Manava Dharmashastra 4.248

4.248

edhādatirekeṇa yadanyaddravyaṃ tasyāpyanena viśeṣeṇa grāhyatācyate | bhikṣāśabdaśca praśaṃsāyāṃ prayukto na bhikṣaiva vivakṣitā | yadyapyayaṃ siddhānnālpatāvacanaḥ | bhikṣā kila svalpatvānnātīva doṣāvahā | brahmacāriṇaśca sārvavarṇikī vihitā | evamanyadapyanena viśeṣeṇa tattulyaṃ dṛṣṭam | bhikṣāśabdasyaivaṃvidhārthavivakṣayā prayogaḥ | tathāhi mahābhārate ( 1|

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
This verse asserts the acceptability of even things other than fuel and the rest (mentioned in the preceding verse).

The term ‘bhikṣā,’ ‘alms,’ has been used in an appreciatory sense; and it is not striclty alms that is meant here; though, in reality, the term ‘alms’ denotes a small quantity of cooked food,—and it is on account of smallness of its quantity that its acceptance is not regarded as open to serious objection; Specially as, for the Student, it has been permitted as coming from all castes. And what is meant by the present text is that other things also may be treated on the same footing. The term ‘alms’ is often found to be used in this sense; e.g., in the Mahābhārata (1.206.1)—‘The two high-souled sons of Pṛthā went to Pṛthā at the carpenter’s shop and joyously informed her of their having received Draupadi as alms.’