Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28
विधूमेसन्न मुसले व्यंगारे भुक्तवज्जने । वृत्ते शरावसंपाते भिक्षां नित्यं चरेद्यतिः
vidhūmesanna musale vyaṃgāre bhuktavajjane | vṛtte śarāvasaṃpāte bhikṣāṃ nityaṃ caredyatiḥ
Que le renonçant aille régulièrement quêter lorsque le foyer est sans fumée, que le pilon est au repos, que le feu s’est éteint, que les gens ont mangé et que le fracas des vaisselles a cessé.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: Evening quiet in a Kāśī courtyard: hearth cold, no smoke; pestle set aside; dishes stacked; a yati stands silently at the gate with a bowl, while the household offers leftovers without haste—an image of mutual dharma.
FAQs
The renunciant should be least intrusive—seeking alms with humility and without disturbing household life.
The rule is taught in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, reflecting Kāśī’s ideal of refined dharma.
A practical rule for bhikṣā: go after cooking is finished and people have eaten, when the household is settled.