Tr. These are the grains dripping with ghee; here may the coursers bring Indra in his happiest car.
imāḥ these in the front, prepared of ghee and hence; ghṛtasnuvaḥ dripping with ghee; towards those dhānāḥ parched barley and rice grains; hari steeds of Indra; iha in this sacrificial action; indram Indra; sukhatame rathe seating in the happiest car; upavakşataḥ may they bring near to the altar; Vedic present in the sense of prayer usually expressed by Benedictive or Imperative.
Being well fried in ghee, the parched barley and rice grains drip with the ghee. They are to enthuse the steeds. Skandasvamin has it that they are the share of the steeds, in the sacrifice, the residue of Soma and grains. In this purport according to the external sacrifice, its essential term dhānāḥ, grains, means customarily fried barley and rice. What we had stated earlier in this connection must be recollected here viz., substances used in sacrifice like ghee, milk, curds are symbolic; barley, rice and preparations from them like parched rice, ground rice, denote connection with the material body. Though dhānam, dhāni and dhānāḥ are, all three of them, forms of the root dadh to hold, by differentiation in usage, dhānam or dhāni means holding vessel or seat; but not so dhānāh. But still this sustaining of the body, the dripping of ghee meaning the brilliance of the intelligence, are to be understood by reason of their constituent significance, symbolic meaning and the use of the term ghặtasnuvaḥ as an adjective. In the outer sacrifice, dhānāḥ, grains are the eats of the horses. In the inner sacrifice they are special sustaining powers in the physical body enjoyable by luminous life-powers. Generally it is spoken of everywhere in the Rik Samhita that the dhānāḥ grains are cooked for Indra himself. It is only in works on ritual that the grains are said to be the share of the horses. Even then the inner significance is demonstrated. There are many Mantras that are conclusive that dhānāḥ, grains, are for Indra himself. It must be understood that the 'ghee-dripping grains to be received by Indra are special luminous powers of the intellect lodged in the material body. Such grains are fit to be received by Indra the master of the divinely illumined Mind-plane. Submitting to Indra, these grains, mutually well-combined, the Rishi prays daily • Eat'; 'Day by day eat the grains that are befitting' (3.35.3). Elsewhere, 'He who presses Soma, this day, for Indra, cooks the brew and fries the grains' (4.24.7). When the symbolic nature of the substances used in sacrifice is considered, the constituent significance of terms like milk, grain, etc. opens the door on the esoteric meaning. This somewhat detailed elucidation has been done while considering the term drānāḥ, grains, in order to show that the Mantras meant for the inner sacrifice deliberately set substances like grains as symbolic and proceed thereupon.