Manava Dharmashastra 5.26

5.26

ādyena ślokārdhena pūrvaprakaraṇamavacchinatti | tadetadanantaramanukrāntaṃ prakaraṇametat dvijātīnāṃ na śūdrāṇāmiti, uttaraṃ tu yaducyate tacchūdrāṇāmapīti prakaraṇavyavacchedaprayojanam |
ataśca māṃsabhakṣaṇe prakāro vakṣyate | yacca tadvarjanena phalaṃ tacchūdrasyāpi bhavatīti | anyathā “abhakṣyāṇi dvijātīnām” ( ślo0 5 ) ityadhikārāllaśūnādiṣviva śūdrasya māṃsabhakṣaṇe'pi kāmacāraḥ syāt |
“yadyevaṃ devārcane śiṣṭasya māṃsasya bhakṣyatā vakṣyate ( ślo0 32) ‘devānpitṛṃścārcayitvā khādanmāṃsaṃ na duṣyatīti’ | devārcanaṃ medhyena māṃsena | ye ca dvijātīnāṃ pratiṣiddhā mṛgaśakuntāste'medhyāḥ | ataśca teṣāṃ māṃsena devārcanāsambhavādataccheṣasyābhakṣyatvādanye'pi prakaraṇabhedāḥ- yathā brāhmaṇādīnāṃ mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ pratiṣiddhāḥ- te śūdrasyāpi prakārāntareṇa pratiṣiddhā bhavanti | tatra prakaraṇabhedena na kiñciducyate | laśunādipratiṣedhaḥ śūdrasya na bhavati" | asti tāvatprakaraṇabhedena prayojanaṃ laśunādipratiṣedhe śūdrasyānadhikāro mā bhūditi | māṃse'pi devādyarcane gṛhasthasyādhikārādagṛhasthasya śūdrasya yathākāmyam | "nanu ca pākayajñe śūdrasyādhikāraḥ sthita eva| bhojanaṃ gṛhasthānāṃ ca vihitam | na ca laśunādibhiḥ pākayajñāḥ kriyante | tataśca nāpi śūdrasya yathākāmyaṃ laśunādyo bhakṣyāḥ syuḥ” | ko doṣaḥ | "dvijātigrahaṇamanarthakam” | parihṛtametadagṛhasthasya proṣitasya vā kāmacāraḥ | na ca gṛhasthena yaddhutaṃ tanna bhoktavyam | śeṣabhugbhavedityasyāyamarthaḥ 'akṛtavaiśvadevakriyeṇa na bhoktavyam' | tatra yasyaiva yāgasādhanatā dravyasya tadeva medhyaṃ hotavyam | anye tu bhojanakāle kutaścidāhṛtya madhyagehe vā bhuñjate | tadyāhutaśeṣamapi na pratiṣiddham | māṃse tu punarvācanānniyamaḥ 'na kadāciddevānupayuktaṃ bhojyamiti' | "yadi cāturvarṇyasyātrādhikārastadā yadvakṣyati parastāt śuddhividhau- 'caturṇāmapi varṇānāmiti' - tadanarthakam” | tatraiva tasya prayojanaṃ vakṣyāmaḥ | atha - "śvamāṃsādyapi śūdrasya bhakṣyaṃ prāpnoti dvijātigrahaṇātpūrvatra" | kiṃ tvekādaśe 'viḍvarāhakharoṣṭrāṇāmityādiślokatrayanirdiṣṭāḥ ( 11 | 154 ) śūdrasyāpi na bhakṣyā iti jñāpakaṃ darśayiṣyāmaḥ |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The first half of the verse cuts off the preceding section; and what is implied by this cutting off of the section is that the section that has gone before pertains to the twice-born castes only, not to Śūdras, while what follows applies to Śūdras also. It is for this reason that several methods of eating meat shall be described, and the reward resulting from the giving up of meat-eating shall accrue to the Śūdra also. If this were not so, then, in the matter of eating meat also, the Śūdra would be free to do what he likes; just as he is in regard to the eating of garlic and other things that has been forbidden for ‘twice-born persons’ only, in verses 5 ete. etc. above.

“If it is as you say, then there is the following difficulty:—In verse 32 below, the Text is going to declare the eatability of the meat left from the worship of the Gods:—viz. ‘One does not become contaminated by sin if he eats meat after having worshipped the Gods and the Pitṛs’;—now the ‘worship of the gods’ etc. can be done only with such meaf as is sacred; and those beasts and birds that have been forbidden for twice-born people (in the next section) are not sacred; hence, the worshipping of Gods etc. with the meat of these beasts and birds being impossible,—and what does not form the ‘remnant of worship’ being unfit to be eaten,—these other beasts and birds also, mentioned in a different context, become forbidden for the twice-born people; and the prohibition of these could be made to apply to the Śūdra also by some such other method (of reasoning). So that there is no point in the dividing of the sections (simply for making the prohibitions of the next section applicable to Śūdras also). And as for the prohibition of garlic and such things (that have been forbidden specially for twice-born persons), it is not applicable to Śūdras at all.”

There is this useful purpose served by the dividing of the two sections, that the prohibition of garlic and other things ceases to be applicable to the Śūdra. As regards meat also, in as much as the Householder only is entitled to do the worshipping of Gods, it is a matter purely optional for such Śūdras as are not ‘householders’.

“As a matter of fact, Śūdras also are entitled to the performance of sacrifices with cooked food; the eating of food has also been prescribed for Householders; but no ‘sacrifices with cooked food’ are ever offered with garlic and such other things. So that these things may be eaten, or not, by Śūdras, entirely according to their option.—‘Why’? What would be the harm? In that case the mention of ‘twiceborn persons’ (in connection with the forbidding of garlic, etc.) would have no point at all.’

This has been already answered by the explanation that one who is not a Householder, or who is travelling away from home, may do what he likes. Nor is it necessary that the Householder shall not eat what has not been offered in oblations; the meaning of the declaration ‘one shall live on remnants’ being that ‘he shall not eat until he has made the offering to the Vishedevas.’ Now, that substance alone is ‘sacred’, and can be offered as oblation, which has been prescribed as to be offered at, and thus helping the fulfilment of, a sacrifice. Some people fetch food from somewhere, at the time of eating, and eat it in their own house; and in this case even though the food may not be the ‘remnant of a sacrifice’, it would not be forbidden. As regards meat however, we have the restriction directly imposed, that ‘it shall never be eaten unless it has been offered to the Gods.’

“If this is applicable to all the four castes, then there is no point in what is going to be said (under 5.57) in connection with purifications.”

The use of that we shall explain at that place.

“In view of the mention of twice-born people in the foregoing section, it follows that day’s meat and such things also are fit to be eaten by Śūdras.”

Under Discourse XI we shall show that there are indications to the effect that ‘the village-pig’, the ass, the camel, and other animals mentioned in the three verses (157 etc.) are ‘unfit to be eaten’ for the Śūdra also.—(26).