In ages past, among the most illustrious sages—Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, Bharadvāja, Astīka, and Devala—there flourished a profound tradition, revered by all seekers of wisdom. The seer who first beheld the mysteries of this divine armor was none other than Prajāpati himself, the progenitor and knower of all. This sacred knowledge was sought for the complete understanding of all principles and the fulfillment of every noble aim. To invoke the protection of this wisdom, a series of mantras was revealed. “Om hrīṃ sarasvatyai svāhā”—with these words, one prays that Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, may protect the head on every side. “Om, may Sarasvati protect my ears constantly, svaha,” is chanted for the safeguarding of hearing. For the nose, the mantra “Om, hrim, may Vagvadini protect my nose in every way, svaha” is uttered. The row of teeth is entrusted to Brahmi with, “Om, srim, hrim, may Brahmi always protect my row of teeth, svaha.” The neck and shoulders are shielded by Srim through the prayer, “Om, srim, hrim, may my neck be protected, and may Srim always protect my shoulders.” For the navel, one invokes Vidyasvarupini: “Om, hrim, may Vidyasvarupini protect my navel, svaha.” The feet are kept safe by Sarvavarnatmika: “Om, may Sarvavarnatmika always protect my pair of feet.” In the east, Sarvakanthavasini is called upon: “Om, may Sarvakanthavasini protect me in the east always, svaha.” Further, the devotee recites, “Om, aim, hrim, srim, Sarasvati, mother of the wise, svaha,” and for the southwest, the three-syllabled mantra, “Om, hrim, srim, may it always protect me in the southwest.” Sadambika is invoked for the northwest: “Om, may Sadambika always protect me in the northwest, svaha,” and Sarvashastravasini for the northeast: “Om, may Sarvashastravasini always protect me in the northeast, svaha.” For protection below, the mantra is, “Aim, hrim, may Pustakavāsini always protect me below, svaha.” Thus, O venerable Brahmin, all the sacred mantras have been imparted. This entire collection was once heard from the very lips of Dharma upon Mount Gandhamadana. Only after worshipping the guru properly—with garments, ornaments, and fragrant sandalwood—should one undertake this practice. By reciting these mantras five hundred thousand times, the divine armor is perfected, and the devotee becomes a great orator, a foremost poet, and victorious in all three worlds. This armor, as spoken in the Kanva recension, has thus been revealed to you, O sage. Long ago, Nārāyaṇa recounted, the great sage Yājñavalkya worshipped the goddess with heartfelt praise. Yet, because of a curse from his teacher, that noble sage became bereft of knowledge. In his distress, Yājñavalkya performed austerities and approached the Sun at Koṇārka, coming within the sight of that radiant Lord. The Sun, sovereign of the Vedas and their branches, bestowed upon him the knowledge he had lost. Having imparted this blessing, the Lord of the afflicted vanished from sight. In his sorrow, Yājñavalkya pleaded, “Cursed by my teacher, I am bereft of memory, without knowledge, and distressed. Grant me knowledge, grant me memory, O goddess of knowledge. Grant me also the power to compose sacred texts and a worthy, well-established disciple. Restore again and again all that has been lost to me by fate. You are the embodiment of Brahman, supreme, the eternal form of light. Without you, the entire world is as if dead, always. Without you, the world is mute, mad, and senseless.” He continued to praise her: “You resemble snow, sandalwood, jasmine, the moon, the white lotus, and the water-lily. You are indeed the presiding power over the syllables ‘visarga’ and ‘bindu.’ Without you, even one who knows numbers cannot count them here. You are the goddess who is the very form of explanation, the presiding deity of exposition. You are the embodiment of memory, knowledge, and intellect.” Thus, just as Sanatkumāra once inquired of Brahmā about the nature of knowledge, so too did Yājñavalkya, through devotion and praise, seek the blessings of the goddess, the source of all wisdom.