Verse 1
Naadbindu
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
ॐ अकारो दक्षिणः पक्ष उकारस्तूत्तरः स्मृतः । मकारं पुच्छमित्याहुरर्धमात्रा तु मस्तकम् ॥१॥
Padapatha (Word Split)
ॐ । अकारः । दक्षिणः । पक्षः । उकारः । तु । उत्तरः । स्मृतः । मकारम् । पुच्छम् । इति । आहुः । अर्ध-मात्रा । तु । मस्तकम् ।
IAST Transliteration
oṁ akāro dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣa ukāras tūttaraḥ smṛtaḥ | makāraṁ puccham ity āhur ardhamātrā tu mastakam ||1||
Translation
ഓം— ‘അ’ അക്ഷരം ദക്ഷിണപക്ഷം (ചിറക്) എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; ‘ഉ’ അക്ഷരം ഉത്തരപക്ഷം (ഇടത്) എന്നു കരുതപ്പെടുന്നു. ‘മ’ അക്ഷരം പുച്ഛം എന്നു പറയുന്നു; അർദ്ധമാത്രയാണ് മസ്തകം (ശിരസ്).
Academic Translation
Om: the letter ‘A’ is remembered as the right wing; the letter ‘U’ as the left (upper/northern) wing. The letter ‘M’, they say, is the tail; and the half-mora (ardhamātrā) is the head.
Verse Context
Brahman (praṇava as symbol of Brahman)Mahavakya: Indirect: supports mahāvākya contemplation by presenting Oṁ as a comprehensive symbol of Brahman/Ātman (often used as an upāsanā-aid for realizing ‘ayam ātmā brahma’ / ‘tat tvam asi’).AtharvaAtharva-veda (general Atharvaṇic affiliation; specific śākhā not securely attested for this Upaniṣad) ShakhaChandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka-style)