पितुर्भगिन्या मातुश्च जायस्यां च स्वसर्यपि । मातृवद्वृत्तिमातिष्ठेन्माता ताभ्यो गरीयसी
Toward the father’s sister, mother’s sister, wife’s sister, and one’s own sister, one should behave as toward one’s mother, for the mother is the most venerable of all.
एवमाचारसंपन्नमात्मवंतमदांभिकम् । वेदमध्यापयेद्धर्म्मं पुराणांगानि नित्यशः
One who is endowed with such conduct, self-controlled, and free from hypocrisy should be taught the Veda, dharma, and the limbs of the Purāṇas continually.
संवत्सरोषिते शिष्ये गुरुर्ज्ञानमनिर्दिशन् । हरते दुष्कृतं तस्य शिष्यस्य वसतो गुरुः
If a student dwells with the teacher for a year, and the teacher imparts knowledge, the teacher removes the student’s sins.
आचार्यपुत्रः शुश्रूषुर्ज्ञानदो धार्मिकः शुचिः । शक्तोन्नदोंबुदः साधुरध्याप्यादश धर्मतः
A teacher’s son who is attentive, imparts knowledge, is righteous, pure, capable, and virtuous, is fit to teach ten students according to dharma.
कृतकंठस्तथाऽद्रोहः मेधावी गुरुकृन्नरः । आप्तः प्रियोऽथ विधिवत्षडध्याप्या द्विजातयः
A man who is respectful, free from hostility, intelligent, and obedient to his teacher, who is trustworthy, dear, and properly versed in the six disciplines—such are the twice-born worthy of instruction.
एतेषु ब्राह्मणे दानमन्यत्र तु यथोचितम् । आचम्य संयतो नित्यमधीयीत उदङ्मुखः
To these brāhmaṇas, gifts should be given; to others, as appropriate. Having purified himself and being always self-controlled, one should study facing north.
उपसंगृह्य तत्पादौ वीक्ष्यमाणो गुरोर्मुखम् । अधीष्व भो इति ब्रूयाद्विरामोऽस्त्विति चाऽरमेत्
Approaching and touching the teacher’s feet, looking at the teacher’s face, one should say, 'Please instruct me, sir,' and, when told 'It is enough,' one should stop.
प्राक्कूलान्पर्युपासीत पवित्रैश्चैव पावकः । प्राणायामैस्त्रिभिः पूतस्ततोंकारमर्हति
He should sit facing east, purified with sacred rites and fire; purified by three kinds of breath-control, he then becomes worthy of uttering the syllable Oṃ.
ब्राह्मणः प्रणवं कुर्यादंतेऽपि विधिवद्द्विजाः । कुर्यादध्यापनं नित्यं सब्रह्मांजलिपूर्वतः
A brāhmaṇa should properly utter the praṇava (Oṃ) even at the end; the twice-born should always teach with joined palms in reverence to Brahman.
सर्वेषामेव भूतानां वेदश्चक्षुः सनातनः । अधीयीताप्ययं नित्यं ब्राह्मण्याद्धीयतेऽन्यथा
The Veda is the eternal eye of all beings; one should always study it, for by the brāhmaṇa it is studied, otherwise it is lost.
अधीयीत ऋचो नित्यं क्षीराहुत्या सदेवताः । प्रीणाति तर्पयन्कालं कामैर्हूताः सदैवताः
He should daily recite the Ṛg Veda with offerings of milk to the deities, pleasing and satisfying them at the proper time with desired oblations.
यजूंष्यधीते नियतं दध्ना प्रीणाति देवताः । सामान्यधीते प्रीणाति घृताहुतिभिरन्वहम्
He who regularly studies the Yajur Veda pleases the deities with offerings of curds; he who studies the Sāma Veda pleases them daily with offerings of ghee.
अथर्वांगिरसो नित्यं मध्वा प्रीणाति देवताः । धर्मांगानि पुराणानि मांसैस्तर्पयतेसुरान्
He who daily studies the Atharvāṅgiras Veda pleases the deities with honey; with meat he satisfies the gods through the limbs of dharma and the Purāṇas.
प्रातश्च सायं प्रयतो नैत्यकं विधिमाश्रितः । गायत्रीं समधीयीत गत्वारण्यं समाहितः
Morning and evening, with discipline, following the daily rite, one should recite the Gāyatrī, having gone to the forest with a concentrated mind.
सहस्रपरमां देवीं शतमध्यां दशावराम् । गायत्रीं वै जपेन्नित्यं जपयज्ञः प्रकीर्तितः
The Gāyatrī, the supreme goddess of a thousand syllables, with a hundred in the middle and ten at the end, should always be recited; this is called the sacrifice of recitation.
गायत्रीं चैव वेदांश्च तुलया तोलयत्प्रभुः । एकतश्चतुरोवेदा गायत्रीं च तथैकतः
The Lord weighed the Gāyatrī and the Vedas on a scale: on one side the four Vedas, and on the other the Gāyatrī alone.
ॐकारमादितः कृत्वा व्याहृतीस्तदनंतरम् । ततोऽधीयीत सावित्रीमेकाग्रः श्रद्धयान्वितः
Having first uttered Oṃ, then the vyāhṛtis, one should then recite the Sāvitrī with single-mindedness and faith.
पुराकल्पे समुत्पन्ना भूर्भुवः स्वः सनातनाः । महाव्याहृतयस्तिस्रः सर्वाशुभनिबर्हणाः
In the ancient age arose the three great, eternal vyāhṛtis—bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ—which remove all inauspiciousness.
प्रधानं पुरुषः कालो विष्णुब्रह्ममहेश्वराः । सत्वंरजस्तमस्तिस्रः क्रमाद्व्याहृतयः स्मृताः
Pradhāna (matter), Puruṣa (spirit), Time, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Maheśvara, and the three qualities—sattva, rajas, tamas—are remembered in order as the vyāhṛtis.
ॐकारस्तत्परं ब्रह्म सावित्री स्यात्तदुत्तरम् । एष मंत्रो महायोगः सारात्सार उदाहृतः
Oṃkāra is the supreme Brahman; Sāvitrī comes after that. This mantra is called the great yoga, the essence of essences.
योऽधीतेऽहन्यहन्येतां गायत्रीं वेदमातरम् । विज्ञायार्थं ब्रह्मचारी स याति परमां गतिम्
He who recites daily this Gāyatrī, mother of the Vedas, and understands its meaning, being a student of Brahmacarya, attains the highest state.
गायत्री वेदजननी गायत्री लोकपावनी । गायत्र्या न परं जप्यमेतद्विज्ञायमुच्यते
Gāyatrī is the mother of the Vedas; Gāyatrī purifies the worlds. There is no recitation higher than Gāyatrī—this is declared to be known.
श्रावणस्य तु मासस्य पौर्णमास्यां द्विजोत्तमाः । आषाढ्यां प्रोष्ठपद्यां वा वेदोपाकरणं स्मृतम्
O best of twice-born, the initiation for study of the Veda is prescribed on the full moon of the month of Śrāvaṇa, or on the Āṣāḍhī or Proṣṭhapadī days.
यत्सूर्ययाम्यगमनं मासान्विप्रोर्द्धपंचमान् । अधीयीत शुचौ देशे ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः
After the sun has entered the southern course, for five months, the devoted student should study in a pure place.
पुष्ये तुच्छंदसां कुर्याद्बहिरुत्सर्जनं द्विजः । मासि शुक्लस्य वा प्राप्ते पूर्वाह्णे प्रथमेऽहनि
In Puṣya, the twice-born should perform the expulsion of the chandas outside; or when the bright fortnight of the month arrives, on the first day in the forenoon.
छदांसि च द्विजोऽभ्यस्येच्छुक्लपक्षे तु वै द्विजः । वेदांगानि पुराणानि कृष्णपक्षेषु मानवः
The twice-born should recite the chandas during the bright fortnight, and a man should study the Vedāṅgas and Purāṇas during the dark fortnight.
इमान्नित्यमनध्यायानधीयानो विवर्जयेत् । अध्यापनं च कुर्वाणोऽभ्यस्यन्नपि प्रयत्नतः
One should always avoid reciting or teaching during the prescribed forbidden periods, even if one is engaged in diligent study or instruction.
कर्णश्रवेऽनिले रात्रौ दिवापांसुसमूहने । विद्युत्स्तनितवर्षेषु महोल्कानां च संप्लवे
When there is a sound in the ear, wind, at night, during the day when dust is swirling, during lightning, thunder, heavy rain, or the appearance of meteors—
अकालिकमनध्यायमेतेष्वाह प्रजापतिः । एतानभ्युदिनान्विद्याद्यदा प्रादुष्कृताग्निषु
The Lord of Creatures has declared these as improper times for study; when these events occur, and when fires are manifest, one should refrain from study.
तदा विद्यादनध्यायमनृतौ चाभ्रदर्शने । निर्घाते भूमिचलने ज्योतिषां चोपसर्जने
At such times, and when clouds appear out of season, during earthquakes, when there is thunder, or when there are omens among the stars, one should know these as forbidden for study.