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II, 54.
INITIATION.
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fire, turning his right hand towards it, (the student) should beg alms according to the prescribed rule.
49. An initiated Brâhmana should beg, beginning (his request with the word) lady (bhavati); a Kshatriya, placing (the word) lady in the middle, but a Vaisya, placing it at the end (of the formula).
50. Let him first beg food of his mother, or of his sister, or of his own maternal aunt, or of (some other) female who will not disgrace him (by a refusal).
51. Having collected as much food as is required (from several persons), and having announced it without guile to his teacher, let him eat, turning his face towards the east, and having purified himself by sipping water.
52. (His meal will procure) long life, if he eats facing the east; fame, if he turns to the south ; prosperity, if he turns to the west; truthfulness, if he faces the east.
53. Let a twice-born man always eat his food with concentrated mind, after performing an ablution; and after he has eaten, let him duly cleanse himself with water and sprinkle the cavities (of his head).
54. Let him always worship his food, and eat it without contempt; when he sees it, let him rejoice,
1, 2-3; 3, 11; Gaut. IX, 59; Vas. III, 69; XII, 18-20; Baudh. II, 5, 18, 21-6, 2; 13, 12; Vi. LVIII, 34-35, 40-44; Yâgn. I, 27, 31, 112.
52. Medh. and Når. propose for ritam,'truthfulness,' an alternative explanation, 'the sacrifice.'
53. The word nityam, always,' indicates that this rule refers to householders also (Gov., Kull., Nár., Nand.).
54. Worship,' i.e. consider as a deity' (Medh., Gov., Nand.), or 'meditate on its being required to sustain life' (Medh., Gov., Kull.), or 'praise it with the verse,' Rig-veda I, 187, 1 (Nâr.).
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