शक्तिहीनः स विज्ञेयश्चिरकालफवप्रधः
That which is devoid of power is to be understood as granting fruit only after a long time.
असौ पराङ्मुखो ज्ञेयो भजतां चिरसिद्धिदः
That one, turned away, is known as granting success to worshippers only after a long time.
स मन्त्रो बधिरः प्रोक्तः कष्टेनाल्पफलप्रदः
That mantra, called deaf, is said to give little fruit with difficulty.
नेत्रहीनस्तु विज्ञेयः क्लेशेनापि न सिद्धिदः
The one without the eye is to be understood as not granting success even with hardship.
हंसेंदुर्वा सकारो वा फकारो वर्म वा पुन
Whether 'haṃsa', 'indu', with 'sa', with 'pha', or with armor again.
एवं मध्ये द्वयं मूर्घ्नि यस्मिन्नस्रलकारकौ
Thus, in the middle, the two on the head in which there are no 'la' and 'ka'.
अग्निः पवनसंयुक्तो मनोर्यस्य तु मूर्द्धनि
Fire, joined with wind, is upon the head of the one belonging to Manu.
अस्रं द्वाभ्यां त्रिभिः षड्भिरष्टाभिर्दृश्यते ऽक्षरेः
A tear is seen from two, three, six, or eight syllables.
हकारः शक्तिरथवा भीतो मन्त्रः स एव हि
The syllable 'ha' is power, or else the mantra is fearful—indeed, it is so.
मलिनस्तु स विज्ञेयो ह्यतिक्लेशेन सिद्धिदः
That which is impure should be understood as such; through great difficulty, it grants success.
अस्रं चास्ति स मन्त्रस्तु तिरस्कृत उदीरितः
And if there is a tear, that mantra is uttered in a concealed manner.
यस्य स्याद्भेदितो मन्त्रस्त्याज्यः क्लिष्टफलप्रदः
If a mantra is broken, it must be abandoned, for it gives troubled results.
विद्या वाप्यथवा मन्त्रो भवेत्सप्तदशाक्षरः
Whether a vidyā or a mantra, it may be of seventeen syllables.
यस्य मध्ये स्थितं चास्रं स मन्त्रो मूर्च्छितः स्मृतः
If a tear is present in the middle, that mantra is considered faint.
मन्त्रस्यादौ च मध्ये च मूर्ध्नि चास्रचतुष्टयम्
At the beginning, middle, and head of the mantra, there are four tears.
पुनर्विशतिवर्णो वा यो मन्त्रः स्मरसंयुतः
Again, a mantra of twenty syllables, joined with desire, is spoken of.
सप्तार्णो बालमन्त्रस्तु कुमारो वसुवर्णवान्
A mantra of seven syllables is called a child-mantra; the youth is endowed with eight syllables.
त्रिंशद्वर्णश्चतुःषष्टिवर्णश्चापि शताक्षरः
There is a mantra of thirty syllables, of sixty-four syllables, and even of a hundred syllables.
नवार्णस्तारसंयुक्तो मन्त्रो निस्त्रिंश उच्यते
A mantra of nine syllables, joined with the syllable 'ta', is called thirtyfold.
शिखा वर्म च यस्यान्ते नेत्रमस्रं च दृश्यते
At the end of which a crest, armor, eye, and tear are seen.
आद्यन्तमध्ये फट्कारः षोढा यस्मिन्प्रदृश्यते
At the beginning, end, and middle, the syllable 'phaṭ' is seen six times in it.
कूट एकाक्षरो मन्त्रः स एवोक्तो निरंशकः
A mantra that is a single syllable, called 'kūṭa', is said to be indivisible.
षड्वर्णो बीजहीनो वा सार्द्धसप्ताक्षरो ऽपि वा
A mantra of six syllables, or one without a seed, or even one and a half times seven syllables.
सार्द्धबीजत्रययुतो मन्त्रो विंशतिवर्णवान्
A mantra endowed with one and a half seeds, and three, has twenty syllables.
यो मन्त्रो दन्तवर्णस्तु मोहितः स तु कीर्तितः
A mantra whose syllables are dental is considered bewildered.
क्षुधार्तः स तु विज्ञेयो मन्त्रसिद्धिविवर्जितः
Such a mantra is to be understood as hungry, lacking the accomplishment of mantra power.
त्रयोर्विंशतिवर्णो वा स मनुर्दृप्तसंज्ञकः
A mantra with twenty-three syllables is called arrogant.
एकोन त्रिंशदर्णो वा मन्त्रो हीनाङ्गकः स्मृतः
A mantra with twenty-nine syllables is regarded as deficient in its limbs.
अतिक्रूरः स विज्ञेयो ऽखिलकर्मसु गर्हितः
Such a mantra is excessively cruel and is condemned in all rituals.
व्रीडितः स तु विज्ञेयः सर्वकर्मसु न क्षमः
Such a mantra is to be known as ashamed and is unsuitable for any ritual.