O best of sages, hear now of the daily conduct prescribed for one of the varṇa. Rising early in the morning, he should bathe and gather the sacred requisites: sticks for the ritual fire, kuśa grass, fruits, and similar offerings. He must always possess the sacred thread, a deerskin, and a staff, marking his discipline and dedication. His livelihood is to be sustained solely through food obtained by seeking alms, as is proper for those of the varṇas. In the presence of a brāhmaṇa, he should offer deference first; in the presence of a king, the king is to be honored. With self-control and in accordance with proper conduct, he must perform the morning and evening rituals unfailingly. The wise declare that one who abandons the fire rituals is fallen from the path. He should worship the deities and ever serve his teacher with devotion. When seeking alms, he must do so with self-restraint, approaching only the homes of blameless brāhmaṇas. Certain items are to be avoided: honey, wine, meat, salt, betel, and tooth-cleaning sticks, as well as umbrellas, water pots, sandals, perfumes, garlands, and unguents. Slander, distress, idle talk, and collyrium are also to be shunned. He must cultivate the habit of offering respectful salutations, especially to elders, following the proper order. The teacher, who removes spiritual suffering, is to be revered above all. When saluting, the twice-born should declare, "It is I," announcing himself with humility. There are some to whom salutations are not due: an atheist, one who has broken boundaries, a sinner, a village priest, a heretic, a fallen person, an outcaste, and one who lives by causing harm to the stars. Similarly, one who is mad, deceitful, a rogue, running about, or impure; one fond of disputes, a gambler, one vomiting, or one who is in water; a wife who has wronged her husband, a woman adorned with flowers, an adulteress, a woman in childbirth, or one who has aborted—all these are not to be saluted. In assemblies, sacrificial halls, and temples of the gods, as well as during ancestral rites, vows, gifts, and worship of the deities, proper conduct is to be maintained. If a greeting is offered, it must be returned; to neglect this is improper. Before his teacher, he should always stand after washing his feet and mouth, showing the highest respect. There are special days to be observed: the eighth and fourteenth lunar days, the first day of festivals, the second day of the latter half of Bhādrapada, and certain times such as after sunset or when a learned brāhmaṇa enters the house. At twilight, when thunder resounds, or when rain falls out of season, these are all occasions for special attention. At the beginnings of Manus and gods, and at the four great beginnings of the ages, as well as on the third day in the bright fortnight, in Bhādra, the dark thirteenth, and the bright eleventh, these times are said to bring inexhaustible merit to gifts given. The bright ninth in Kārtika and the twelfth in the bright fortnight, the bright tenth in Āṣāḍha, and the seventh in Māgha’s bright fortnight, the new moon of Phālguna, and the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Pauṣa—these, too, are proclaimed by the sages as occasions when gifts yield inexhaustible results. At a śrāddha, when invited, and during eclipses of the moon and sun, certain rules apply. During an eclipse or on inauspicious days, one should never undertake study. Study may be pursued for those who are dull-witted, or for the sake of offspring, wisdom, fame, and prosperity. But to study during forbidden times is a grave transgression, akin to slaying a brāhmaṇa. Some, O Nārada, say that during the conjunction of Kuṇḍa and Golaka, and for the dull and the like, study is not permitted. But know this: one who, without studying the Veda, exerts himself elsewhere, strays from the true path.