O wise Nārada, listen as the profound teachings on the structure and nature of sacred words are revealed. The learned know that the application of accent begins from the very first syllable and continues through to the last, marking the entire word with its proper sound. There are four kinds of openings to be understood in the utterance of words—this is my considered opinion. After a short vowel, and at the beginning, the sound that follows the “calf”—meaning the next letter—is also placed at the front. Among these four openings, the interval between them should be measured by a mātrā, the unit of measure in sound. For other cases, the interval is half a mātrā, and in yet others, it is even more subtle, an aṇu-mātrā. When the letter ‘pa’ is followed by another letter of the same class, and in the case of the stops, the highest lord—the chief accent—is applied. It is said that the letter ‘a’ is red, and when joined with ‘ta’, it is colored anew. The half-measure of the preceding syllable is extended by an additional, minimal measure. In pronunciation, the ‘repha’ (the sound of ‘r’), the ‘raṅga’ (coloring), elision, and sometimes nasalization may occur. These sounds are both soft and of two measures in length; the word ‘dadhanvā’ is given as an example of this. Thus, the application of ‘raṅga’ should be understood as I have described, O Nārada. Of the four types of metrical feet, ten kinds of word-endings are described. Consonants do not occur where only a vowel remains. One should understand the consonant as a gem, and the vowel as the thread that holds it together. In such cases, the consonant is weak, while the vowel is strong. The root of the tongue, the labial, and the eightfold movement of sibilants should be recognized. There, the visarga (the aspirated sound) is considered, and the palatal sound is also produced. The expansion of sound is called ‘consonantal’, while close contact is called ‘vocalic’. Wherever there is expansion, it is designated as ‘vocalic’. One should know as ‘vowel-ending’ those syllables of such kind, except for the indistinct sibilants. If the affixes ‘sha’, ‘ṣa’, or ‘sa’ reach the second position in a word, one should not acknowledge them, just as a fish does not notice a razor in the water. The Ṛg verses possess a free meter, and the feet are measured by the number of syllables. The affix, along with the ‘repha’, is measured by the division of the vowel. A light ‘ṛ’ is recognized when it is joined with a sibilant. The guru syllable, the heavy one, should be understood; here, the threefold verse serves as an example. The fifth is Nirṛti, and it is unmistakably marked by the syllable ‘ṛ’. Sometimes, when both ‘i’ and ‘u’ vowels are absent, a verse is separated from the sequence of single words. By careful consideration of prescribed syllables, both vowel and consonant sounds are established. Among the ‘ṣa’ and ‘sa’ letters, the open form is known; with ‘ha’, the closed form is recognized. The ‘i’ and ‘u’ vowels, as well as those affected by faults, are also included in this analysis. Next, the final nasal, the anusvāra, and the guttural nasal are considered. That which possesses the stated characteristics is thus defined; the other is called ‘vipulā’. After such combinations, one should know that the syllables are long and heavy. Where the open form is seen, it stands before its own vowel. The characteristics of the tones of words are eightfold. Middle raised, tonal, and twice raised—these are the eight designations of words. All those placed in the collection are struck with the initial raised tone. Where only the tonal accent occurs, let the soft accent be applied. Here it is said: excellence is indeed for the Vaiśyas; and if the pronunciation of any syllable is not found, then the statement must be carried according to its own grammar. Thus, the wisdom of sound, accent, and word is complete, as passed down from the ancients.