Manava Dharmashastra 2.6.9

2.6.9

ayaṃ dharmo brāhmaṇavākyebhyo'vagamyate liṅādiyuktebhyaḥ | kvacicca mantrebhyo'pi 'vasantāya kapiñjalānālabhata' ityevamādibhyaḥ | tatra kāmapadayuktāni vākyāni phalārthamanuṣṭhānamavagamayanti | 'sauryaṃ caruṃ nirvapedbrahmavarcasakāmo' 'vaiśvadevīṃ sāṅga hirṇī nirvapedgrāmakāma' iti | tāni phalamanicchatā na kriyante | anyāni yāvajjīvādipadairniyatayā samarpitāni | tāni na phalahetoranuṣṭhoyante, phalasyāśrutatvāt | na ca "viśvajitā yajete" tyādivadaśrutaphalatve'pi phalakalpanā | yato yāvajjīvādipadairvineva phalena kartavyatayā'vagamyante | tatrākaraṇe śāstrārthātikramadoṣaḥ | tatra tatparihārārthaṃ tāni kriyante | pratiṣedhānāṃmapi, 'brāhmaṇo na hantavyaḥ' 'surā na peyā' ityeṣaiva vārtā | na hi phalārtha pratiṣiddhavarjanamapi tu pratyavāyaparihārārtham | nakhilaḥ kṛtsnaḥ | na kiñcitpadaṃ varṇo mātrā vā yanna dharmārtha | atra codayanti | nanu ca vidhyarthavādamantranāmadheyātmako vedaḥ | dharmaśca kartavyatāsvabhāva ityuktam | tatra yuktaṃ yadvidhivākyāni dharme pramāṇaṃ syuḥ | tebhyo hi yāgādiviṣayā kartavyatā pratīyate | 'agnihotraṃ juhoti' 'dadhnā juhoti' 'yadagnaye ca prajāpataye ca sāyaṃ juhoti' 'svargakāmo juhotīti' | atra hyagnihotrākhyaṃ karma kartavyatayā pratīyate | 'dadhneti' tatraiva dravyam | 'yadagnaye ceti' devatā | 'svargakāma' ityadhikāraḥ | yattu "agnirvai sarvā devatā agnireva daivyo hotā sa devānāhvayati ca juhoti ca" ityādayaḥ, tathā "prajāpatirvapāmudakhidat tathā'gnerapi sarvadevatātmatvaṃ nāgneyakarmaṇyupayujyate | agniśabdenoddeśārthanivṛtteḥ |

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.