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Homage to that Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Enlightened. Pāli for Attaining Proficiency 1. Chapter on Designations May there be success! I pay homage well. Introduction to the Work Having bowed reverently to the Buddha, giver of desired success, to the Dhamma, like a wish-fulfilling gem, giver of welfare, and to the Saṅgha, the Payogasiddhi is now declared. The power of Moggallāna, in grammar and in the Piṭaka, is completely beyond poetry; oh, how wonderful it is! For it was said by the ancient Sinhalese teachers and elders: “The power that was in Pāṇini, and in Candra, Kātyāyana, and others, that very power, I think, is embodied in Moggallāna.” By him alone, the Sutta, the Vutti, and the Pañcikā were made. Therefore, his teaching, compared to others, is most excellent. In it, two kinds are to be known: the Sutta, by the division of its purpose, and among these, the first by the word “mīti,” the second by the three types. Having explained it very clearly, making it easy for young students to understand, I shall explain the comprehensive series; listen to it attentively. 1. The forty-three letters, beginning with A The forty-three letters, beginning with A and ending with niggahīta, are called vaṇṇā (letters). These are: a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, e, ai, o, au, ka kha ga gha ṅa, ca cha ja jha ña, ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa, ta tha da dha na, pa pha ba bha ma, ya ra la va sa ha ḷa aṃ. What is the purpose of this? It is for “e ona ma vaṇṇe.” The statement “forty-three” indicates the omission of a letter in some places, by which “paṭisaṅkhā yoniso” and so on are established. Aādayo means those of which 'a' is the beginning and the limit. Titālīsa means three and forty; by this elision, or by the omission of a quarter. Vaṇṇā are those by which meaning is described. Here it is asked: “Why, unlike the teachers Kaccāyana and others, was the designation 'letter' not given to forty-one letters, but to forty-three letters?” It is said: “The Māgadhī is the root language, which the people of the first eon, the Brahmās, whose speech is pure, and the Buddhas also speak.” According to this statement, for the Māgadhans, in words like “seyyo,” “oṭṭho,” “sotthi,” etc., the straight and appropriate quality of the forty-three letters, which are completely pervasive, is It is not, indeed, like 'trees (are) a forest' and so on, where the whole is designated by its parts, nor like 'the ocean was seen by me' and so on, where the part is designated by the whole; rather, to show this, individual letter names are made. Since it is said, "Careful listening is the attainment of the Buddha's teaching," and "Indeed, through faults in letters like loose or tight pronunciation, the meaning becomes difficult to grasp." Therefore, skill in letters, the wise one should accomplish; Attending to the teacher properly, with the five (duties) like rising. Therein, the order of 'a' and so on, indeed, is based on the order of places (of articulation) and so forth. For thus, letters are produced by place, articulator, and effort. Therein, there are six places: throat, palate, cerebral ridge, teeth, lips, and nose. Therein, for the 'a' vowel, the 'ka' group, and 'ha', the throat is the place; for the 'i' vowel, the 'ca' group, and 'ya', the palate; for the 'ṭa' group, 'ra', and 'ḷa', the cerebral ridge; for the 'ta' group, 'la', and 'sa', the teeth; for the 'u' vowel and the 'pa' group, the lips; for the 'e' vowel, the throat and palate; for the 'o' vowel, the throat and lips; for the 'va' sound, the teeth and lips; for the niggahīta, the nose; and for ṅa, ñña, ṇa, na, ma, their own place and the nose. And here – The letter 'ha' with the fifth (letters), and joined with the semi-vowels; Should be known as 'thoracic', but if not joined, it is throat-born. As in 'avaṅhoti' (meaning 'avaṅa hoti'), 'tañhi', 'taṇhā', 'pubbanho', 'amhe', 'guyhaṃ', 'gārayhā', 'ārulho', 'bahvakkhara'. Articulator – The middle of the tongue for palatals, The tip of the tongue for cerebrals, The front of the tongue for dentals; The rest are articulated by their own places. The effort in pronouncing letters is 'payatana'. What is that? It is a specific kind of articulation like 'closed': closedness for the 'a' vowel; openness for the remaining vowels, and for 'sa' and 'ha'; contact for the class consonants; slight contact for 'ya', 'ra', 'la', 'va'. Thus, in letters distinguished by place, articulator, effort, and duration, vowels are independent, others are dependent. Therein – Vowels are called independent first, then consonants are dependent; The class consonants, 'ka' and so on, are many first, then the order is by place and lightness. The phrase "A and so on" continues up to "bindu niggahīta". And indeed, "according to meaning, the case inflection..." "ending" is connected as a seventh-case ending, "letters" is understood. 2. Ten vowels Among the initial letters, the ten letters ending in 'o' are called vowels. For example, a ā, i ī, u ū, e ai, o au. They flow, meaning they proceed with a primary nature, or they make consonants flow, hence they are vowels. "Ten vowels" is understood. 3. Two by two are homogeneous Among the initial ten letters, two by two are called homogeneous, in order. For example, a ā, i ī, u ū, e e, o o. Similar, like letters are homogeneous, and their similarity is due to their place of articulation. "Two by two" is understood for the two that will be mentioned. 4. The former is short Among those same ten letters, of the two homogeneous pairs, whichever is the former, that one is called short. For example, a i u e o. Among these, to show that 'the two final ones appear only before a conjunct consonant' and because it is appropriate there, they are also included here, as in "seyyo" (better), "oṭṭho" (lip), "sotthi" (welfare). They are short due to their connection with a short time, or because they end in it. A short time is a measure of a syllable, or a blink of an eye; by this, one mātrā is short, two mātrās are long, half a mātrā is a consonant. Teachers consider even one and a half mātrās as short in prosody. 5. The latter is long Among the initial ten letters, of the two homogeneous pairs, whichever is the latter, that one is called long. For example, ā ī ū e o. They are long due to their connection with a long time, or because they end in it. 6. K-sounds are consonants Among the initial letters, the thirty-three letters from 'ka' up to the 'niggahīta' are called consonants. For example, ka kha ga gha ṅa, ca cha ja jha ña, ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa, ta tha da dha na, pa pha ba bha ma, ya ra la va sa ha ḷa aṃ. Meanings are made clear by these, hence they are consonants. The 'a' in 'ka' and so on is for pronunciation. "K-sounds" is understood. 7. Five-fives are classes Among the initial letters, the letters from 'ka' up to 'ma' are called five-fives, or classes. For example, ka kha ga gha ṅa, ca cha ja jha ña, ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa, ta tha da dha na, pa pha ba bha ma. Five in quantity. The five-fives are without measure. The letters beginning with 'y' are classes. These, however, by virtue of their first letter, are called 'ka-class', 'ca-class', etc., like the 'kusalattika' and so on. 8. The dot is the niggahīta. Among the letters beginning with 'a', the letter that is a mere dot, that is called niggahīta. The niggahīta is taken and uttered by relying on a short vowel, or by restraining the organ. Having restrained the organ, that which is uttered through an unopen mouth, is called niggahīta, it is said to be a dot following a vowel. The designation of many letters is for the sake of an appropriate meaning; but 'jha' and 'la' etc. are conventional designations. Vowels, homorganic letters, short and long, consonants, classes, and the niggahīta— thus is the order of designations. (The Chapter on Designations.) Sandhi is explained: World's foremost person, wisdom is a faculty, these three, this is not so, admonition to a nun, attendance on mother, may the venerable one come, overcoming sphere, I have wealth, all indeed, may there be three qualities, the unvirtuous are not seen here— thus in this designation of vowels— 26. A vowel is elided before a vowel. Before a vowel, a vowel is to be elided. 'Vowel' is the designation of what is to be done; 'elision' is the designation of the action. Elision = non-appearance, non-utterance. 'Vowel' is said in the sense of a single class. 'Before a vowel' is the locative of contiguous support. Therefore, the action does not occur with an interval of letter or time, as in 'you are', 'which, Ananda, is the perception of impermanence?' Thus in all sandhis. 'Rule' is current. 14. Of the former in the locative. This maxim operates by the rule of the elder's staff, because a weak rule has no foundation. In a locative designation, the rule is of the former, meaning the elision of the former vowel. World's foremost person, wisdom-faculty, these three, this is not so, nun's admonition, mother-attendance, may the venerable one come, overcoming sphere, I have wealth, all indeed, may there be three qualities, the unvirtuous are not seen here. Since the action is prescribed for the former, that which is designated by the locative is understood to be subsequent; therefore, the word 'subsequent' is also appropriate. Whose now, designation thus, like a shadow, thus also, you are not a recluse, eye-faculty, ungrateful. You are, as in the sky, They too, I salute, That I am, These four, A wretched one, You are Moggallāna, a seed, What kind of talk is this? Early indeed, here, when the elision of the preceding vowel is reached, by "a vowel is elided before a vowel." 27. Sometimes after Sometimes a vowel after a vowel is to be elided. For example: Whose now, Recognition, Like a shadow, Thus also, You are not a recluse, Eye faculty, You are ungrateful, As in the sky, They too, I salute, That I am, These four, A wretched one, You are Moggallāna, a seed, What kind of talk is this? Early indeed.