ŚB 11.16.12
Canto 11, Chapter 16, Text 12
हिरण्यगर्भो वेदानां मन्त्राणां प्रणवस्त्रिवृत् ।
अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि पदानिच्छन्दसामहम् ॥ १२ ॥
अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि पदानिच्छन्दसामहम् ॥ १२ ॥
hiraṇyagarbho vedānāṁ
mantrāṇāṁ praṇavas tri-vṛt
akṣarāṇām a-kāro ’smi
padāni cchandasām aham
mantrāṇāṁ praṇavas tri-vṛt
akṣarāṇām a-kāro ’smi
padāni cchandasām aham
Word by word
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.