The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c8.s1.14

c8.s1.14

In the first place Mitra and Varuṇa—in contradistinction to the *Śatapatha* version—here come into their own as the prime movers of Iḍā.¹⁹ But the main point is the ghee-dripping foot or footprint of the divine Iḍā cow. This spot, the *iḍás* or *íḍāyās padá*, is said to be the best spot, the top or the navel of the earth, in other words, the creative center of the world. There Agni, the offering fire and primordial hotṛ priest, has his seat or birthplace.²⁰ Not surprisingly, Iḍā is both the mother and the daughter of Agni.²¹ Her footprint is the primeval place of sacrifice and as such is associated with Manu, prototype of the sacrificer and progenitor of the human race. This, it would seem, gives Iḍā and her rite a firmer, more cogent ritual charter than the loosely connected flood story. But we still have to look further into the connection of the ghee-filled footprint, characteristic of Iḍā, with the sacrificial meal.