Madhvaon Brahma Sūtra 2.1.4

The loss of authoritativeness cannot be predicated of Scripture and the Smritis that follow Scripture on account of the non-perception of the declared results, as it has been said of the other Smritis: For Scripture being eternal, is of a different character; and those Smritis also differ in character (from these) as following (agreeing with) Scripture. For, in what is eternal, errors should not be supposed, and its authoritativeness arises out of itself. Otherwise, (the authoritativeness of any statement regarding subtle things cannot be made out), for it would entail an endless chain of uncertainty. Also the Bhâllaveya Sruti says, “ Neither the eye, nor the ear, nor the reasoning, nor Smriti makes Him (the Lord) known to us ; and only the Yedas do in fact tell (us) of Him ; (hence they are the Vedas). The eternal charac- ter of the Vedas is seen from Scripture itself as in the text, “ O Virupa, (do thou praise) by Eternal Speech ” (Rv. VIII-646) ; and the Smriti says, “ The eternal word which has no beginning or end was uttered by the self- existing Lord.”