Purva-Mimamsa in its Sources c40.s3.t12.17

c40.s3.t12.17

(13) Lastly, we find that the eating of oil like clarified butter, has been repeatedly referred to by Shabara. For instance, he says “Just as when oil or clarified butter is drunk,—though this drinking is ephemeral, yet it brings about strength, improvement of intelligence, memory and so forth” (VII. i. 5); again, he says—“Yajñadatta should be fed with oil; the purpose that is served in the food by the clarified butter is in the latter case understood to be served by oil; hence, even though it is not asserted in so many words that the food should be lubricated with oil, yet the oil serves to exclude the clarified butter (and no other substance)” (X. ii. 66); again, he says— “for a month Devadatta is to be fed on clarified butter and oil” (X. vi 5.); again, he says—“the oil is used for the purpose of lubricating the food”, “Yajñadatta should be fed like Devadatta with oil” (X. vi 22); again, he says—“feed Yajñadatta with oil,” “oil is mentioned as of use in the feeding”—“It is to be used in the place of clarified butter, the purpose of which alone can be served by oil, etc.” (X. iii. 16). In those days when there was no scarcity of pure clarified butter, even then that he repeatedly mentioned the custom of using oil for food shows that he must have lived in that part where oil was much in use. It is but natural that ingredients of food like rice, fish and oil should go together. Even now we find it so in Bengal and Mithila.