Manava Dharmashastra 4.223

4.223

aviśeṣeṇa śūdrānnaṃ pratiṣiddhaṃ tasyedānīṃ viśiṣṭaviṣayatocyate aśrāddhinaḥ | "ka punaḥ śūdrānnaṃ pratiṣiddham" | "śūdrasyocchiṣṭameva ca" ( 4 | 211 ) ityatra | nanu ca tatra śūdrasyocchiṣṭaṃ pratiṣiddhaṃ nānyadannam | neti brūmaḥ | evaṃ tatra sambandhaḥ | 'śūdrasyānnaṃ nādyāducchiṣṭamanyasyāpi' | yattu prāgvyākhyātaṃ tatpūrveṣāṃ darśanamityasmābhirapi saṃvarṇitam | aśrāddhinaḥ śrāddhaśabdena pākayajñādikriyā śūdrasya vihitā lakṣyate | tatastatkriyānanuṣṭhāyinaḥ | sacchū drādanyasya yatpakamannaṃ tannādyāt | aśraddhina iti vā pāṭhaḥ | aśraddhāvānityarthaḥ | tathā cottaraśloke śraddhāyāḥ prādhānyamevāha "vadānyasyeti" | āmaṃ śuṣkaṃ dhānyaṃ taṇḍulādi | tathaikarātrikamekasminnahani paryāptaṃ na bahu |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Śūdra’s food has been forbidden generally; and particular details regarding it are now laid down—‘who does not perform Śrūddhas.

“Where has Śūdra’s food been forbidden?”

It has been forbidden in 4. 211.

“What is forbidden there is Śūdra’s leavings, and not other kinds of food.”

Not so; the said verse (211) is to be construed as—‘the Śūdra’s food should not be eaten, nor the leavings of others.’ The explanation that we gave above of this verse, was in accordance with the older Commentators; as we clearly pointed out there.

‘Who does not perform Śrāddhas.’—‘Śrāddha’ here stands for the sacrificing of cooked food and such other rites as have been prescribed for the Śūdra; hence, the meaning is ‘who does nor perform these rites.’ What is meant is that ‘one shall not eat the cooked food of any Śūdra, except those of the better class.’

Another reading is ‘aśraddhinaḥ’ (for ‘aśrāddhinaḥ); which means, ‘who is devoid of faith;’ in the next verse also we find special stress laid down upon ‘faith,’ by the term ‘vadānya,’ ‘liberal.’

‘Raw’—dry; paddy, rice, and so forth.

‘Sufficient for one day’—just that quantity which may suffice for one day,—not more.—(223)