 There are disputes on what "bites the dirt" means in sayana’s commentary in the 14th century- which means the phrase had gone out of style in India at this time as most people began to be cremated instead of buried.But reading the padbandha, it's very clear that it refers to the wood-pyre eating earth, not the deceased human.mā mām edho daśatayaś cito dhāk pra yad vām baddhas tmani khādati kśāṃ
Note the use of 3rd person singular verb ending -ti for khād (to eat).