tataḥ - from that oṁkāra; akṣara - of the different sounds; samāmnāyam - the total collection; asṛjat - created; bhagavān - the powerful demigod; ajaḥ - unborn Brahmā; anta-stha - as the semivowels; uṣma - sibilants; svara - vowels; sparśa - and consonant stops; hrasva-dīrgha - in short and long forms; ādi - and so on; lakṣaṇam - characterized.

From that oṁkāra Lord Brahmā created all the sounds of the alphabet — the vowels, consonants, semivowels, sibilants and others — distinguished by such features as long and short measure.