प्रत्यक्षं चानुमानं च शास्त्रं च विविधाऽऽगमम् ।
त्रयं सुविदितं कार्यं धर्मशुद्धिमभीप्सता ॥
आर्षं धर्मोपदेशं च वेदशास्त्राविरोधिना ।
यस्तर्केणानुसन्धत्ते स धर्मं वेद नैतरः ॥
pratyakṣaṁ cānumānaṁ ca śāstraṁ ca vividhāgamam |
trayaṁ suviditaṁ kāryaṁ dharma-śuddhim abhīpsatā ||
ārṣaṁ dharmopadeśaṁ ca veda-śāstrāvirodhinā |
yas tarkeṇānusandhatte sa dharmaṁ veda naitaraḥ ||
(Manu-smṛti: 12.105–106)
“(1) Perception (pratayakṣa), (2) inference (anumāna), and (3) the śāstra—various sacred knowledges [i.e., those coming from the Śruti and Smṛti]—accurate understanding of these three is to be gathered by one desirous of veracity in dharma. One who inquires into the seers’ teaching of the dharma [i.e., Vedic dharma] with reasoning (tarka) that is not contrary to Vedic śāstras understands dharma, and not another [i.e., and not someone who fails to inquire or reasoning inappropriately while doing so].”