kSaara

[Patrick Olivelle]

Friends:

A query about the word kSaara, often appearing in the compound
akSaara-lavaNa. Manu 3.257; 5.73, 11.109. Commentators and Buhler
take akSaara to be "non-artificial". At Manu 5.114 kSaara used as a
cleansing agent appears to be some form of alkaline. But
interestingly Arthasastra 2.4.27, and especially 2.15.14 take it
clearly to mean some form of sugar/sweet substance. Could the latter
meaning be also operative in the compound akSaara-lavaNa, referring
to food without salt and kSaara -- i.e. a kind of ascetic food
preparation?

Thanks.

Patrick