大般涅槃經義記 4.93

4.93

上來第一別解字義，自下第二總辯字相。句別有六：初「吸氣」等明發字相；二「長、短」等明字體相，初十二字是長短聲，前之六字初短後長、後之六字前長後短，其迦佉等二十五字是其毘聲、伽佉等五是喉中聲、吒咃等五上腭中聲、多他等五是舌頭聲、遮車等五是齒中聲、波頗等五是脣中聲，隨其流類毘比（夫必反）一處故曰毘聲，今略不舉，後蛇囉等九字是其超聲，不同毘聲故名超也；三隨音解義明字本相，字為義本，故令眾生尋之解義；四「皆因」等明字所依；五「如是」下明字功能，能令眾生口業清淨；六「佛性」下辨性異相，於中初辨，「何以」下釋，「是故」下結，佛性淨故，眾生同歸，性理一故，菩薩視生等無差別。

Above, the first part individually explained the meanings of the letters; from here below, the second part generally distinguishes the characteristics of the letters. The clauses are divided into six: First, "inhaling breath" and so forth clarifies the characteristics of uttering letters. Second, "long, short," and so forth clarifies the substance and characteristics of letters: the initial twelve letters are long and short sounds, the first six letters being short first and long after, and the latter six letters being long first and short after; the twenty-five letters such as *jia* and *qu* are the *sparśa* sounds, the five such as *qie* and *qu* being guttural sounds, the five such as *zha* and *tuo* being palatal/retroflex sounds, the five such as *duo* and *ta* being dental sounds, the five such as *zhe* and *che* being dental/palatal sounds, and the five such as *bo* and *po* being labial sounds; as their classes are compared (*bǐ*) together in one place, they are called *sparśa* sounds (*píshēng*), which are now omitted and not adduced; the latter nine letters such as *she* and *luo* are transcendental sounds (*chāoshēng*), which are called 'transcendental' because they differ from the *sparśa* sounds. Third, understanding the meaning according to the sound clarifies the fundamental characteristic of letters: letters are the root of meaning, so sentient beings are made to trace them and understand the meaning. Fourth, "all rely on..." and so forth clarifies that upon which letters rely. Fifth, from "Such..." downward clarifies the function of letters: they can make the verbal karma of sentient beings pure. Sixth, from "Buddha-nature..." downward distinguishes the nature from characteristics; therein it first distinguishes it, from "Why?" downward explains it, and from "Therefore..." downward concludes it: because buddha-nature is pure, sentient beings return to the same [source]; because the principle of the nature is one, the bodhisattva regards sentient beings as equal without distinction.