Let me tell you now about the sacred science of accent and tone as revealed in the scripture. In the art of recitation, the intervals between the notes are of three kinds: some are brief, some are extended, and some come abruptly. The wise know that brightness, or clarity, is to be found both in the raised tone and in the svarita, the modulated accent. Among the syllables, there are those that are raised, those that are unraised, and those that are accumulated with svarita, the combined accent. Now, let me explain to you the three principal tones of accent in recitation. The one called udātta, the raised accent, is immediately followed by svarita, the modulated or falling accent. When the accent of a syllable has passed on, that is called svarita, and this svarita itself is said to be of two varieties. This svara, or accent, should be understood as sevenfold, according to the context in which it is found. The seven tones should be applied with careful attention, particularly to the hearing of the right ear, for clarity and correctness. In the realm of sound, there is nothing higher than the high note, nor anything lower than the low note. That which lies between high and low is called 'neutral' according to tradition. Within these tones, certain notes are included: in udātta, the niṣāda and gāndhāra notes; in anudātta, the ṛṣabha and dhaivata. Where guttural sounds, sibilants, and those pronounced from the root of the tongue occur, these are born by nature, spoken quickly and distinctly, and with stable consonants. Now, I shall describe the characteristics of these tones individually. A syllable, whether it has 'ka' or 'va', may become svarita. Wherever the vowel 'i' is raised as udātta, sometimes in 'pa' and 'va', and wherever 'e' or 'o' arise from the combination of two udātta vowels, or where 'a' is pronounced distinctly, these are all governed by the rules of accent. Whatever syllable follows an udātta in metre becomes svarita. Whenever svarita occurs immediately after an avagraha (the mark of elision), or wherever the vowel 'i' is joined with another 'i', or wherever svarita occurs—whether in an open form or in conjunction—such a note, by its very nature, is called the primary accent at the beginning of the chant and is to be pronounced swiftly. A suppressed pause is recognized when the sound is elided, and a blended note is known as hīīgovarṇa. If, before a single syllable raised in pitch, there is any other syllable present, there are four initial accents to be known, called kaṃṣa, puṃ, and sphuti, according to the treatise. When a word ends with 'i' and is followed by a word beginning with 'u', or when a word ending in 'i' is followed by two 'u's in the next word, three long vowels are to be recognized, as well as those that occur at the junction of syllables. If, among many raised syllables, there is an unraised syllable following, or wherever there are two or more raised syllables together, it is to be noted that there is never a doubling in the case of 'r' or 'h' anywhere. The fourth syllable is joined with the third, and the second with the first in such combinations. If the following syllable is at the end, the preceding should be rendered without end, flowing into it. The final letters of the groups—together with 'śa', 'ṣa', and 'sa', or those joined with final letters—are to be pronounced carefully. The third and fourth syllables, and the word that follows after the fourth, are to be noted for their accent. Anusvāra, upadhmānīya, and mūrdhanya sounds occur in some cases, in sequence, after these. Wherever a conjunction is seen, and a consonant stands at the end of a word, wherever there is a conjunction, the accent is raised and likewise extended. From the conjunction, one should recognize that the following syllable is governed by that conjunction. The anusvāra at the end of a word, and that which arises in its own affix in sequence, are to be observed and recited with care, as prescribed by the tradition. Thus, the science of accent and tone is woven into the sacred recitation, guiding the devotee in the right pronunciation and melody, preserving the purity and power of the Vedic word.