"A celibate, or householder, or forester, who is (ever) vigilant, has karma, devotion, and knowledge and is independent, after understanding his peculiar tendency and having become indifferent (to his order of life), may become an householder after ending the celibate life, or may from the householder's life enter the life of a foresters and then the life of an ascetic; or from the life of a celibate, or householder, or forester may (directly) enter that of an ascetic. The moment vairāgya arises in him, he may become an ascetic that moment, whether he is with vraṭa (religious observance) or not, is snāṭaka 1 or not, or with a discontinued fire-sacrifice or not. On account of that, some perform Prājāpaṭya-sacrifice alone; or Āgneya-sacrifice may be performed. Is not agni, prāṇa? Through this alone, one should perform that sacrifice only which is connected with the three dhāṭus. The three ḍhāṭus are saṭṭva, rajas, and ṭamas alone. With the manṭra,

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agni (fire) should be taken in. Thus it is said (in the Śruṭis):

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The agni from āhavanīya should be brought and taken in as before (with the manṭras above mentioned). Should such an agni be not obtainable, the homa (oblation) should be done in water with the manṭra,

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[paragraph continues] After performing homa, the water should be taken in and sipped. After uttering the manṭra,

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he abandons the tuft of hair in the head, the holy thread, father, son, wife, karma, veḍic study and manṭra and becomes an ascetic. The Śruṭis say that a knower of Āṭmā should be engaged in meditation upon Brahman, through the three manṭras tending to salvation."

Then Nāraḍa asked Brahma thus: "How can one, without the holy thread, be a Brāhmaṇa?" To which Brahma replied: "The wise should, after shaving (the head) together with the