Manava Dharmashastra 5.27.6

5.27.6

prāṇānāmeva cātyaye | prakṛtatvāddevādyarcanamantareṇa abhakṣyamāṇe vyādhinā kṣudhā bhojanāntarāsambhave jīvanāśaśaṅkāyāṃ gojāvi bhakṣayitavyam | ‘sarvata evātmānaṃ gopāyedi’tyetacchrutimūlo'yaṃ niyamaḥ| ataścedṛśe nimitte māṃsamanaśnannātmahā sampadyate| ātmavadhaśca ‘‘sarvata evātmānaṃ gopāyettasmāduha na purāyuṣaḥ svaḥkāmī preyādalokyaṃ hyetadbhavatītyādi’’ śrutibhirmantrārthavādaiśca taddoṣavānneti jñāpitam | tathāhi mantraḥ ‘‘asūryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasā''vṛtāḥ | tāṃste pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātmahano janāḥ ||’’ iti brahmacāriṇo'pi prāṇātyaye bhakṣaṇamiṣyate | tasyaiva bālyādyavasthānimittaṃ vācanikaṃ prāyaścittaṃ bhaviṣyatīti—“brahmacārī tu yo'śnīyānmadhu māṃsaṃ kadācaneti” (11|158) | kṣudhā tu prāṇātyayāśaṅkāyāṃ pratiṣiddhamāṃsāśanamapīti vyāsaḥ ( bra0 sū0 3| aprokṣitasyāpi chāgamāṃsasya devatādyarcanaṃ tu tairavaśyaṃ kartavyam | asambhave tu kasmiṃścidahani na doṣaḥ |

From this it follows that in the case of serious developments of diseases, where one cannot be sure that the man will certainly recover by eating meat, one shall not eat forbidden meat, such as that of the village-cock and the like; though it is permitted to eat such meat as has been consecrated or offered to the gods.

In the case of disease also one shall not eat meat for the purpose of recovering from a disease that may have just set in; but in the case of men who have become enfeebled and emaciated through disease, the eating of meat is always permitted: as asserted in the verse—‘Persons daily addicted to wine and women, consumptives, those emaciated through fatigue and disease, as also enfeebled patients, live upon the juices of meat.’ It is necessary for these persons to worship the gods in the case of the meat of unconsecrated goat: there would however be no harm, if on some day this be not found possible.—(27).

When there is danger to life, even the Student may eat meat; and for him his young age would necessitate the performance of the expiatory rite as prescribed in the text—‘If the Student ever eats meat and honey, etc.’ (1?.158). Vyāsa has declared that when there is tear of losing one’s life through hanger, one may eat even forbidden meat; and by the instance of the ‘dog’s thigh’ (eaten by Viśvāmitra) it is indicated that such meat may be eaten, but once only.