History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.152

v5.c73.t1.152

If a person is destitute, some of the Purāṇas such as the Viṣṇu (III. 4.24-30) and the Varāha (13.53-58) mercifully provide in identical⁹⁵⁵ verses that instead of entertaining brāhmaṇas with a sumptuous dinner or flesh the poor man may offer only uncooked corn, or some vegetables growing wildly or some slight *dakṣiṇā* if he cannot offer even uncooked food or vegetables, or he may offer a few grains of sesamum (7 or 8) to a brāhmaṇa with water in his folded hands, or grass to a cow enough for one day and if he cannot afford even any one of these, then he may repair to a thicket of trees, raise his arms so that his armpits are exposed and loudly address the guardians of the worlds such as the Sun in the following words: 'I have neither wealth nor money nor anything else fit to be offered by way of śrāddha; I bow to my pitṛs; may the pitṛs be satisfied by my devotion; I have stretched these arms in space!' (lit. the path of the wind).