shoulder; in cpd. assapuṭa shoulder-bag, knapsack i.e. a bag containing provisions instr. assupuṭena with provisions. Later exegesis has interpreted this as a bag full of ashes, and vv.ll. as well as Commentators take assa = bhasma ashes (thus also Morris J.P.T.S. 1893, 10 without being able to give an etymology). The word was already misunderstood by Bdhgh. when he explained the Dīgha passage by bhasmapuṭena sīse chārikaṃ okiritvā ti attho DN-a.i.267. After all it is the same as puṭaṃsa (see under aṃsa1)
■ DN.i.98, cp. AN.ii.242 (variant reading bhasma˚); DN-a.i.267 (variant reading bhassa˚).
for aṃsa1, q.v. for etym.