Mimamsasutra 3.2.16

3.2.16

brūmaḥ- śāstrīyadharmāvabodhe śāstraprasiddhirbalīyasī | pratyāsannatvādavicchinnapāramparyāgatatvācca | śāstre yavavidhyarthavāda evaṃ śrūyate - ’ yatrānyā oṣadhayo mlāyante, athaite modamānā ivotiṣṭhanti ’ iti | itarauṣadhivināśakāle'bhivṛddhirghaśūkeṣu dṛśyate, na tu priyaṃguṣu | teṣāmitarauṣadhiparipākātpūrve pacyamānatvāt | vārāhopānadvidhyarthavādaścaivaṃ bhavati - ’ varāhaṃ gāvo'nudhāvanti ’ iti | gavāmanudhāvanaṃ śūkare saṃbhavati na tu kṛṣṇaśakunau | tasmāddīrghaśūkdiryavādiśabdārthaḥ |
atra vārtikakāraḥ pīluśabdamudājahāra | taṃ ca mlecchā hastini prayuñjate, āryāstu vṛkṣe | tatrāviplutavyavahārasyā''ryeṣu saṃbhavādvṛkṣa eva pīluśabdārthaḥ |
asminnevādhikaraṇe gurumatamāha -
yavādyarthānirṇayena tadvākyaṃ na prameti cet |
na śāstrasya balitvena tatprasiddhyā'rthanirṇayāt ||

We reply: In the comprehension of ritual duty taught in scripture, scriptural usage is stronger, because it is more proximate and comes down through an unbroken lineage of tradition. In the scripture, the corroborative statement to the injunction concerning yava is heard thus: "When other plants wither, then these stand up, rejoicing as it were." Growth at the time of the destruction of other plants is seen in long-awned barley, but not in panic seeds; because they ripen before the ripening of other plants. And the corroborative statement to the injunction concerning shoes of varāha is this: "Cattle run after a varāha." Running after by cattle is possible in the case of a pig, but not in that of a black bird. Therefore, long-awned barley and so on are the meanings of the words 'yava' and so on. / On this point, the author of the Vārttika gave the example of the word 'pīlu'. And the Mlecchas use that for an elephant, but the Āryas for a tree. There, since uncorrupted usage is found among the Āryas, the tree alone is the meaning of the word 'pīlu'. / In this very topical section, he states the view of the Guru: / If it is objected that because the meaning of 'yava' and so on is undetermined, that sentence is not a means of valid cognition; / [The reply is:] No, because scriptural text is stronger, the meaning is determined by its usage.