Manava Dharmashastra 2.186

2.186

dūragrahṇamaparigṛhītadeśopalakṣaṇārtham | grāmātkila dūramaraṇyaṃ, na ca tatra kasyacitparigrahaḥ | anupakṣaṇe hi dūrārthe kiyad ramityanavasthitaḥ śāstrārthaḥ syāt | āhṛtya ānīya | saṃnidadhyātsthāpayet | vihāyasi gṛhasyopari | na hi nirālambane'ntarikṣe nidhānaṃ sambhavati | tābhiḥ sāyaṃprātarjuhuyāt | āharaṇaṃ tu tātkālikamanyadā vecchayā | vihāyasi nidhānamadṛṣṭārthamityāhuḥ | anye tu bruvate sampratyānīyamānaṃ vṛkṣādāru ārdraṃ bhavatīti, gṛhasyopari anyasya vā prākārādeḥ tannidhātavyam |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The term ‘distance’ is meant to stand for such plots of land as are not owned by any one; for instance, the forest is ‘distant’ from the village, and it is not owned by any one. If such were not the meaning, and ‘distance’ simply meant ‘remote places,’—then since the exact degree of remoteness is not specified, the manning of the injunction would remain indefinite.

‘Having fetched’—having brought.

‘Should place’—should keep.

‘In the air’—i.e., on the roof of the house; no placing is possible in the open air, without some support.

‘With these he should make offerings morning and evening.’

The fetching of the fuel may he at that or at any other time, according as the student pleases.

Some people regard the ‘placing in the air’ as serving some transcendental purpose. Others have however held that the fuel brought fresh from the tree is wet; and hence it is necessary to place it either on the top of the house or on that of a wall, etc. (for the purpose of drying).—(186)