Manava Dharmashastra 2.6.10

2.6.10

anyadevatve'nyatvādagneruddeśa eva nāsti | āvāhanasyāpi vacanāntareṇa "agnimagna āvahe" tyādinā vihitatvāt | 'sa devānāhvayati ca juhoti' cetyādiranarthakaḥ | mantrā api "na mṛtyurāsīdamṛtaṃ na tarhi" "sudevo adya patedanāvṛt" ityādayo bhāvavṛttaparidevanādirūpārthābhidhāyinaḥ kaṃ dharmaṃ pramimate ? tasminkāle na mṛtyurjāto nāpyamṛtaṃ jīvitaṃ, prāk sṛṣṭerbhūtānāmanutpannatvānna kasyacijjo vitamāsīnnāpi mṛtyuḥ; pralaye sarveṣāṃ mṛtatvādbhavatu vā mṛtyurmā vā; na kiñcidetena kartavyamupadiṣṭaṃ bhavati | evaṃ sudevo'sau mahāpuṇyo, devatulyo manuṣyo yo'dya prapatecchubhraṃ ātmānaṃ kṣipedanāvṛkṣāvṛttiḥ pratyujjīvanaṃ yasmātprapātānna bhavati | urvaśyā vipralabdhaḥ purūravāḥ paridevayāñcakre | tathā nāmadheyam "udbhidā yajeta' 'balabhidā yajeta" ityādi, na kasyacidarthasya kriyāyā dravyasya vā vidhāyakamākhyātena kriyāyā vidhānādadravyavacanatvācca balabhidādeḥ | somasya vā vyaktacodanatvena prakṛtitaḥ prāptatvānna kleśena dravyavacanatā kalpyate | tasmānnāmnā na dharma upadiśyate | ataḥ kathamucyate kṛtsno vedo dharmamūlamiti | ucyate | anayaivāśaṅkayā'khilagrahaṇaṃ kṛtam, yataḥ sarveṣāmeteṣāṃ dharmapratipādanaparatvam | tathā hyarthavādā naiva vidhāyakebhyo vākyebhyaḥ pṛthagarthāḥ yena dharmaṃ na pramimīran | vibhajya mānasākāṅkṣatve vidhiparatvāvagamāt, tatparatve ca siddhāyāmekavākyatāyāṃ, yathā tadarthānuguṇyaṃ pratipadyante tathā vyākhyeyāḥ | ataḥ prajāpatervapotkhādanavacanaṃ na svārthaniṣṭham kiṃ tarhi vidhiśeṣam |

This ‘Veda’ is the ‘root,’ i.e., source, cause, of dharma, in the sense that it makes it known, and it does this by means chiefly of such passages in the Brāhmaṇas as contain injunctive expressions; sometimes also by means of Mantras. And the other parts of the Veda—the Arthavāda or Declamatory Passages—have their use in eulogising what is enjoined by the corresponding injunction; Mantras and names help in indicating the details of the acts prescribed.