इतोप्यूर्ध्वं न संस्कार्याः पतिता धर्मवर्जिताः
Beyond this, those fallen and devoid of righteousness should not be consecrated.
सावित्रीपतितैः सार्धं संबंधं न समाचरेत्
One should not associate with the Savitri mantra together with those who have fallen.
वसीरन्नानुपूर्व्येण शाण क्षौमाविकानि च भवेत्त्रिवृत्समाश्लक्ष्णा विशस्तु शणतांतवी
Let garments of hemp, linen, and wool be worn in proper order; the sacred thread should be made smooth, threefold, and especially woven from hemp.
मुंजाभावे विधातव्या कुशाश्मंतकबल्वजैः
In the absence of hemp, it should be made from munja grass, kusa grass, asmantaka, or balvaja fibers.
उपवीतक्रमेण स्यात्कार्पासं शाणमाविकम्
According to the rule for the sacred thread, it may be made of cotton, hemp, or wool.
बिल्वपालाशयोर्दंडो ब्राह्मणस्य नृपस्य तु
The staff for a Brahmin should be from bilva or palāśa wood, and for a king, likewise.
आमौलिं वाऽऽललाटंवाऽऽनासमूर्ध्वप्रमाणतः
It should reach up to the top of the head or the forehead, or up to the tip of the nose, in length.
प्रदक्षिणं परीत्याग्निमुपस्थाय दिवाकरम् 4.1.36.
Having circumambulated the fire to the right, he should stand facing the sun.
मातृमातृष्वसृस्वसृपितृस्वसृपुरःसराः
Let the mother, maternal aunt, sister, and paternal aunt go before him.
यावद्वेदमधीते च चरन्वेदव्रतानि च
As long as he studies the Veda and observes the vows of the Veda,
प्रोक्तोसावुपकुर्वाणो द्वितीयस्तत्र नैष्ठिकः
He is called an upakurvāṇa; the second, in that context, is called naiṣṭhika.
गृहाश्रमं समाश्रित्य यः पुनर्ब्रह्मचर्यभाक्
He who, after entering the householder stage, again undertakes the vow of brahmacharya,
अनाश्रमी न तिष्ठेत दिनमेकमपि द्विजः
A twice-born should not remain even for a single day without belonging to an āśrama.
जपं होमं व्रतं दानं स्वाध्यायं पितृतर्पणम्
Recitation, oblation, vow, gift, self-study, and offerings to the ancestors—
मेखलाजिनदंडाश्च लिंगं स्याद्ब्रह्मचारिणः
The girdle, the deer skin, and the staff are the marks of a brahmachārin.
त्रिदंडादि यतेरुक्तमुपलक्षणमत्र वै
The triple staff and other such items are prescribed as marks for a yati here.
जीर्णं कमंडलुं दंडमुपवीताजिने अपि
An old water pot, staff, sacred thread, or deer skin—
विदध्यात्षोडशे वर्षे केशांतकर्म च क्रमात् 4.1.36.
At the age of sixteen, one should perform the rite of cutting the hair, in due order.
तपो यज्ञ व्रतेभ्यश्च सर्वस्माच्छुभकर्मणः
Austerity, sacrifice, and vows are all auspicious acts.
वेदारंभे विसर्गे च विदध्यात्प्रणवं सदा
At the beginning and end of Vedic study, one should always utter the praṇava.
वेदस्य वदनं प्रोक्तं गायत्री त्रिपदा परा
The speech of the Veda is said to be the Gāyatrī, the supreme metre of three lines.
सहस्रं साधिकं किंचित्त्रिकमैतज्जपन्यमी
Its recitation is a little more than a thousand and three times.
अत्यब्दमिति योभ्यस्येत्प्रतिघस्रमनन्यधीः
Whoever, with undistracted mind, practices this for more than a year—
त्रिवर्णमयमोंकारं भूर्भुवःस्वरिति त्रयम्
The syllable Om, composed of three sounds, and the three—Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ—
एतदक्षरमेनां च जपेद्व्याहृतिपूर्विकाम्
One should recite this syllable, preceded by the vyāhṛtis.
विधिक्रतोर्दशगुणं जपस्यफलमश्नुते
He attains ten times the fruit of recitation as prescribed by rule.
उपांशुस्तच्छतगुणः सहस्रो मानसस्ततः
Recitation in a low voice yields a hundred times that; mental recitation, a thousand times more.
अधीत्यवेदान्वेदौ वा वेदं वा शक्तितो द्विजः 4.1.36.
A twice-born who has studied the Vedas, or even a Veda, or as much as he is able—
श्रुतिमेव सदाभ्यस्येत्तपस्तप्तुं द्विजोत्तमः
The best of the twice-born should always practice recitation of the scripture to perform austerity.
हित्वा श्रुतेरध्ययनं योन्यत्पठितुमिच्छति
Whoever, abandoning the study of scripture, wishes to recite something else—