DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0435
Offerings at Dinner.
425
After the recitation of this grace the actual business of
eating may begin, but each person first places either four or
five small mouthfuls (grasa) of food on the ground on the
right side of his leaf-plate. These are called simply ahuti,
' offerings V or sometimes Citrahuti, ' offerings to Citra,' or to
Citragupta, whose power in the intermediate state after death
is especially dreaded (see p. 293). While placing the mouth-
fuls he ought to say, ' Homage to Citra2, to Citragupta3, to
Yama, to Yama-dharma, to Bhur, bhuvah, svar/
After the dinner is over these mouthfuls are left to be eaten
by cats (if there are any in the house), or together with the
leaf-plates and whatever is left upon them, they are thrown to
the cows, or simply thrown out of the house to be eaten by
dogs or animals of any kind. The evening family meal is
a less formal ceremony.
1 In the same way, whenever a Roman family sat down to meals,' a
portion of the food was presented to the Lares, regarded as departed
spirits.
2 Citraya namah, etc., or svaha, may be substituted for namah.
s Citragupta is the recorder who records the sins and merits of man-
kind in Yama's world.
425
After the recitation of this grace the actual business of
eating may begin, but each person first places either four or
five small mouthfuls (grasa) of food on the ground on the
right side of his leaf-plate. These are called simply ahuti,
' offerings V or sometimes Citrahuti, ' offerings to Citra,' or to
Citragupta, whose power in the intermediate state after death
is especially dreaded (see p. 293). While placing the mouth-
fuls he ought to say, ' Homage to Citra2, to Citragupta3, to
Yama, to Yama-dharma, to Bhur, bhuvah, svar/
After the dinner is over these mouthfuls are left to be eaten
by cats (if there are any in the house), or together with the
leaf-plates and whatever is left upon them, they are thrown to
the cows, or simply thrown out of the house to be eaten by
dogs or animals of any kind. The evening family meal is
a less formal ceremony.
1 In the same way, whenever a Roman family sat down to meals,' a
portion of the food was presented to the Lares, regarded as departed
spirits.
2 Citraya namah, etc., or svaha, may be substituted for namah.
s Citragupta is the recorder who records the sins and merits of man-
kind in Yama's world.