Manava Dharmashastra 3.247

3.247

munirvānaprasthaḥ, tasyānnāni āraṇyāni nīvārādīni | etacca pradarśanaṃ grāmyāṇāmapi vrīhyādīnām | tathā'rvācīne śloke sarvagrahaṇam | uttaratra ca "haviryaccirarātrāyeti” prakramya “tilairvrīhiyavairmāṣairiti” grāmyāṇāmapyanukramaṇam | payaḥ kṣīram | tadvikārā api dadhyādayo gṛhyante, smṛtisamācārābhyām | soma oṣadhiviśeṣaḥ | anupaskṛtamadhikṛtamapratiṣiddham | sūnāmāṃsādyanupaskṛtam | akṣāralavaṇam | atra saṃdihyate- "kiṃ dvandvagarbho nañsamāsaḥ, uta nañsamāsa eva | akṣāralavaṇam, uta lavaṇaviśeṣaḥ 'kṣāralavaṇaṃ' tato'nyadabhyanujñāyate |” lavaṇamevaṃ bhavitumarham | dvandvagarbhe hi vṛttidvayamāśrayaṇīyam | pratipadaṃ ca nañaḥ sambandhabhedaḥ | tadguru bhavati |
prakṛtyā haviranāśrite viśeṣe etadvijñeyam | 'haviṣyeṇa vartate', 'haviṣyātprātarāśādūrdhva' ityādi sāmānyacodanāsu tadviṣayaṃ jñeyam |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Hermit’—i.e., the Vānaprastha; his ‘food’ consists of the Nīvāra and other wild-growing grains; this is mentioned only by way of illustration; it indicates the Vrīhi and other similar grains; and it is in view of this that in the preceding verse we have the phrase ‘of all kinds,’ and also in the verse 266, the expression, ‘sacrificial food which serves for a long time,’ which introduces the enumeration of artificially grown grains also, such as ‘tila, vrīhi, yava, māṣa,’ and so forth.

‘Milk’—which includes its preparations, such as curds and the like; such being the sense of Smṛtis and also sanctioned by usage.

‘Unforbidden’—sanctioned, not prohibited. Meat obtained from slaughter-houses is regarded as ‘forbidden.’

‘Akṣāralavaṇa’—A doubt arises here as to whether this is a negative compound containing a copulative one, or a purely negative compound. Does it mean merely ‘absence of salts and alkalines’ (as it would, if it were a negative compound with a copulative one), or is ‘kṣāra-kavaṇa’ (alkaline salt) the name of a particular kind of salt, and the text permits the use of salts other than that kind ? It appears better to take it as standing for a particular kind of salt. If it meant the mere negation of a copulative compound, there would be two compounds, and the negative particle would have to be construed with each of the two members of the copulative compound; and all this would involve a great deal of complication.

‘Sacrificial food, by nature;’—that is, all this is to be regarded as ‘sacrificial food,’ without any qualifications; this is what is to be understood to be the meaning in all such general injunctions as ‘he lives upon sacrificial food,’ breakfasts on sacrificial food,’ and so forth—(257).