Note 357 — Chapter I
Reading edition
The things polluted by a contact with the earth are either objects which are to be dedicated to gods, such as sandal-wood ointment, panchāmrit,357 the leaves of the bel tree (Aegle marmelos), tulsi leaves (leaves of the holy or sweet basil plant), betel-leaves and flowers;358 or objects which are sacred because of their having been dedicated to the gods, including tīrtha359 or water used in bathing the images of gods360; or things which are by nature so holy that it is improper to place them on the bare earth; for instance, images of deities, water of the sacred Ganges or the Jumna,361 any holy writ,362 a conch-shell and even gold.363 Cooked food also deserves respect, as it supports the lives of men, and it is sinful in a Hindu to let it lie on the bare ground. Any irregular conduct in this respect arouses the wrath of the Annadeva (or the food deity).364