Verse 6.56

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

विधूमे सन्नमुसले व्यङ्गारे भुक्तवज्जने ।
वृत्ते शरावसम्पाते भिक्षां नित्यं यतिश्चरेत् ॥ ५६ ॥

vidhūme sannamusale vyaṅgāre bhuktavajjane |
vṛtte śarāvasampāte bhikṣāṃ nityaṃ yatiścaret || 56 ||

The renunciate shall go for begging alms at a time when there is no smoke issuing, when the pestle has ceased to ply, when fire embers have been extinguished, when people have eaten, and when the removal of the dishes has been finished.—(56)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

That time at which people have already eaten. Similarly with the other epithets, ‘Vidhūme’ and the rest.

‘Removal of the dishes,’—the throwing away of the dishes in which people have taken their food; when this has been finished.

From all this what follows is that he shall beg for food after the first occasion for the giving of alms, during the first instalment of the cooking, has passed away.

‘When there ie no smoke’ etc., indicate the impossibility of the cooking being done again.

When the pestles have ‘ceased to ply’—i.e., kept aside.—(56)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 3.59);—in Madanapārijāta (p. 375);—in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 562);—and in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 135).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (3-15).—‘He shall beg late, without returning twice to the same house.’

Baudhāyana (2.11-22).—‘He shall go to beg when the pestle lies motionless, when the embers have been extinguished and when the cleaning of the vessels has been finished.’

Baudhāyana (2.18.4-6).—‘Now follows the rule for begging. He shall beg of Brāhmaṇas with houses (Śāliṇa) and those who lead a wandering life (
), after they have finished their Vaiśvadeva-offerings. He shall beg it prefacing with the term Bhavat; he shall stand hogging no longer than the time required for milking a cow.’

Vaśiṣṭha (10.7, 8).—‘Ho shall heg food at seven houses, which he has not selected beforehand,—at the time when the smoke of the kitchen fire has ceased and the pestle lies motionless.’

Viṣṇu (96.6).—‘He shall beg food from a house after the servants of the house have had their meal and when the dishes have been removed.’

Yājñavalkya (3.59).—(See under 55.)

Yama (Parāśaramādhava, p. 563).—‘Pure and with speech in check, he shall beg for pure food daily in the evening.’