4. Dishes and Preparations

Though the Brahma Purana does not give details about either the preparation, shape, colour or taste of various dishes still the names of preparations are noteworthy, there being a long list of them serving useful and varied purposes. The Brahma Purana states that one who offers an oblation of kalasaka (the potheriocimum sanctum), Tilajya and krsara (Khicadi in Gujarati a dish of rice and pulse) in Gaya and ☐ ☐ In offers a sraddha on the thirteenth day of the magha naksatra consisting of Payasa (an article of food prepared with or made of milk or rice boiled in milk). It also means an oblation of milk, rice and sugar, what is called Khiraor Dudhapaka in Gujarati) mixed with honey and ghee in the daksinayana gets the desired things (221.114-117). sraddha, one should offer jaggery, sugar, Matsyandi (inspissated juice of the sugar-cane), Phanita (the inspissated juice of sugar cane and other plants), urmura (?), Gavya (Cowmilk), Payas, curds, ghrta (ghee), Talla (sesamum-oil), the things obtained from Tila (sesamum-seed), Saindhava (a kind of rock-salt), the things obtained from ocean, Lavana, things

401 obtained from a pond (sarasa), Kalasaka, tanduliya, vastuka (a kind of vegetable or chenopodium album), Mulaka (a kind of root), Phala (fruits) and aranyasaka (220.159-161), Again one who offers the Payasa consisting of honey to the ancestors in rainy seasons goes to heaven (220.32,33). One who always eats sweets (mistanna) suffers in the krmipuya hell (22.18). In the Nrsimha-worship, a devotee should eat saka, yavaka (barley-gruel), Mula (roots), Phala (fruits), Pinyaka (Oilcake), Saktuke (it is a coarsely grounded meal especially of barley) and Payas (58.19). Madhuparka (a mixture of milk, honey and ghee) was offered to god and a special Madhuparkamantra was recited at that time of offering it (61.28). should offer the naivedya consisting of Payasa, Pupa (cake Gujarati-Malapudo ), Saskuli³, Vataka (Gujarati Vadum), Modaka (sweetmeat, Gujarati Ladu), Phanita and fruits to Lord Nrsimha (67.27). One should feed the brahmins with Pakvanna (cooked food) consisting of jaggery and glee (sarpis) and should give to the brahmins twelve water-pots with Modakas (67.43,44). In the Govardhanagiriyajna, the villagers 3 This may be identified with Jalebi in Gujarati. The word karna-saskulf is translated by 'karna-Jalebi'. Gode P.K., some notes on the History of Indian Dieteticks with special reference to the history of Jalebi, New Indian Antiquary, Vol. VI, P.172, fn. 10. 4 Macdonell (A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary notes the word vatika meaning a kind of perforated rice cake, whercas a Vadum is a preparation of bean, flour). One

402 offered an oblation consisting of curds, payas and meat (187. 57). In the hell the sinners crave for the salyodana (boiled rice) mixed with curds, ghee and milk (215.31). One offers the odana (grain mashed and cooked with milk, porridge, boiled rice, any pap or pulpy substance) mixed with gudapanaka (a sweet drink) goes to the Yamaloka in golden aeroplanes. One who gives in dana milk, ghee, curds, honey and jaggery goes there in cakravaka-yoked aeroplanes. One who offers fruits goes there in the Swan-yoked aeroplanes, and who gives sesamum, ghreadhenu and tiladhenu goes there in very neat aeroplanes (216.16-20). The Pits are satisfied by the Havisya anna (food fit to be eaten during certain festival days, any particularly sacred food) for one month (220.23). One who steals curds becomes a Baka, the stealer of raw meat becomes a Plava, that or fruits, Mulaka and Pupa (Gujarati- Malapudo), becomes an ant., that of Nispava (finest pulse) becomes a rat (Phalamusaka), that of payasa, becomes a Tittiri, that of a sweet cake (Pistamaya pupa) becomes Kumbhotuka, (217.87-89). One who offers the oblation of krsara, payasa, pupa, fruits, herbs, ghee and odana gets success, the oblation of ksira relieves one from mental for pain and that of curds also brings success (20.54-56). One should bathe Lord Purusottama with ghee, milk and fragrant water of holy places mixed with candana (67.20-27). Again it is stated that one should not

403 prepare sanyava (Gujarati sfro, a sort of cake of wheaten flour fried with ghee and milk and made up into an oblong form with sugar and spices), krsara and mamsa (meat) for oneself(221.47). One should not use the preparations of pistasaka, sugarcane, pagas and meat prepared since a long time (221.57,58). The food prescriped for a yogin consists of saktu (Gujarati sathavo, coarsely ground meal especially of barley), youagu (rice-gruel), takra (Butter-milk mixed with an equal amount of water, Karathi - Tak, Gujarati Chasa), mula, Phala, Payasa, Yavaka (Barley-gruel) and kana(grains) and Pinyaka (oil-cakes), (234.6). A yogin should avoid olly things. A yogin who eats day yavaka for a long time and observes regularity in meals becomes strong. Again by drinking milk mixed with water, a yogin ecomes strong (248.43,49). Again the food consisting of pinyaka, curds and things obtained from cow, is referred to (241.17), The Khandasarkaravaluka, Madhumandodaka and Gudakulyas are also referred to (39.62-64).