Manava Dharmashastra 2.87

2.87

japyenaiva siddhiṃ kāmyaphalāvāptiṃ brahmaprāptiṃ vā prāpnuyāt | nātra hṛdi śaṅkā kartavyā yat'jyotiṣṭomādibhyo mahāprayāsebhyo bhāvanābhyaśca yallandhavyaṃ tajjapena kathaṃ sidhyatī'ti | siddhayatyeva |
ayabharthavāda eva, na punaḥ paśvaṅgakarmapratiṣedhaḥ, pūrvaśeṣatvāvagateḥ | pratyakṣaśrutivihitattvācca teṣām | atikrānto japavidhiḥ |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
By means of repeating Mantras alone the Brāhmaṇa succeeds;—i.e., acquires all desirable results,and also attains Brahman.

No such doubt on this point should be entertained in the mind, as—“How can one acquire, by means of Mantra-repetition alone, such results as are obtained only by means of such elaborate acts as the Jyotiṣṭoma and the rest, which cost much effort, or from deep and prolonged meditations?”—Because as a matter of fact, such success does actually follow.

‘He may do anything else.’—In the shape of the Jyotiṣṭoma and other non-com pulsory acts, —‘or not do it.’—For ‘one comes to be called a Brahmaṇa if lie is of a friendly disposition.’ ‘Maitra’ is the same as ‘mitra.’ The Brahmaṇa should be friendly to all living beings; and how can there be any friendliness (benevolence) in such acts as the killing of animals during the Agnīṣomīya offerings?

This passage is purely valedictory; it is not a prohibition of the killing of animals during sacrifices; because it is only supplementary to what has gone before (and as such it cannot be taken as an independent prohibition), and because such killing is directly enjoined in the Veda itself.

Thus ends the process of Repeating Mantras.—(87)