Manava Dharmashastra 2.6.21

2.6.21

caśabdena vedavidāmiti sambadhyate | padadvayena śiṣṭatvaṃ lakṣyate | śiṣṭānāṃ ya ācāraḥ so'pi dharme mūlam | ācāro vyavahāraḥ anuṣṭhānam | yatra śrutismṛtivākyāni na santi śiṣṭāśca dharmabuddhyānutiṣṭhanti tadapi vaidikameva pūrvavatpratipattavyam | yathā vivāhādau kaṅkaṇabandhanādi māṅgalikatvena yatkriyate, yā ca kanyāyāstadaharvivāhayiṣyamāṇāyāḥ prakhyātavṛkṣayakṣacatuṣpathādipūjā deśabhedena, tathā cūḍāsaṅkhyādeśabhedaśca, yā cātithyādīnāṃ gurvādīnāṃ cānuvṛttiḥ priyahitavacanābhivādanābhyutthānādirūpā, tathā pṛṣṭhisūktaṃ tṛṇapāśyā'dhīyate aśvamedhamaśvaṃ yathā samarpayantaḥ | īdṛśa ācāraḥ | eṣo'pi hi svabhāvabhedena puruṣāṇāṃ manaḥsvāsthyadauḥsthyādibhedenānekarūpaḥ prativiśeṣamānantyādaśakye| granthenopanibaddhum | yadeva bahuśaḥ priyamasyetyupalakṣitaṃ tadevāvasarāntare viparītaṃ sampadyate | tathā paryupāsanaṃ gṛhasthenātitheḥ kriyamāṇaṃ kasyacitprītikaraṃ ‘mamāyaṃ bhṛtyavattiṣṭhati’, anyastvanyathā ‘niyantraṇayā na labhyata āsitumasminsannihita’ iti paryupāsanayaiva virajyati | na tatra sāmānyataḥ śakyaṃ vedānumānaṃ na viśeṣataḥ | aṣṭakādīnāṃ tu niyataikarūpasamastaprayogasmaraṇamityeṣa smṛtyācārāṇāṃ bhedaḥ | dharmamūlamityanuṣajyate | vedavidāṃ sādhūnāmiti ca | asyāśca dharmamūlatvaṃ prāmāṇyenaivetyāhuḥ | yatra hyevavidhānāmanuṣṭheye'rthe manaḥ prasīdati dveṣo na bhavati sa dharmaḥ | “nanu ca yasya pratiṣiddha evārthe manaḥ prasīdetsa dharmaḥ prāpnoti | vihite ca kiṅkathikā syān sa na dharma iti |”

Whatever Dharma for whatever person has been described by Manu,—all this is declared in the Veda; since the Veda embodies all knowledge.—(7)