Manava Dharmashastra 5.32

5.32

mṛgapakṣimāṃsaviṣayamidaṃ śāstram | rurupṛṣatādīnāṃ śaśakapiñjalādīnāṃ māṃsaṃ devānāṃ pitṝṇāṃ cārcanaṃ kṛtvā khādato na doṣaḥ | yathā gṛhe vaiśvadevādadyarthe kṛte saṃvidhāne vinā'pi vaiśvadevenodanādibhojanamasti, na tathā māṃsasya | evamarthametatpunarvacanaṃ devānpitṝṃścārcayitveti | anyathā gṛhasthasya pūrvameva bhojanamevaṃrūpam | devebhya iti tena śabdenoddiśya śucau deśe māṃsasya prakṣepaḥ | yadi vā agnaye vāyave sūryāya jātavedasa iti devārcanaṃ kartavyam | agnau evaṃrūpā āhutayaḥ kṛtā agnimato'tra na bhavanti | nacāgnau homena vinā baliharaṇaṃ kartavyam | karmāntarasya prayogāntarasya ca pratipāditatvāt | āstāṃ tāvadetat | anye tu śrāddhaṃ pitṝṇāmarcanamāhuḥ | dṛṣṭaśca śrāddhe'rcanaprayogaḥ | pitṝṃścaiva devānvadanti | tataśca sarvasmṛtikāraiḥ śrāddhameva vihitam, na punaranyā kācideva kriyā | "kathaṃ punarmīṃsasya krayasambhavaḥ yāvatā āpāṇabhūmermāṃsaṃ krīyamāṇaṃ saunamāpadyate | saunikairahṛtasya svayaṃ mṛtasya paśormāṃsamabhakṣyamanārogyakaratvāt” | ucyate | vyādhaśākunikādibhirāhṛtaṃ kreṣyate | na ca te saunikā iti prasiddhāstaiśca vikrayārthaṃ bhrāmyadbhirgṛhe ānītaṃ bhavati | tadā sambhavati krayaḥ | na hi tatsaunamucyate | svayaṃ vā'pyutpādya | brāhmaṇo yācñayā, kṣatriyo mṛgayākarmaṇā |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The law here laid down refers to the meat of deer and birds. The meaning is that there is no sin incurred in eating the meat of the Ruru, the Pṛṣat and other kinds of deer, or the partridge and other birds, if it is done after having worshipped the Gods and the Pitṛs.

In the case of the offering to the Viśvedevas, when there is no preparation for it in the house, one may eat rice and other things, even without making the offering; but not so meat; it is with a view to emphasise this that the text repeats—‘having worshipped the Gods and the Pitṛs etc.’ If mere sanction to eat after worship were meant, this has already been accorded before.

What is meant by the ‘worshipping of the Gods’ here is the offering of the meat on a clean spot with the words ‘this is for the Gods’; or that ‘the worship of the Gods’ should be done in such terms as—‘this to Agni, to Vāyu, to Surya, to Jātavedas.’ That this must be the meaning of the ‘worship’ is proved by the fact that ‘offering of oblations into the fire’ (which could he the other meaning ‘worshipping the Gods’) is not possible for persons other than Agnihotrins; nor can there be any offering made to the Gods without oblations having been poured into the fire; specially as it has been already shown that the two are distinct actions and involve distinct methods of procedure. This mutter may rest here for the present.

Others have explained the ‘worship of the Pitṛs’ to mean Śrāddha; and in Śrāddhas we do find worshipping being done. It is the Pitṛs again that are spoken of as the ‘deities’ of the Śrāddha. Hence it is that in connection with the Pitṛs, all writers on Smṛti have prescribed the Śrāddha only, and no other act.

“How can the buying of meat be permissible? The meat obtained from the market becomes ‘Sa?na’, ‘butcher’s meat’ (which has been forbidden); and as for the meat of animals dying of themselves, and not killed by the butcher, this is ‘unfit for eating’, on the ground of its causing disease.”

Our answer to the above is that one can always ‘buy’ the meat brought by fowlers and bird-catchers; and these are known us ‘butchers’; and they wander about from house to house, carrying meat for sale, when it is possible to buy it; and it does not become ‘butcher’s meat.’

‘Having obtained it himself,’—the Brāhmaṇa by begging it’ and the Kṣatriya by hunting.—(32)