Matsyapurana 143.23

143.23

yadi pramāṇaṃ svānyeva mantravākyāṇi vo dvijāḥ
tathā pravartatāṃ yajño hy anyathā mānṛtaṃ vacaḥ //

He said—The Śāstras say that the sacrifices should be performed according to the prescribed rites and with the offerings of good animals or roots, fruits, etc It is my experience, that the slaughter of animals is the nature of sacrifices Rather the sacrificial mantras all advocate killing of animals And what those great Ṛiṣis have laid down as the result of their long tapasya and experience of the bright bodies in the Heaven, ought to be taken as Prāmaṇas or proofs, and I give out my opinion on those authorities If you take those mantras as proofs, then, accordingly, perform the sacrifices, else what is the use of vain argumentation—20 23