Verse 13 expands the scope of svādhyāya – self-study – to encompass a comprehensive learning process. The phrase ‘having studied the Veda, or a sūtra, or a Purāṇa with itihāsa’ highlights a layered approach to knowledge acquisition. The Veda represents the foundational, revealed wisdom, the sūtra offers a condensed, systematic exposition of philosophical principles, and the Purāṇa provides a rich tapestry of narrative and tradition, each contributing to a holistic understanding. The inclusion of itihāsa – ‘historical narrative’ – is particularly significant, grounding the abstract teachings in concrete examples and illuminating their relevance to human experience. This practice, when undertaken, is then remembered as japa, demonstrating that the act of study itself becomes a form of embodied practice, a continuous unfolding of awareness that shapes both the mind and the prāṇa.