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Social Conditions
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was taken by the rich sections of society, whereas the inferior variety was the food of the people belonging to the lower strata."
Cooked rice was called Bhatta or Bhakta”, and by Pānini Odana.3 It was ordinarily eaten with sūpa (pulses) and vegetables.4 Pāṇini tells us that meat, sūpa, vegetables, guda, ghee, etc. were added to Bhāta 5 Rice-milk was highly praised by Buddha, and he recommended it for the Bhikshus as a morning breakfast, Honey was also mixed with it. Y'avāgū (rice-barley gruel) was a common liquid food.
There were a few special preparations known to us. Sattu? was also eaten during this period. Kummāsa or Kulm isha was a coarse food of the poor, Sweet cake now known as Puvā was a favourite dish. According to the Illisa Jataka, it was prepared from rice, milk, sugar, ghee, and honey. Pitthakhajjaka (Khāja) was another sweetmeat liked by all. Säriputta was fond of it but took a vow not to eat it, for it tended to make him greedy.' Palala (modern tila-kuta) was a delicious sweetmcat mentioned by Pāṇini.lo It was made of powdered
Tila and sugar or Guda. Pishțaka, now known as Pithū, was prepared from the ground paste of rice.11
Milk and milk-products like curd, butter, and ghee were largely eaten.Vegetables like pumpkins, gourds, and cucumbers and fruits like mango and jamboo were included in the diet of the people.13
That during this period a large number of people were nonvegetarian is proved by the discovery of boncs at different archaeological sites. They seem to have been very fond of mcat 1. Ja, 1. 486; III 2. Ibid, IV. 43; 3. Pa, IV. p. 67. 4. Ja. VI. 372. 5. Pa, VI. 1. 128. 6. Afr', VI. 24-25. 7. Sattubhasta Jā, (No. 402), 8. kumnasapinda Jā, (-Vo. 415). 9. Ja, 1. 31. (l'iscranta-78,) (.Xo. 60). 10. Pa, V.2, 1.8. 11. Ibid, IV. 3. 147, 12. licu. II. 95. 13 ja, 1. 37; P3. IV. 1.4.; VIII. 4. 5; 14. 3. 163.
