10 Puroḍāśa

(10) I draw the attention of the readers to the translation of the following text places from the Āpastamba-srautasūtra in this work:

VIII.18.5; IX.4.11; IX.14.11; X.5.11-13; X.24.3; XII.5.6; XIII.13.9; XIV.22.13; XVI.35.10; XVII.5.3; XVIII.7.8; XVIII.8.14; XVIII.8.19; XVIII.19.8; XVIII.22.3; XIX. 15.9; XX.25.1; XXI.3.3; XXII.2.23; XXII.14.22; XXIII.7.7.

Everywhere I translate the word Puroḍāśa with the English Expression “bread". Generally the translators in English German, French use the word “cake” or a corresponding word to “cake”. If we take into consideration the preparation of Puroḍāśa we notice that it is simple-most form of a “bread” rather than of a “cake”. Moreover cake is always sweet. Bread is rather “tasteless”, as is Puroḍāśa. Further, in actual practice, the followers of Black Yajurveda roast the flour of rice in an iron pan and then pour water on it. This is similar to the preparation of the South-Indian food-item called “upmā”.+++(5)+++ In the Vedic texts there is no support for this. The followers of white Yajurveda do not do this. They prepare the bread by keeping a ball of flour mixed with water and by convering it with fire. The followers of Black Yajurveda, after preparing a thing similar to upmā, keep it on the potsherds and cover it with fire. The followers of Black Yajurveda belong to South India; that is the reason, perhaps, why their preparation of the sacrificial bread is influenced by the preparation of upmā.

I translate the word valmika-uapā by the following expression: “fossilized ant-hill”.