eat silently; one should never eat without covering one's person with an
upper garment, and without sitting down.[473] One should never eat any
food placing it on the bare ground. One should never eat except in a
sitting posture. One should never make any noise while eating.[474] The
man of intelligence should first offer water and then food to one that
has become his guest, and after having served the guest thus, should then
sit to his meals himself. He who sits down to dinner in a line with
friends and himself eats any food without giving thereof to his friends,
is said to eat virulent poison. As regards water and Payasa and flour of
fried barley and curds and ghee and honey, one should never, after
drinking or eating these, offer the remnants thereof to others. One
should never, O chief of men, eat any food doubtingly.[475] One desirous
of food should never drink curds at the conclusion of a meal. After the
meal is finished, one should wash one's mouth and face with the (right)
hand only, and taking a little water should then dip the toe of the right
foot in it. After washing, one should touch the crown of one's head with
the (right) hand. With concentrated attention, one should next touch
fire. The man who knows how to observe all these ordinances with care,
succeeds in attaining to the foremost place among his kinsmen. One
should, after finishing one's meals, with one's nose and eyes and ears
and navel and both hands wash with water. One should not, however, keep
one's hands wet. Between the tip and the root of the thumb is situate the
sacred Tirtha known by the name of Brahma. On the back of the little
finger, it is said, is situate the Deva-tirtha. The intervening space
between the thumb and the forefinger, O Bharata, should be used for
discharging the Pitri rites, after touching water according to the
ordinance.[476] One should never indulge in other people's calumny. Nor
should one ever utter anything that is disagreeable. The man that desires
his own good should never seek to provoke against himself the wrath of
others. One should never seek to converse with a person that has fallen
away from his order. The very sight of such a person should be avoided.
One should never come in contact with a fallen person. By avoiding such
contact one succeeds in attaining to a long life. One should never
indulge in sexual congress at day-time. Nor should one have congress with
a maiden, nor with a harlot nor with a barren wom