Because the notes find their place and settle within it, this note is known as Niṣāda. It is so named for this very reason. Niṣāda, whose deity is the Sun, has the power to overcome all obstacles, shining with the brilliance of its divine association. Within the musical lineages, there are two types of vīṇās, the stringed instruments of tradition: the Dāravī and the Gātravīṇā. Of these, the Gātravīṇā is especially revered, for it is the “body-vīṇā” upon which the singers of the Sāma chant their sacred hymns. When one prepares to chant, the hands should be joined together and held gently, resting above the knees in a posture of composure and respect. The recitation begins with the sacred praṇava, the primordial sound, and is followed immediately by the utterance of the vyāhṛtis, the mystical syllables. Spreading all the fingers, the practitioner arranges the circle of notes, keeping the fingers apart and ensuring they do not touch their bases. For those who are senior—two or more measures older—the division of the recitation should be performed by one knowledgeable in such matters. When three lines are visible, it is there that one should recognize and declare success in the practice. At the conclusion of a section, and in the chanting of Sāman and Ṛk verses, a small gap, the size of a sesame seed, should be left to mark the pause. Throughout this process, the wise should remain still, avoiding any shaking of the body or its limbs. The presence of the notes, when skillfully rendered, shines forth in the midst of the chant like lightning flashing through clouds or like a string of radiant jewels. Withdrawing the limbs inward like a tortoise, the practitioner should focus the mind and direct the gaze with intent concentration. The hand, held before the nose, should take the shape of a cow’s ear—graceful and attentive. Both with the hand and the mouth, the words must be articulated properly and clearly. The sound should be neither too loud nor too soft; it should not be sung, nor should the body shake during recitation. Just as the path of a fish swimming smoothly through water is not seen, and as ghee is hidden within curds or fire within wood, so too should the transition from one note to another be smooth and seamless at their junctions. A note that is not yet sounded, one that is skipped, broken, or struck unevenly, or one that departs from its proper place or exceeds its position—all these are to be avoided. For practice, a swift style is suitable, but for actual performance, a moderate tempo is best. Thus, the text that has been learned should be recited by those who are devoted students of recitation. The highest note finds its place at the crown of the head, while the first note is placed at the forehead. The fourth note in the lower register is said to reside on the tongue. When the thumb is raised to its highest point, it produces the first note. The sixth note is placed on the ring finger, and the seventh, called Dhaivata, is on the little finger. There are constants in this tradition: the absence of intervals, being in the middle, and being always variable. The gods themselves are said to live by the highest note, while humans are sustained by the first. The blind-born and the ancestors dwell in the fourth note, while all beings, both stationary and moving, exist with the excessively low note. Of the qualities of sound, those that are bright, extended, and compassionate are also found in the soft and medium notes. Brightness is present in the lower register, the second, and likewise in the fourth note. The intervals of the second note are remembered as soft, medium, and extended. Extension is found in the low note, while softness is found in its opposite. Those who are restrained in the second note are followed by the highest note, and those who are restrained proceed with the fourth. One should not create an interval that is excessively high, nor should one produce gaps between the notes. The movement of sound is twofold: it occurs at the junction at the end of a word and together with aspiration, marking the subtle art of transition and the sacred flow of recitation.