Mahabharata
From the 'Pati-vratopakhyāna' (the Story of the Chaste Married Lady) in the Araṇyakaparva:— "It is very difficult to know the eternal Dharma, which is established in truth. The elders laid it down that Sruti is the authority for Dharma. Dharma is subtle and appears in diverse ways. [It cannot be said that the actual nature of Dharma becomes
manifest just from a study of the Veda.]
Although you are pure, a knower of Dharma and engaged in study of the Veda, I think you do not know Dharmas in it’s true nature".
So admonishing, a chaste married lady advised a brahmin to go to a righteous butcher to learn Dharmas. In the teaching imparted by the butcher, the following appears to be a part of what is striking: "The essence of the Veda is truth, of truth sense-control (dama) and of the latter relinquishment (tyaga)" 6. "Non-injury is the supreme Dharma, and that is established in truth. Having basis in truth, the inclinations of a good, man proceed (or take from)". "The unsurpassed behaviour of the good has only three steps: do not harm, give and speak truth".
From the 'Sanatsujata-parva' (the Teaching of Sanatsujata) in the 'Udyoga-parva':
(1) A question was raised, “will one who has studied the three Vedas be defiled by the
sins one has committed, because there are texts like “one who is purified by the three
Vedas becomes glorified in brahmaloka'?" The reply given was, "Neither singly nor
together can the three Vedas save one from the result of one's actions; I am not telling
anything false. The Vedas cannot save a sinner or a deceitful person continuing to
deceive. For the attainment of the Supreme Self the Veda has propounded tapas, sacrifice, etc., through which sin is destroyed and merit gained; then through the light
of knowledge will come sakṣātkāra of the Supreme Self. Thus from knowledge only is the Self attained"
(2) There is no one who knows the Vedas; or there may be some rare one who knows
their essence. He who knows only the Vedic sentences does not know what ought to be
knowable through them. But he who firmly abides in truth knows what ought to be
known through Vedic sentences.
From the 'Pati-vratopakhyāna' (the Story of the Chaste Married Lady) in the Araṇyakaparva:— "It is very difficult to know the eternal Dharma, which is established in truth. The elders laid it down that Sruti is the authority for Dharma. Dharma is subtle and appears in diverse ways. [It cannot be said that the actual nature of Dharma becomes
manifest just from a study of the Veda.]
Although you are pure, a knower of Dharma and engaged in study of the Veda, I think you do not know Dharmas in it’s true nature".
So admonishing, a chaste married lady advised a brahmin to go to a righteous butcher to learn Dharmas. In the teaching imparted by the butcher, the following appears to be a part of what is striking: "The essence of the Veda is truth, of truth sense-control (dama) and of the latter relinquishment (tyaga)" 6. "Non-injury is the supreme Dharma, and that is established in truth. Having basis in truth, the inclinations of a good, man proceed (or take from)". "The unsurpassed behaviour of the good has only three steps: do not harm, give and speak truth".
From the 'Sanatsujata-parva' (the Teaching of Sanatsujata) in the 'Udyoga-parva':
(1) A question was raised, “will one who has studied the three Vedas be defiled by the
sins one has committed, because there are texts like “one who is purified by the three
Vedas becomes glorified in brahmaloka'?" The reply given was, "Neither singly nor
together can the three Vedas save one from the result of one's actions; I am not telling
anything false. The Vedas cannot save a sinner or a deceitful person continuing to
deceive. For the attainment of the Supreme Self the Veda has propounded tapas, sacrifice, etc., through which sin is destroyed and merit gained; then through the light
of knowledge will come sakṣātkāra of the Supreme Self. Thus from knowledge only is the Self attained"
(2) There is no one who knows the Vedas; or there may be some rare one who knows
their essence. He who knows only the Vedic sentences does not know what ought to be
knowable through them. But he who firmly abides in truth knows what ought to be
known through Vedic sentences.