The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c19.s4.72

c19.s4.72

67. In this connection, it may be interesting that the words Baudhāyana uses for describing the posting of the vaiśya (*tāṃ dakṣiṇato gopāyann āste*) could be interpreted as “he keeps himself south of it (the anthill), acting as a cowherd.” The anthill and the loam pit thus seem to be simple emblems of what the systematized rite actually stands for, conquest of head and cattle (see also above, n. 20).