Narapatijayacarya 2.6

2.6

athātaḥ iti | spaṣṭarthaḥ | mātṛkāyāmiti | purā gantre akārādayaḥ ṣoḍaśasvarāḥ proktāḥ | tepaṃ madhye dvāvantimau trpraṃ aḥ tyājyau | catvāro ṛ ṝ lṛ lṛ napuṃsakāstyājyāḥ | śeṣeti | śeṇādaśasvarāḥ a ā i ī u ū e ai o au hrasvarāstapudvidvikepu ekaikameva gṛhṇīyāt | tadyathā u i u e o ervasvarūpāḥ | atredamavadhāryama | akāreṇa yatphalaṃ śubhāśubhaṃ tadevākāreṇāpi bodhyam | astadoṣāccedakāra pīḍitastadā''kāro'pi pīḍitaḥ | evamikārādāvapi bodhyam | lābhā lābhamiti | eṣāṃ svarāṇāmudaye lābhābhapraśnelābhaḥ alābhañca vaktavyau | sukhapraśne sukhaṃdaṃḥkhaṃ ca, rogādinā jīvitamaraṇapraśne jīvitaṃ maraṇaṃ ca vidyāt || sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ nāmagrahaṇo varṇā akārādimātṛkābhiḥ vinā uccārayitu na śakyāḥ ataeva praśne svarāḥ phalaprakāśakāḥ bhavanti | akārādyā iti | akārādyāḥ pañcasvarāḥ brahmādayaḥ pañca devatā jñeyāḥ | brahmaviṣṇurudrandrasūryātmakāḥ krameṇa jñeyāḥ | praśnakarttuḥ yaḥ svarodayastaṃ daivataṃ dhyāyedityarthaḥ | tata eva nivṛttyādyāḥ pañcakalāḥ nivṛttipratiṣṭhāvidyāśāntyatiśāntyayaḥ | arthāt yātrāpraśne cedakārodayastadā nivṛttiḥ nivarttanaṃ syāt | ikārodaye pratiṣṭhāpraśne pratiṣṭhā vācyā | ukārodaye vidyāprāptiḥ | ekārodaye śāntipraśne śubhaṃ vadet okārodaye atiśāntirvācyā | atiśāntirmuktiḥ | evaṃ tattadudaye brahmādiṃ dhyātvā tattatkāryaṃ vidheyam | tata eva icchādyaṃ śaktipañcakam | icchā, jñānā, prabhā, śraddha, medhā idaṃ śaktipañcakam ||

"Athātaḥ" [verse 18]: the meaning is clear. "Mātṛkāyām" [verse 19]: formerly, sixteen sounds beginning with 'a' were proclaimed in the Tantra. Among them, the two final ones, 'aṃ' and 'aḥ', are to be discarded; the four neuter ones, 'ṛ', 'ṝ', 'lṛ', and 'lṝ', are to be discarded. "Śeṣā" [verse 20]: the remaining ten sounds are a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, e, ai, o, au; of these short and long sounds, taken in pairs, one should take only one each, namely: a, i, u, e, o, in the form of short vowels. Here this should be understood: whatever auspicious or inauspicious result is denoted by the short 'a', that very same is to be understood by the long 'ā'. If the short 'a' is afflicted due to an afflicted defect, then the long 'ā' is also afflicted. The same is to be understood for 'i' and so forth. "Lābhālābham" [verse 21]: upon the rising of these sounds, in an inquiry about gain, gain or non-gain is to be stated; in an inquiry about happiness, happiness and distress [are to be stated]; in an inquiry about life or death due to disease and the like, one should discern life or death. The phonemes in taking the names of all living beings cannot be uttered without the matrix beginning with 'a'; for this very reason, sounds reveal the fruits in an inquiry. "Akārādyāḥ" [verse 23]: the five sounds beginning with 'a' are to be known as the five deities beginning with Brahmā; they are to be known respectively as having the nature of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Indra, and Sūrya. The meaning is: one should meditate upon that deity whose sound rises for the inquirer. Thence also the five digits beginning with Nivṛtti, namely Nivṛtti, Pratiṣṭhā, Vidyā, Śānti, and Atiśānti. That is to say: if there is the rising of 'a' in an inquiry regarding a military march, then there is Nivṛtti, turning back; upon the rising of 'i', in an inquiry regarding consecration, consecration is to be stated; upon the rising of 'u', the acquisition of knowledge [is indicated]; upon the rising of 'e', in an inquiry regarding pacification, one should declare auspiciousness; upon the rising of 'o', Atiśānti is to be stated—Atiśānti means liberation. Thus, having meditated upon Brahmā and the rest at the rising of each respective [sound], one should perform that corresponding task. From that very [source arises] the fivefold power beginning with Icchā: Icchā, Jñānā, Prabhā, Śraddhā, and Medhā—this is the fivefold power.