rīṭyā (also pronounced riṭhyā), kauryā "Mottled," and "Spotty." Nicknames of the oxen. However, note the similarity to riṭhā kaurī, "black cowries," which are mentioned elsewhere (e.g., I.12, II.1; see note 186). Possibly, the text implies that these shells (or seeds) magically became the oxen, as the different snakes become the plow parts.