Manava Dharmashastra 2.185

2.185

pūrvoktānāṃ vedayahairhīnānāmasambhave sarvaṃ grāmamanapekṣyavarṇavibhāgaṃ vicaret bhrāmyet jīvanārtham | kevalamabhiśastānkṛtapātakatvena prasiddhān adṛṣṭapātakānapi varjayitvā | tathā ca gautamaḥ (a02 sū0 35) “sārvavarṇikaṃ bhaikṣyacaraṇamabhiśastapatitavarjam |”

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘All the aforesaid’—i.e., those not devoid of the Veda and sacrifices and so forth—‘being unavailable’;—‘wander over the whole village’;—he may go over the whole village, irrespectively of caste and other distinctions, for the purpose of obtaining his means of subsistence. Only ‘he should avoid persons of ill-repute’—i.e., those who are known to have committed serious sins, even though they may never have been seen to commit them; Says Gautama (2-35)—‘The begging of alms may be done from all castes, save the disreputable and the fallen.’

‘Having his speech well-controlled’;—i.e., till he obtains the alms, he should not utter any words save those used in the actual begging.—(186)