Manava Dharmashastra 2.18

2.18

"athāsmindeśe ya ācārastasya prāmāṇye kiṃ vidvattā śiṣṭatā copādhiraṅgīkriyate, athāviduṣāmaśiṣṭānāṃ ca deśopādhireva pramāṇam | kiṃ cātaḥ | yadi nāpekṣyate, yattaduktaṃ 'ācāraścaiva sādhūnāmiti' viśeṣaṇadvayamanarthakam | na tvasādhvācārasya dharmamūlatopapadyate, vedasaṃyogāsambhavāt | athāpekṣyate, deśaviśeṣasambandhānupakāraḥ| na hi deśāntare'pi śiṣṭasamācārasyāprāmāṇyaṃ śakyate vaktum" |
ucyate | prāyikametadabhidhānam | prāyovṛttyā'smindeśe śiṣṭānāṃ sambhava ityuktam tasmindeśe ya ācāraḥ sa sadācāra iti |
anye tu deśāntare mātuladuhituḥ pariṇayanādeśācāraniṣedhārthamidamityāhuḥ |
tadayuktam | aviśeṣeṇaivoktaṃ "taddeśakulajātīnāmaviruddhaṃ prakalpayet" | sa ca viruddha 'ūrdhvaṃ saptamātpitṛbandhubhyo mātṛbandhubhyaśca pañcamāt' ityetena | asminnapi deśe'nupanītena sahabhojanādirācāro naiva dharmatveneṣyate | na ca smṛtiviruddhasyācārasya prāmāṇyasambhavaḥ, śruti viprakarṣāt | ācārātsmṛtiranumātavyā, smṛteḥ śrutiḥ | smṛtistvavyavahitāmeva śrutimanumāpayati | kiñca kāraṇagrahāccaivamāderācārasya | rūpavatīṃ mātulakanyāṃ kāmayamānā rājabhayādūḍhavantaḥ, kanyāgamanaṃ daṇḍe| mābhūditi | anye tvavidvāṃso "yenāsya pitaro yātā" ityasya yathāśrutamarthaṃ gṛhītvā dharmo'yamiti pratipannāḥ | api ca 'etāstisrastu bhāryārthe nopayaccheteti' prāyaścittaṃ śrutamapi | bhrāntiheturābhyastisṛbhyo'nyā na pratiṣiddhā iti | yathā cāsya nāyamarthastathā vakṣyāmaḥ | na ca dṛṣṭakāraṇayoḥ smṛtyācārayoḥ prāmāṇyam | uktaṃ ca bhaṭṭapādaiḥ "viruddhā ca vigītā ca dṛṣṭārthā dṛṣṭakāraṇā | smṛtirna śrutimūlā syādyā caiṣā sambhavaśrutiḥ" ||
tasmāt 'etāndvijātayo deśānsaṃśrayeran' ityetadvidhiśeṣā deśapraśaṃsārthavādā ete |
paramparaiva pāramparyam | anyasmādanyamupasaṃkrāmati, tasmādanyaṃ tato'pyanyamityevaṃrūpaḥ pravāhaḥ paramparā | 'kramaḥ tadavicchedastata āgataḥ samprāptaḥ |
saṅkīrṇayonayaḥ 'antarālāḥ' | tatsahitānāṃ varṇānām |

From all this it follows that what is contained in this verse is only an arthavāda, eulogising the particular country,—this eulogy being supplementary to the Injunction coming later on that ‘the Twice-born people should betake themselves to these countries’ (verse 21 below).

‘Pāramparya’ is the same as ‘paramparā,’ ‘Tradition’; which goes from one to the other, from him again to a fourth person, and so on; this succession is what is called ‘Tradition’; and ‘Krama,’ ‘line,’ stands for ‘unbroken continuity;’—‘come down’ means learnt.

‘Sub-castes’—are people of mixed birth;—the ‘castes’ along with these are called Sāntarālāḥ.

Now no Smṛti or Practice, that is prompted by a perceptible motive, can ever be regarded as authoritative. Says the revered Bhatta (Kumārila)—‘That Smṛti, which is contrary to the Veda, or deprecated, and which serves a visible purpose, and is prompted by perceptible motives, can never he based upon the Veda.’