History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c38.16

v3.c38.16

The food to be offered should be sprinkled over with ghee or with curds or milk but not with oil or salt. Āp. Dh. S.¹⁷⁷¹ II. 6. 15. 12-14 prescribes that there is to be no homa of *kṣāra* and *lavaṇa* (vide note 723 above) and also of food that is mixed up with inferior food (like *kulattha* &c.); but if one is compelled to offer inferior food in vaiśvadeva (owing to poverty &c.) he should take some hot ashes from the gṛhya or ordinary fire towards the north of the fire and offer the food in the ashes. The Smṛtyarthasāra¹⁷⁷² p. 47 states that cereals like gram and māṣa beans are not to be used in vaiśvadeva food. Even when a man was not going to eat on a particular day he had to offer vaiśvadeva (Aparārka p. 145). If he could afford no food, he was to offer fruits, roots or even water.¹⁷⁷³ He who has no gṛhya fire may offer vaiśvadeva food into the ordinary fire with only the vyāhṛtis and the rest may be left for crows.