In days of old, there were those devoted beings who, ever content in their desires, pleased and satisfied their revered teacher. In return, this teacher daily honored them with offerings of clarified butter, reciting the sacred texts in their company. He also satisfied the gods with offerings of meat, chanting the limbs of dharma and the ancient scriptures as prescribed. For those who sought the highest path, it was taught that one should go to the forest with a focused mind and recite the Gayatri mantra. Indeed, the constant repetition of the Gayatri was itself regarded as a great sacrifice—the sacrifice of recitation. So exalted is the Gayatri that, on one side, stand the four Vedas, and on the other, the Gayatri alone balances their weight. After mastering the Gayatri, one should recite the Savitri mantra with unwavering faith and single-mindedness. The three great Vyahritis—bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ—were revered for removing all inauspiciousness. Sages remembered these three as corresponding to the fundamental qualities of nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas. The Gayatri mantra was declared to be the great yoga, the very essence distilled from all other essences. When a student understands its true meaning, he attains the highest state. There is no recitation greater than the Gayatri, and one who knows this truth is liberated. The ceremony of Vedic study was remembered as taking place in the months of Ashadha or Proshthapada. The student was to study in a pure place, with a mind concentrated and unwavering. Alternatively, when the bright fortnight of Magha arrived, study could begin in the morning of the first day. The limbs of the Vedas, the ancient texts, and the Manusmriti were to be studied during the dark fortnight. Even during study, teaching and diligent practice were to be maintained. However, Prajapati himself declared that certain times were unsuitable for study. Study was forbidden during the wrong season, when clouds gathered, or when the time was otherwise improper. If there was lightning, study was prohibited at night just as it was during the day. For those who desired righteousness and merit, study was always forbidden in the presence of foul odors. It was further forbidden to study when there was weeping or when many people were gathered together. One should not even contemplate study when impure, after eating, or after consuming food offered to ancestors. For three days, recitation of the Veda was to be avoided in cases of impurity caused by a king’s death, the eclipse by Rāhu, or a birth in the family. As long as impurity remained in the body of a learned Brāhmaṇa, Vedic recitation was not permitted. Study was also forbidden after eating meat or food from a house in mourning. On the days of new moon, the fourteenth day, full moon, and eighth day, one should refrain from study. Likewise, on the aṣṭakā days, both day and night, and during the nights at the end of the seasons, study was prohibited. The wise declared that three aṣṭakā days occurred in the dark fortnight. Moreover, study was never to be undertaken under the kovidāra or kapittha trees. If the teacher had passed away, three nights of impurity were prescribed, and on these occasions, demons were said to cause harm, so one should avoid study then. Yet, at the beginning of study, at the conclusion of rituals, or during sacrificial mantras, study was permitted. Even on aṣṭakā days or when the wind was very strong, study could take place. In other Dharmaśāstras, these rules were not prescribed for festival days. All these instructions were once declared by Brahmā to the sages of purified mind. Those who were thus deluded and outside the Veda were not to be conversed with by the twice-born. One who stopped at mere recitation, without deeper understanding, would sink like a cow in the mud. Even if someone knew the meaning, if his conduct was like that of a Śūdra, he would not attain fitness for the sacred vessel. Thus, the wise prescribed the rules and spirit of Vedic study, for the upliftment of those who seek the highest truth.