History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c46.19

v3.c46.19

(8) He should beg alms from seven houses without selecting them beforehand (Vas. Dh. S. X. 7, Śaṅkha VII. 3, Ādi. 119. 12 'five or ten houses'). Baud. Dh. S. (II. 10. 57-58) prescribes that he should visit for alms the houses of brāhmaṇa householders of the Śālīna and Yāyāvara types and should only wait for as much time as would be required for milking a cow. Baud. Dh. S. II. 10. 69 quotes the view of others that an ascetic may take alms from persons of all varṇas or food from only one among dvijātis; Vas. X. 24 also says that he should beg of brāhmaṇas only. The Vāyupurāṇa I. 18. 17 prescribes that ascetics should not eat food belonging to one man (but should eat food collected from several houses), or flesh or honey should not accept āmaśrāddha (i. e. śrāddha with uncooked food), should not use salt directly or by itself (i. e. they may eat vegetables in cooking which salt has been used). According to Uśanas (quoted in Sm. M. p. 200 and Yati-dh. pp. 74-75) food obtained by begging is of five kinds viz. *mādhukara* (collecting food from any three, five or seven houses at random just as bees collect honey from any flowers), *prākpraṇīta* (when a request is made by devotees to take food at their houses even before the ascetic gets up from his bed), *ayācita* (when invitation to take food at his house is given by a man before the ascetic starts on his begging round), *tātkālika* (the food that is announced by a brāhmaṇa the moment the ascetic approaches), *upapanna* (cooked food brought to the *maṭha* by devoted disciples or other people). Vas. Dh. S. X. 31 says that a brāhmaṇa ascetic should avoid food at śūdra houses and Aparārka p. 963 explains this as implying that in the absence of brāhmaṇa houses an ascetic may beg for food from kṣatriyas and vaiśyas. In later times begging alms from persons of all castes was forbidden, being included among *kalivarjya* actions ('yates tu sarva-varṇeṣu na bhikṣācaraṇaṁ kalau'). Vide Sm. M. p. 201. It was stated by Parāśara and Kratu that no fault attaches to an ascetic if he being very old or very ill took food from a single person on a certain day or for several days or begged for food at the house of his sons, friends, teacher or brothers or wife (vide Sm. M. p. 201, Yatidh. p. 75). According to Parāśara I. 51 and the Sūtasaṁhitā (Jñāna-yoga-khaṇḍa 4. 15-16) the first claim on the food cooked in the house is that of an ascetic and a brahmacārin and one has to perform the Cāndrāyaṇa penance for taking one's meals without giving alms to them. In giving food to an ascetic first water is poured on his hand, then food is given and then again water is poured on his hand (Parāśara I. 53 quoted by Haradatta on Gaut. V. 16). Vide Āp. Dh. S. II. 2. 4. 10 and Yāj. I. 107.