Akshamalika Upanishad 1 — Verse 1

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

हरिः ॐ । अथ प्रजापतिर्गुहं पप्रच्छ— भो ब्रह्मन्, अक्ष-माला-भेद-विधिं ब्रूहि इति । सा किंलक्षणा, कति भेदाः अस्याः, कति सूत्राणि, कथं घटनाप्रकारः, के वर्णाः, का प्रतिष्ठा, कस्याः अधिदेवता, किं फलं च इति ॥१॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

हरिः । ॐ । अथ । प्रजापतिः । गुहम् । पप्रच्छ । भोः । ब्रह्मन् । अक्ष-माला-भेद-विधिम् । ब्रूहि । इति । सा । किम्-लक्षणा । कति । भेदाः । अस्याः । कति । सूत्राणि । कथम् । घटन-प्रकारः । के । वर्णाः । का । प्रतिष्ठा । कस्याः । अधिदेवता । किम् । फलम् । च । इति ॥१॥

IAST Transliteration

hariḥ oṃ | atha prajāpatiḥ guhaṃ papraccha— bho brahman, akṣa-mālā-bheda-vidhiṃ brūhi iti | sā kiṃlakṣaṇā, kati bhedāḥ asyāḥ, kati sūtrāṇi, kathaṃ ghaṭanaprakāraḥ, ke varṇāḥ, kā pratiṣṭhā, kasyāḥ adhidaivatā, kiṃ phalaṃ ca iti ||1||

Translation

Hariḥ, Oṃ. Then Prajāpati questioned Guha: “O Brahman, declare the rule concerning the varieties and the procedure of the akṣa-mālā (rosary). What are its defining marks? How many kinds does it have? How many threads does it contain? By what method is it assembled? What are its colors? What is its consecration and installation (pratiṣṭhā)? Who is its presiding deity? And what is its fruit?”

Academic Translation

Hariḥ, Oṃ. Then Prajāpati questioned Guha: “O Brahman, tell (me) the rule concerning the varieties and procedure of the rosary. What are its defining characteristics? How many kinds does it have? How many strings (threads) does it have? What is the method of assembling it? What are its colors? What is its consecration/installation? Who is its presiding deity? And what is its fruit?”

Verse Context

• Upāsanā (saguṇa-brahma worship) as an aid toward purification (citta-śuddhi) and liberation-oriented practice
• Mahavakya: Indirect: supports preparatory discipline (sādhana-catuṣṭaya) for realizing mahāvākya teachings such as “ayam ātmā brahma” (Atharva-veda)
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (late/para-Upaniṣad tradition; specific śākhā not securely attested in critical scholarship) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose