History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c93.417

v7.c93.417

Kumārila points out that even brāhmaṇa women of Ahicchatrā and Mathurā drank ²⁰⁸⁹ liquor in his day, that northern brāhmaṇas engage in such transactions as the gift and sale of horses that have a mane, of mules, camels and animals that have two rows of teeth and eat from the same plate with their wives, children and friends, that brāhmaṇas of the South enter into matrimony with the maternal uncle's daughter and take their meals while seated on a couch of wickerwork, that both (brāhmaṇas of the North and South) take cooked food (kept in pots) that remains after their friends or relatives have partaken of it or that has been touched by them (at the time of eating), that they chew *tāmbūla* of betel leaves, betelnut, catechu and lime made into a roll that has been touched (in a betel-seller's shop) and do not sip water at the end of the chewing, wear clothes cleaned by washermen and brought on the back of asses, that they do not avoid the contact of persons guilty of grave sins except of the murder of a brāhmaṇa; there are also an infinite number of obvious violations of the subtle dictates of Dharma laid down for each man, caste or family, that these (transgressions) are contrary to Śruti and Smṛti and have a visible purpose and that it is not possible to regard such adulterated practices as Dharma inculcated by sadācāra. The requisites of valid usages according to the Pūrvamīmāṁsā school are that they must be ancient, not opposed to the express texts of the Veda or of Smṛti, must be such as are deemed by śiṣṭas to be obligatory and must be observed by them with the consciousness that they are so, they must not have a visible purpose and must not be immoral. Vide H of Dh. Vol. III. p. 853-855 for discussion on valid customs and usages