History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c40.117

v3.c40.117

There were rules about the persons who might be engaged to cook and serve food. As brāhmaṇas could in very ancient times eat the food of all varṇas including at least some śūdras, no difficulty must have been felt. The Āp. Dh. S. (II. 2. 3. 1-6) prescribes that āryas (i. e. the three varṇas) purified (by a bath) may prepare the food for vaiśvadeva; they should stop speaking, coughing or spitting with their faces turned towards the food that is being prepared and should touch water on touching their hair, limbs or garment; or śūdras supervised by āryas may be the cooks. Āp. Dh. S. further requires that when śūdras are cooks they should shave their hair and beard and pare their nails every day or on the 8th day or *parva* days and they must always bathe with their clothes on. Laghu-Āśv. I. 176 says that food should be cooked by one's wife, daughter-in-law, son, pupil, elderly relative, or one's ācārya or by oneself. Aparārka (p. 500) quotes a verse of Nārāyaṇa that food must be served to a *dvijāti* by a wife of the same caste (if he has wives of different castes).