केवलं शास्त्रमाश्रित्य न कर्तव्यो विनिर्णयः ।
युक्तिहीनविचारे तु धर्महानिः प्रजायते ॥
kevalaṁ śāstram āśritya na kartavyo vinirṇayaḥ |
yukti-hīna-vicāre tu dharma-hāniḥ prajāyate ||
(Bṛhaspati; quoted in the Smṛti-candrikā)
“Do not ascertain what is to be done on the basis of śāstra alone. Dharma is lost by deliberation devoid of reasoning.”