Uchchhishta

Uchchhishta (Sanskrit: उच्छिष्ट, IAST: Ucchiṣṭa, pronounced [ʊtːɕʰɪʂʈɐ]), known by various regional terms, is an Indian and a Hindu concept related to the contamination of food by saliva.

In a broader sense, it refers to the contamination of a food or hand that has come in contact with saliva or the inside of the mouth.

[23] In the early 20th century, use of spoons or forks and metal plates were not used by orthodox Hindus as they had come in contact with one's mouth and thus could not be reused as they remained Uchchhista, even though cleaned.

One-use leaf plates were preferred; Hindus traditionally eat with their fingers, without cutlery.

[24] Uchchhishta is acceptable to be eaten by socially inferior individuals: one's servants, lower caste persons, beggars and animals.

[23][25] "Untouchables" including Castes handling human waste historically used to live on leftovers.

[1] In contrast of the general negative connotations associated with it, eating some types of Uchchhista like of a husband by a wife, of a guru by the student and of a sacrifice or divine offering by all, is highly regarded.

[2] Prasad, food offered to a deity and having "eaten" by the deity, is sometimes considered the Uchchhista of the gods, as in some parts of North India; however other times as in parts of South India, the comparison of the sacred prasad to Uchchhista, is frowned upon.

[7] The Apastamba Dharmasutra (1st-millennium BCE), while describing the code of conduct for a student, refers to the concept of uchchhishta.

In ancient times, a student would stay with a teacher (guru) in the latter's house (Gurukula) and learn.

However, if any uchchhishta remains, he should bury it, throw it in the water or give it away to a Shudra (a member from the lower social strata).

The student is prescribed to eat the uchchhishta of his guru, which are regarded as sacred as a sacrificial oblation.

However, the esoteric Tantric goddess Matangi is recommended to be offered uchchhishta food, in the polluted uchchhishta state, with the remains of food in the mouth and hands; Matangi is associated with pollution and the outcaste and embodies the forbidden transgression of social norms.

The deity couples of Shiva-Parvati and Vishnu-Lakshmi dropped specks of food on the ground while eating.

Vishnu pacified her saying that in the Kali Yuga (the present era as per Hindu beliefs), she would live at Puri as Vimala, and would daily eat the remnants of his food.

[32] In later versions of the Hindu epic Ramayana, Shabari, a forest dweller woman, is instructed by her guru to wait for the arrival of the god Rama in her hermitage.