About Uchchhishta

Uchchhishta, known by various regional terms, is an Indian and a Hindu concept related to food. Though the term has various meanings and has no exact parallel in English, it is generally translated in English as "leftovers" or "leavings", but with a denigratory aspect. Uchchhishta frequently denotes food scraps after a person has eaten. In a broader sense, it refers to the contamination by food or hand that has come in contact with saliva or the inside of someone's mouth. A person or plate is also said to be Uchchhishta, when he/it comes in contact with Uchchhishta food. Uchchhishta food as well as the Uchchhishta eater/utensil are considered ritually impure. The eater is purified by washing his hand and mouth.
Rigveda (padapatha) manuscript in Devanagari, early 19th century

Glossary of Sanskrit words & phrases

6
Aug
2017
Dharma, Hinduism
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Hindu and Buddhist cultures and associated traditions, which are expressed as words in Sanskrit or other Indic languages and Dravidian languages. The main purpose of this list is to make it easy for one to find specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of and Buddhism all in one place. Many Sanskrit concepts have an Indian secular meaning as well as .
Read More