to 3. 25); next, eight more (Kāuç. 86. 3) in the eight directions, with 8 vss. of our present sequence, that is, 4. 16-23; and then the eleventh and last dish in the center with our 4. 24, according to Kāuç. 86. 4, where we are to read (see under vs. 24) madhye ‘pavantam (for pacantam), 'in the center [a dish] with water.'⌋ *⌊So we must read, with three of Bloomfield's mss., as Caland suggests, Todtengebräuche, p. 152, and as the AV. comm. makes plain at 22419 (carudvayam), though not at 17623.⌋
⌊TA. vi. 8 reads thus: apūpávān ghṛtávāṅç carúr é ‘há sīdatū ’ttabhnuván pṛthivī́ṁ dyā́m utó ’pári: yonikṛ́taḥ pathikṛ́taḥ saparyata yé devā́nāṁ ghṛtábhāgā ihá sthá: eṣā́ te yamasā́dane svadhā́ ní dhīyate gṛhè ‘sāu: dáçākṣarā [:] tā́m rakṣasva etc. etc.—This set of mantras is metrical as far as gṛhé inclusive, 7 (8?) + 8 + 12: 12 + 11: 8 + 8; then prose. It accompanies the deposition of the cakes with a dish of ghee to the east of the bone-relics, and is followed by four other sets, which are not given in full in TA., but may, with the help of Sāyaṇa, be reconstructed as ūhas of this set. The order of deposition is (strangely) pradakṣiṇa, that is, from E. to S. to W. to N. and center. In the first set (used at the east) the words to be replaced are ghṛtávān, ghṛtábhāgās, and dáçākṣarā; and they are replaced in the second set (south) by çṛtávān, çṛtábhāgās, and çatā́kṣarā respectively; in the third set (west), by kṣīrávān, kṣīrábhāgās, and sahásrākṣarā; in the fourth set (north), by dádhivān, dádhibhāgās, and ayútākṣarā; and in the fifth set (center), by mádhumān, mádhubhāgās, and ácyutākṣarā. Thus the mantra of the last set would begin apūpávān mádhumān etc., for the deposition of cakes is common to that of all the dishes (so AV. comm., p. 2025: apūpasāhityaṁ sarveṣāṁ carūṇāṁ sādhāraṇam).⌋
17. Rich in cakes, rich in curds (dádhi-), let the dish etc. etc.
18. Rich in cakes, rich in drops (drapsá-), let the dish etc. etc.
Our O. reads drápsa-, ⌊and so does one of SPP's mss.⌋. According to the comm., drapsa signifies "particles of curds" (dadhikaṇās).
19. Rich in cakes, rich in ghee, let the dish etc. etc.
20. Rich in cakes, rich in flesh (māṅsá-), let the dish etc. etc.
21. Rich in cakes, rich in food, let the dish etc. etc.
22. Rich in cakes, rich in honey, let the dish etc. etc.
23. Rich in cakes, rich in sap, let the dish etc. etc.
24. Rich in cakes, rich in water (ápa-), let the dish etc. etc.
Instead of apavant in this verse, the comm. has a second time apūpavant, explaining that it means cakes of a different material. In the five dishes of TA. (vi. 8) are contained respectively (besides the cakes), ghee, boiled flesh (çṛtá), milk, curds, and honey. ⌊Caland's suggestion of ‘pavantam for pacantam at Kāuç. 86. 4 (see WZKM. viii. 369) brings the text of Kāuç. into harmony with ápavāṅs of this vs.: cf. ¶3 of the notes to vs. 16.⌋
25. What vessels covered with cakes the gods maintained for thee, be they for thee rich in svadhā́, rich in honey, dripping with ghee.
This is a ⌊precise⌋ repetition of 3. 68 above. While most of the mss. quote it, as usual, by the first words with íty ékā added, two (O.R.) write it in full. According to the comm., the verse follows the deposition of the nine dishes; and it adds: "one should put on mixed grains"; the Kāuç. makes no mention of it.
