Ceremonial disposal of the "asva" carcass ?

[Michael Witzel]

PK Manansala:
>While it is true that rice is not specifically mentioned in the Vedic
>version, there is a bit of interesting information in these passages:
>       1.162.18 The axe penetrates the thirty-four ribs
>      of the swift horse; ...

>(Other breeds have 18 pairs, Arabian has 19 pairs).


So you checked.

After checking the two RV hymns for any (vague) references to rice/odana at
home yesterday, I was about to do the same, for zoology, to have reliable
information. I know, of course, about the Arabian horse, but what we need
is good information, such as the RV one, on the distribution of the various
types of horses *early on*.
More later on.

At any rate, all of this  does *not* yet solve the initial problem : how a
VERY long gone pre-prehistoric type of horse (the Sivalensis) could have
effected the emergence of 17 pairs of ribs in Indian (Rgvedic) horses.
(And how the Arabian one could sprout another 4 extra ribs...)

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