The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam

Verse 357

अस्त्राय फडिति प्रथमं प्रथमेन युज्यतेद्वितीयं द्वितीयेन तृतीयं तृतीयेन चतुर्थंचतुर्थेन पञ्चमं पञ्चमेन व्यतिषक्ता वाइमे लोकास्तस्माद्व्यतिषक्तान्यङ्गानि भव-न्त्योमित्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वं तस्मात्प्रत्यक्ष-रमुभयत ओंकारो भवतीत्यक्षराणां न्या-समुपदिशन्ति ब्रह्मवादिनः ॥ २ ॥

In plain words

And the fifth: Om, to the weapon, phaṭ! Now the pattern is complete -- the first quarter matched to the first limb, the second to the second, the third to the third, the fourth to the fourth, and the Praṇava itself to the fifth. Or look at it another way: these worlds are already woven into one another, so of course the limbs that stand for them are woven together too. Om is not a small thing -- this one syllable is this entire universe. That is exactly why every syllable, on both sides, carries the sound of Om within it. This is the placement of the syllables, and this is what the knowers of Brahman teach.

Close to the Sanskrit

To the weapon, phaṭ. The first is joined with the first, the second with the second, the third with the third, the fourth with the fourth, the fifth with the fifth. Or: these worlds are interlinked; therefore the limbs [too] are interlinked. 'Om' -- this syllable is this whole. Therefore, on both sides of each syllable, there is the syllable Om -- thus the exponents of Brahman teach the placement of the syllables.