Verse 2.56

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

नौच्छिष्टं कस्य चिद् दद्यान्नाद्यादेतत् तथाऽन्तरा ।
न चैवात्यशनं कुर्यान्न चौच्छिष्टः क्व चिद् व्रजेत् ॥ ५६ ॥

naucchiṣṭaṃ kasya cid dadyānnādyādetat tathā'ntarā |
na caivātyaśanaṃ kuryānna caucchiṣṭaḥ kva cid vrajet || 56 ||

He should not give the leavings to anyone; he should not eat in between; he should not do over-rating; and he should not go any-where with particles of food still on him.—(56)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The food left in the dish, and become unclean by being touched with the mouth, is called, ‘leavings;’—this he should not give to anyone. The prohibition of the offering of the leavings to any person being already contained in this verse, the necessity of having another prohibition of the offering of the leavings to a Śūdra,—which we find among the duties of the Snātakā—we shall explain in connection with the latter verse.

[In ‘Kasyachit’ ] though the dative would he the proper form, we have the genitive in the sense of ‘relationship in general,’ and what is meant is that it should not he given even to such living beings as do not understand that a certain thing has been given to them,—such for instance, as dogs and cats; in this latter case the act cannot he called ‘giving’ in its full sense; as it involves merely the cessation of the proprietary right of the giver, it does not involve the producing of the proprietary right in the recipient [that is why the Dative could not he rightly used: which could imply both giving and receiving ].

The phrase ‘antarā’ ‘in between,’ means middle. There are two times for meals—morning and evening; and one should not eat between these meals. Or, ‘in between’ may mean interruption; in which case the meaning is that ‘having once left off the act of eating, and having interrupted it by some other act, he should not eat the food left in the same dish.’ Another Smṛti lays down the specific rule that ‘one should avoid eating interrupted by rising and washing.’ Others again have explained the phrase ‘antarā,’ as meaning disconnection. The Śruti having declared that ‘holding the dish with the left hand, ono should take up the morsel with the right hand and then offer it to the Life-breath in the mouth,’—it is the omitting of the act of holding the dish with the left hand which is meant by the terms ‘antarā.’

‘Be should not do over-eating’;—one should not eat too much. This is with a view to health, and hence implies the avoidance of such food as may he either indigestible or unsuitable. Specially because the advice is based upon reason. What is ‘over-eating’ can he learnt from the Āyurveda. The sense is that one should eat only that quantity of food which does not quite fill the stomach, and which is properly digested. Of the three parts into which the stomach is divided, one part itself should bo filled with food, half a part with water, and one part should be left for the action of the bodily humours. If this is not done, health suffers.

‘He should not go anywhere teiṭh particles of food still on him’;—on the very spot where he has oaten, he should clean himself by removing all particles of food from the body and then wash his hands and mouth without rising from the place.—(50)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

The second half of this verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 458); in Aparārka (p. 61) in support of the view that by avoiding over-eating one acquires health;—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 115).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(Verse 56-57)

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra, 1. 3. 36-10.—‘After eating, he should himself wash the dish; he should not have any leavings; what he does not eat he should bury in the ground; or throw into water.’

Āpastamba, 1. 11- 31. 22.—‘He should not offer the leavings to a non-Brāhmaṇa.’

Āpastamba, 2.1.2-3.—‘He should eat twice; never satiating himself with food.’

Vaśiṣṭha (Aparārka, p. 61).—‘For the ascetic the meal should consist of eight morsels, for the hermit, sixteen, for the householder, thirty-two; for the student, there is no limit.’

[This same text is quoted in Parāśaramādhava, p. 370, as from Āpastamba. ]

Vaśiṣṭha, 17.—‘Leavings or no leavings,—he should not offer the food to a Śūdra.’

Vaśiṣṭha, 11.17.—‘Leavings, except those of the Teacher, should never be eaten; nor one’s own leavings.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra, 2. 7. 17. 12.—‘He should not. offer the leavings to any one who does not possess the necessary qualifications.’

Viṣṇu-Smṛti, 67. 36.—‘One should not eat clarified butter, with mouth unclean.’

Baudhāyana-Dharmasūtra, 1. 2. 37.—‘Leavings should he avoided.’

Saṃvarta (Aparārka, p. 61).—‘Eating in the morning and in the evening has been prescribed for men, by the gods; one shall not eat in between these two meals; this practice is equal to the Agnihotra.’

Mahābhārata. (Aśvamedhika-Parāśaramādhava, p. 370).—‘One should never overeat himself, nor eat too little.’

Pulastya (Do.). One shall never eat all that is served to him, except curd, butter, fruits, milk, honey, and sattu.’

Brahmapurāṇa (Do., p. 372).—‘He shall not leave food needlessly; he shall not go anywhere with particles of food still on him.’

Gautama-Dharmasūtra, 2.47.—‘[He should eat] contentedly. not greedily.’

Gautama-Dharmasūtra (Parāśaramādhava, p. 371).—‘Morning and evening, he shall eat food, which has been worshipped, without decrying it.’