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Library » Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Canto 11: General History » CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ŚB 11.16.12

Devanagari

हिरण्यगर्भो वेदानां मन्त्राणां प्रणवस्‍त्रिवृत् ।
अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि पदानिच्छन्दसामहम् ॥ १२ ॥

Text

hiraṇyagarbho vedānāṁ
mantrāṇāṁ praṇavas tri-vṛt
akṣarāṇām a-kāro ’smi
padāni cchandasām aham

Synonyms

hiraṇya-garbhaḥ — Lord Brahmā; vedānām — of the Vedas; mantrāṇām — of mantras; praṇavaḥ — the oṁkāra; tri-vṛt — consisting of three letters; akṣarāṇām — of letters; a-kāraḥ — the first letter, a; asmi — I am; padāni — the three-line Gāyatrī mantra; chandasām — among sacred meters; aham — I am.

Translation

Among the Vedas I am their original teacher, Lord Brahmā, and of all mantras I am the three-lettered oṁkāra. Among letters I am the first letter, “a,” and among sacred meters I am the Gāyatrī mantra.