O revered Nārada, let me weave for you the teachings presented in these verses, drawing out their essence as a continuous narrative. In the realm of action, two are always joined: the agent who performs the deed, and steadfastness, which sustains the act. Saffron, too, signifies a mark of distinction. When one acts out of self-interest, he is a thief; yet, when interests are equal, he gazes upon another’s face as gently as one gazes at the moon. The cow is considered wealth, and the wealthy man’s worth is measured especially in times of distress. One may be adorned with a garland, or be an ascetic, or an intelligent man, or even a deceiver; yet these qualities are recognized only in relation to the matter at hand. When something is not fully complete, it is described as ‘almost’ or ‘nearly so.’ Among the Paṭu caste, blame is found; yet for the physician, praise is his noose. In abundance and similar states, objects are made from food, clay, or even gold. Some are darker, some are the whitest—what are they called? They are the imperishable ones. In measurement, one might say ‘knee-deep’ or ‘equal to both knees.’ To specify numbers, ‘which’ and ‘which of two’ are used. Expressions such as ‘so many,’ ‘a few,’ ‘how many times,’ and ‘how many’ are employed, O Nārada. ‘In two ways,’ ‘in duality,’ and ‘in two parts’—these are modes of numbering, O best of sages. ‘A pair,’ ‘a triad,’ and the numbers ‘two’ and ‘three’ are all counted thus. There are names to be known: Traiṇa, Pauṣṇa, Tuṇḍibha, Vṛndāraka, and Kṛṣīvala; Avaṭīṭa, Vanāṭa, Nibiḍa, and Cekṣuśākin; Vidyāthuñcu, Bahutitha, Parvata, and Śṛṅgiṇa likewise; Cilla, Cipiṭa, Cikva, Vātūla, and Kutapa as well; Ūrṇāyu, Marūta, Ekākī, and Carmaṇvatī; Āsaṃdī, Vañca, Cakrīvat, Tūṣṇīkā, and Jalpatakī; Śanta, Śanti, Śaṃyaśanta, Śaṃyohaṃyu, and Śubhaṃyu. And so, verbs such as Bhavati, Bagabhūva, Bhavitā, Bhaviṣyati, Bhavat, Abhavat, Bhagavat, and Bhavecca; Atti, Jaghāsa, Attāt, Syati, Attvā, Dadat, Dviraghasa, Dātsyat; Dideva, Devitā, Deviṣyati, Adīvyat, Dīvyet, Dīvyāt; Sunot, Asunot, Sunuyāt, Sūyāt, Aśāvit, Asoṣyat, Utudati; Ataut, Sīdat, Otsyat, Iti, Ruṇaddhi, Rūrodha, Roddhā, Rotsyati; Tanoti, Tatāna, Tanitā, Taniṣyati, Tanot, Atanot, Tanuyāt; Akrīṇāt, Krīṇāt, Krīṇīyāt, Krīyāt, Akraiṣīt, Akreṣyat, Corayati, Corayāmāsa, Corayitā, Corayiṣyati, Corayatu—all these express the multitude of actions. In the collection of actions, O sage, the learned is called ‘Bobhūyate.’ When the root bears the anudātta accent, so too does the interchange of actions. The verb in the parasmaipada form is used for the agent, as the grammarians declare, except for the rest. O sage, when there is a special ease or excellence to be indicated, observe: in the agentive sense, actions are obtained. Indeed, sometimes the rice is cooked by itself. From a transitive root, when expressing a state or the passive, the suffix ‘la’ is used. When unity exists between the result and the action, the act is called one without a separate fruit. In a secondary action, the main act is considered primary, while the subsidiary act—such as betrayal—is subordinate. Gains resulting from actions performed by others who are subordinate are regarded as belonging to the principal. In the result, the main activity is primary, while crossing over is considered an attribute. When the action is in the state of being, it is called a kṛtyā; when completed, it pertains to the agent. In matters such as ‘to be gone to’ and similar, the remainder is specified according to the modern view. Lastly, in the tatpuruṣa compound, examples such as ‘dependent on Rāma’, ‘for the sake of grain’, and ‘yūpa-wood’ illustrate this form. Thus, O Nārada, the nuances of action, number, and compounds are revealed, guiding the wise in understanding the language of deeds and their fruits.