Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/421

877 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 224$19$ (carudvayam), though not at 176$23$.⌋

⌊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. 202$5$: 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.

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.

25. What vessels covered with cakes the gods maintained for thee, be they for thee rich in svadhā́, rich in honey, dripping with ghee.