council.
The first half-verse is RV. x. 18. 2 a, b, and is found also in TA. (vi. 10. 2); for our é ’ta, RV. reads yád āíta, TA. yád āima (āima unaccented, unless there is a misprint ⌊Poona ed. rightly āíma, p. 444⌋); and TA. has pratarā́m in b. ⌊Cf. MGS. ii. i. 13 and p. 153.⌋ The verse is quoted in Kāuç. 71. 20 and 86. 23 in connection with doing something to (symbolical) boats; and the second half-verse in Kāuç. 72. 10. Ppp. reads pratiram in b, and jīvās in d, thus in the latter pāda rectifying the meter. The Anukr. takes no notice of the irregularities in a and d, perhaps because they balance each other. ⌊As to vidátham, cf. note to vs. 22, and Bloomfield in JAOS. xix.2 14.⌋
31. Let these women, not widows, well-spoused, touch themselves with ointment, with butter; tearless, without disease, with good treasures
(-rátna), let the wives ascend first to the place of union (yóni).
This verse is repeated below, as xviii. 3. 57. It is RV. x. 18. 7, and found also in TA. (vi. 10. 2). RV. has viçantu, and TA. mṛçantām, for our spṛçantām in b, and TA. suçévas for surátnās in c; RV. also combines anaçrávo ‘nam- in c. Ppp. reads saṁ viçanta in b; and it adds another corresponding verse for the men: ime vīrar avidhavās sujānayā narā ”ñjanena sarpiṣā etc. (d) syonād yoner adhi talpaṁ vṛheyuḥ ⌊intending ruheyuḥ⌋. With our verse, in Kāuç. 72. 11, grass shoots dipped in butter are handed to the women; and 72. 12 appears to quote the Ppp. verse (the pratīka is given as ime jīvā avidhavāḥ sujāmaya) to accompany a similar act to the men.
32. I separate (vy-ā-kṛ) these two by oblation; I shape them apart with a spell (bráhman); I make for the Fathers unwasting svadhā́; I unite these with a long life-time.
Ppp. reads for c sudhāṁ pitṛbhyo amṛtam duhānā. From Vāit. 6. 2 the separation would appear to be that of the other two fires when taken from the householder's fire; but Kāuç. 70. 10 has it repeated while one looks upon the householder's and the flesh-eating fires; the latter is most likely to be its true application. It is also quoted in Kāuç. 72. 13 with several other verses, from this hymn and elsewhere, as noted under vs. 24.
33. What Agni, O Fathers, hath entered into our hearts, an immortal into mortals, that god do I enclose in me; let him not hate us, nor let us [hate] him.
