History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.149.1

v6.c81.149.1

There are certain virtues that the person undergoing a vrata has to cultivate. The Agnpurāna speaks⁹⁶ of ten virtues that must be cultivated as common to all vratas viz. 'forbearance, truthfulness, compassion, charity, purity (of body and mind), curbing the organs of sense, worship of deities (or images), offerings into fire, contentment, not depriving another of his property. This ten-fold dharma is declared as common to all vratas' Devala prescribes: '*brahmacarya* (celibacy), purity, truthfulness and giving up of flesh-eating—these four are the highest (virtues) in vratas. Brahmacarya is lost by looking at (stranger) women, touching them and engaging in talk with them, but not by sexual intercourse with one's wife during the allowed days after her monthly illness' The Nāradīyapurāṇa remarks⁹⁷ '*brahmacarya* is prescribed for being observed in all vratas and it is declared that generally sacrificial food is eaten'. *Haviṣyānna* is variously defined Manu⁹⁸ says 'the food proper for hermits (such as *nīvāra*), milk, juice of soma plant, flesh that has not become putrid, and akṣāralavaṇa (natural salt)—these are declared to be (fit) sacrificial food by nature'. Though flesh was offered in śrāddhas in the times of the several early smṛtis such as that of Yāj flesh must be excluded from the list of proper foods in the case of vratas owing to the express provisions contained in Devala-smṛti (cited above) and others. Vide H of Dh vol. IV. p. 149 n. 343 for *haviṣya* food.