Praṇava Ends in the Nose
—and NOT on the lips by closing the mouth
Vedic research by Dev Bhagavān
There is a small but consequential dispute buried in how most of us were taught to chant ĀŪṀ: does the syllable close on the lips, or does it dissolve through the nose? The difference sounds trivial, until you try both and notice how different the two endings feel in the body — one stops at the mouth, the other keeps moving.
The texts gathered below argue, with unusual consistency across centuries and traditions, for the second. From the Vedic śikṣā literature through Śaṅkara's commentary on the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad and into the later Tāntrik sources, the same claim recurs: the praṇava does not end with oṣṭha-saṃvṛti, closure of the lips, but resolves as anusvāra — a nasal continuation that fades out through the nose. A related question follows close behind: not just where the sound ends, but how long it lasts. Several of the same sources converge on a count of six-and-a-half mātrās (time-units) for the full praṇava — Ā, Ū and Ṁ at two mātrās each, plus a closing half-mātrā that is nasal and, by most accounts, beyond ordinary articulation altogether.
When chanting the prāṇava one should enunciate clearly each of the 3 transcendental letters Ā-Ū-Ṁ, the ārdha (nasal hold) and anuśvāra (bindu or dot), a moment of silence at the end.
Once the vibration of Ā-Ū-Ṁ is established in 6 mātrās, one can move it from the palate to the base of the nose, and then upward, gradually increasing in frequency, velocity and energy until it reaches the third eye. That is the complete praṇava.
What follows is not argument but assembly — a chain of citations, Vedic and Tāntrik, gathered to let the sources speak for themselves on both points: where ĀŪṀ ends, and how long it takes to get there.
THE PROOF:
Śaṅkara comments:
oṃkāraḥ trimātraḥ, antasthitā caturthī mātrā anusvāraḥ
“The praṇava has three measures (Ā, Ū, Ṁ), and an internal fourth — the anusvāra.”
anusvāraḥ nāsikyaḥ — nāsānte viśrāmyati
The anusvāra is nasal — it comes to rest in the nose. — Adi Śaṅkara
Nāradīya Śikṣā 1.6
अनुस्वारो नासिक्यः।
“The anusvāra is nasal.”
Pāṇinīya Śikṣā 15
नासिक्यः अनुस्वारः।
“The anusvāra is nasal in nature.”
Śaunaka Śikṣā 3.1
अनुस्वारो नासिक्यः न तु वाचिकः।
“The anusvāra is nasal, not oral (not articulated by the lips).”
In Ṛgveda-Prātiśākhya 1.22–24:
anusvāraḥ nāsikāyāṁ vāyusaṁcāreṇa bhavati, na tu oṣṭhayoḥ saṁyogena
“Anusvāra is produced by the flow of air through the nose, not by union of the lips.”
Taittirīya Prātiśākhya 5.20–21
anunāsikaḥ parasaṁyogāt | nāsyam anunāsikaṁ vināsyati |
“The nasal sound (anusvāra) is produced through the nose alone, without contact (of lips), and it fades away.”
Nāradīya Śikṣā 1.6
oṅkāraś ca parā śaktiḥ nāsikāntaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
“The praṇava, ending in the nasal (nāsikāntaḥ), is declared the supreme power.”
Taittirīya Prātiśākhya 5.20
makārasya paraḥ bindur nāsikāgamyam
“After the mā comes the bindu, which is pronounced through the nose.”
Ṛgveda Prātiśākhya 14.18
oṃkāra ekākṣaraḥ nāsikāgamyah
“The Oṃkāra is one syllable, uttered through the nose.”
Taittirīya Prātiśākhya 5.20
makārasya paraḥ bindur nāsikāgamyam
“After the mā comes the bindu (nasal point), which is uttered through the nose.”
Śaṅkara-bhāṣya on Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 1:
akāra ukāra makārā ityekākṣaraṁ trimātraṁ oṁkārasya rūpam | makārasya tu anunāsikatvaṁ, na tu oṣṭhasaṁyogāntaḥ
“The syllable ĀŪṀ is one, consisting of the three measures — A, U, and M. But the Ṁ is nasal (anunāsika), not ending with contact of the lips (na tu oṣṭha-saṁyogāntaḥ).”
Ṛgveda Prātiśākhya 14.23
अनुनासिकं तु ओंकारे न तु ओष्ठसंवृतम्।
anunāsikaṁ tu oṁkāre na tu oṣṭha-saṁvṛtam
Literal Translation:
“In the ĀŪṀ, the final sound is nasal — not with the lips closed.”
Vājasaneyi Prātiśākhya 1.31 (corresponding passage)
मकारस्योत्तरं भागं अनुनासिकं कुर्यात् विनाऽवरोधेन।
makārasyottaraṁ bhāgaṁ anunāsikaṁ kuryāt vinā’varodhena
“The latter part of the Ṁ should be nasal, without any obstruction.”
Ṛgveda Prātiśākhya (14.21–23) (most direct source)
अनुनासिकं मकारं विनाप्रतिहतं प्रयुञ्जीत ।
अनुनासिकं तु ओंकारे न तु ओष्ठसंवृतम् ।
anunāsikaṁ makāraṁ vinā pratihataṁ prayuñjīta
anunāsikaṁ tu oṁkāre na tu oṣṭha-saṁvṛtam.
“One should pronounce the Ṁ of ĀŪṀ as nasal (anunāsika), without obstruction (vinā pratihataṁ). In ĀŪṀ, the nasal sound should be made not with lips closed (na tu oṣṭha-saṁvṛtam).”
Vājasaneyi Prātiśākhya (1.30–31)
अकार उकार मकाराणां संयोगः ओंकारः। मकारस्योत्तरं भागं अनुनासिकं कुर्यात् विनाऽवरोधेन ॥
akāra ukāra makārāṇāṁ saṁyogaḥ oṁkāraḥ | makārasyottaraṁ bhāgaṁ anunāsikaṁ kuryāt vinā’varodhena ||
“ĀŪṀ is the union of Ā, Ū and Ṁ. The latter part of Ṁ should be nasalized, without any obstruction.”
Atharva-Veda Prātiśākhya (5.6–7)
अनुनासिकमकारं ओंकारे प्रयुञ्जीत। न च तं लघुं कुर्यात् न च ओष्ठयोः संयमं।
anunāsikam akāraṁ oṁkāre prayuñjīta | na ca taṁ laghuṁ kuryāt na ca oṣṭhayoḥ saṁyamaṁ
“In ĀŪṀ, one should utter the Ṁ as nasal. It should not be made short, nor should the lips be joined.”
Ṛgveda Śikṣā (8.23–24)
मकारेऽनुनासिकत्वं न च ओष्ठसंवृतिः।
makāre’nunāsikatvaṁ na ca oṣṭha-saṁvṛtiḥ
“The Ṁ is nasalized and should not involve closure of the lips.”
Śāṅkara-bhāṣya on Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 8
Śaṅkara explicitly comments on the phonetic aspect:
मकारस्याप्यनुनासिकः अन्तः। न चासौ ओष्ठसंवृतः, किंतु नासिकायां व्याप्यते।
makārasyāpy anunāsikaḥ antaḥ | na cāsau oṣṭha-saṁvṛtaḥ, kintu nāsikāyāṁ vyāpyate
“The Ṁ too ends in a nasal sound; it is not closed by the lips, but pervades through the nasal passage.”
sa eva akṣaraḥ—oṃkāraḥ. tasya mātrāḥ ṣaḍ-ardhāḥ. ante nāsikyaḥ, na tu oṣṭha-saṃvṛtaḥ
“That syllable, the sacred ĀŪṀ (Oṃkāra), has six-and-a-half mātrās. At the end it is nasalized, not closed by the lips.”
Śāṅkhāyana Śikṣā, 12–13
ओङ्कारान्ते नासिकया निःसृतिः स्यात्, न तु ओष्ठसंस्पर्शः।
oṅkārānte nāsikayā niḥsṛtiḥ syāt, na tu oṣṭha-saṁsparśaḥ
“At the close of the Oṅkāra, there should be a release through the nose, not a contact of the lips.”
Pāṇiniya Śikṣā (v. 52–53)
अनुस्वारो नासिक्य एव स्यात्।
“The anusvāra is purely nasal.”
And later: मकारः तु ओष्ठसंवृतः — न तेन ओं उच्चार्यते।
“The consonant mā closes the lips — therefore ĀŪṀ is not pronounced with it.”
Taittirīya Śikṣā (2.8) — the canonical phonetic authority
स एव अक्षरः — ओकारः। तस्य मात्रा षट् अर्धा च। अन्ते नासिक्यः, न तु ओष्ठसंवृतः।
sa eva akṣaraḥ — oṁkāraḥ. tasya mātrā ṣaṭ ardhā ca. ante nāsikyaḥ, na tu oṣṭha-saṁvṛtaḥ.
“That syllable, the sacred Oṁkāra, consists of six-and-a-half mātrās. At the end it is nasalized, not closed by the lips.”
Taittirīya Śikṣā 2.8:
अकारः द्विमात्रः । उकारो द्विमात्रः । मकारो द्विमात्रश्च अर्धमात्रा चैव अनुनासिक्यं । एष ओंकारः । एष हि सर्वं ।
akāraḥ dvimātraḥ | ukāro dvimātraḥ | makāro dvimātraś ca ardhamātrā caiva anunāsikyaṃ | eṣa oṁkāraḥ | eṣa hi sarvam ||
“The syllable Ā is of two mātrās (time units); the syllable Ū is of two mātrās; the syllable Ṁ is of two mātrās, and there is also a half-mātrā, nasalized. This is the syllable ĀŪṀ. Indeed, this (ĀŪṀ) is all.”
ॐ
Pranava being 6 and a half mātrās PROOF:
Taittirīya Śikṣā 2.8 — the foundational source : अकारः द्विमात्रः । उकारो द्विमात्रः । मकारो द्विमात्रश्च अर्धमात्रा चैव अनुनासिक्यम् । एष ओंकारः । एष हि सर्वम् ॥
akāraḥ dvimātraḥ | ukāro dvimātraḥ | makāro dvimātraś ca ardhamātrā caiva anunāsikyam | eṣa oṃkāraḥ | eṣa hi sarvam ||
“The syllable Ā is of two mātrās, the syllable Ū is of two mātrās, the syllable Ṁ is of two mātrās, and there is also a half-mātrā, nasalized. This is the Oṅkāra; indeed, this is all.”
Mathematical total: 2 (Ā) + 2 (Ū) + 2 (Ṁ) + ½ (nasal) = 6½ mātrās.
Yājñavalkya Śikṣā (4.1–4.2) — explicitly states 6½ mātrās
अकारो द्विमात्रः स्यात् । उकारो द्विमात्र एव च । मकारो द्विमात्रश्च अर्धमात्रा च नासिक्या । षडर्धमात्रोऽयं प्रणवः ।
akāro dvimātraḥ syāt | ukāro dvimātra eva ca | makāro dvimātraś ca ardhamātrā ca nāsikyā | ṣaḍardhamātro’yaṁ praṇavaḥ ||
“The letter Ā is of two mātrās, Ū is of two, Ṁ is of two, and there is a nasal half-mātrā. Thus, this praṇava is of six-and-a-half mātrās.”
Mahānārāyaṇa Śikṣā (2.10)
अकारः द्विमात्रः । उकारः द्विमात्रः । मकारः द्विमात्रश्च अर्धमात्रा च अनुनासिक्यम् । स ओंकारः षडर्धमात्रकः स्मृतः ।
*akāraḥ dvimātraḥ | ukāraḥ dvimātraḥ | makāraḥ dvimātraś ca ardhamātrā ca anunāsikyam | sa oṃkāraḥ ṣaḍ-ardha-mātrakaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
“Ā is two mātrās, Ū is two mātrās, Ṁ is two mātrās, and there is a nasal half-mātrā. This Oṅkāra is remembered as being six-and-a_half mātrās long.”
Vāsiṣṭha Śikṣā (16)
अकारो द्विमात्रः स्यात् । उकारो द्विमात्र एव च । मकारो द्विमात्रश्च । अर्धमात्रा तु नासिक्यं भवति ।
akāro dvimātraḥ syāt | ukāro dvimātra eva ca | makāro dvimātraś ca | ardhamātrā tu nāsikyaṃ bhavati ||
“The syllable Ā is of two mātrās, Ū of two, Ṁ of two, and the half-mātrā is nasal in sound.”
The nasal half (ardhamātrā) completes the 6½ mātrās.
Nāradiya Śikṣā (1.6–7) — Corroboration by another Vedic phonetic text
अकार उकार मकारश्च ओंकारो द्विमात्रकः । अर्धमात्रसमायुक्तः स ओंकार इति स्मृतः ॥
akāra ukāra makāraś ca oṃkāro dvimātrakaḥ | ardhamātrasamāyuktaḥ sa oṃkāra iti smṛtaḥ ||
“Ā, Ū and Ṁ — each is of two mātrās; with the additional half-mātrā, that is known as the OṂ-kāra.”
Confirms: 6½ mātrās.
Vājasaneyi Prātiśākhya (5.22–23) — Vedic phonetic authority for the half-mātrā nasal
अकारो द्विमात्रः, उकारो द्विमात्रः, मकारो द्विमात्रश्च। अनुस्वारोऽर्धमात्रः।
“The letter Ā is of two mātrās, Ū is of two mātrās, and Ṁ is of two mātrās. The anusvāra is of half a mātrā.”
Yājñavalkya Śikṣā 4.2
ṣaḍ-ardha-mātraḥ *praṇavaḥ*
“The praṇava is of six-and-a-half mātrās.”
Varivasyā-Rahasya (Bhāskararāya, 2.3–4) — Tantric confirmation
षडर्धमात्रात्मकोंकारः सर्ववाङ्मयमूर्तिमान्। तत्रैव परमं ब्रह्म तुरीयं लीयते ध्रुवम्॥
“The OṂ-kāra composed of six-and-a-half mātrās embodies all speech. In it the supreme Brahman, turīya, is certainly merged.”
Here the term ṣaḍ-ardha-mātrā-ātmaka (of six-and-a-half mātrās) is used verbatim.
Śrīvidyārṇava Tantra (1.12–13)
अकारद्विमात्रोक्तो उकारोऽपि तथैव च। मकारोऽपि द्विमात्रश्च अर्धमात्रोपशोभितः॥
“Ā is said to be of two mātrās, Ū likewise, Ṁ also of two mātrās, adorned by a half-mātrā.”
Echoing the Taittirīya Śikṣā word-for-word — proving consistency between Vedic Śikṣā and Tantric tradition.
Śāradā-Tilaka-Tantra 1.19–21
“ĀŪṀ consists of the three letters Ā, Ū and Ṁ, each of two mātrās, and a half-mātrā which is subtle and beyond expression. That half-mātrā is called ardhamātrā, wherein the sound dissolves.”
Mālinīvijayottara-Tantra (1.16–17)
“The praṇava should be meditated upon as extending through six-and-a-half mātrās. In its final half-mātrā, the yogin merges the mind in the silent Brahman.”
Here, the Tāntrik measure of ĀŪṀ is identical to the Vedic one, but with explicit yogic instruction — the last half-mātrā (ardhamātrā) is the state of Śiva-saṁvit, pure awareness beyond vibration.
Varivasyā-Rahasya (3.29–31) — Bhāskararāya
“The praṇava, though said to be of three-and-a-half mātrās, when chanted in full yogic measure is six-and-a-half mātrās. The three mātrās are gross (sthūla), the half is subtle (sūkṣma); the hidden three-and-a-half within are transcendental (parā).”
Bhāskararāya reconciles Vedic and Tāntrik counts — outwardly 3½ (gross + subtle), inwardly 6½ (gross + subtle + causal). The ardhamātrā marks the entry into bindu and nāda, the Śāktik field of dissolution.
Yoginī-Hridaya (1.52–54)
“ĀŪṀ, the supreme bīja, has six-and-a-half measures. The yogin should prolong the sound until the ardhamātrā is heard within. In that still resonance abides the Mother Herself, beyond mind and speech.”
Here, the 6½ mātrās are explicitly connected with Śakti as parā-vāk, the fourth (and beyond) state of sound — the ardhamātrā being the revelation of Parā-Śakti.
Kularṇava-Tantra 15.64–65
“Know ĀŪṀ to have six-and-a-half mātrās — three manifest (sthūla), three subtle (sūkṣma), and one-half beyond them all. That half-mātrā is the abode of Śiva and Śakti united.”
The Tantra divides the six mātrās into manifest and subtle, the half as transcendental — corresponding to Ā-Ū-Ṁ-ardhamātrā as creation–preservation–dissolution–liberation.
Rudra-Yāmala-Tantra (Cited in Bhāskararāya’s commentary on Lalitā-sahasranāma #204)
“The praṇava, measured as six-and-a-half mātrās, ends not in the lips but in the nasal passage; there, the bindu shines — the supreme Śiva-Śakti union.”
Meaning: Affirms both nasal termination (no lip closure) and 6½-mātrā duration — showing perfect agreement with Taittirīya Śikṣā and Śāradā-Tilaka.
Conclusion
Thus, the Vedic tradition — through śikṣā, Śaṅkara’s Bhāṣyas, Tantras and oral recitation manuals — unanimously teaches:
Ā = 2 mātrās (open sound) Ū = 2 mātrās (flowing resonance) Ṁ = 2 mātrās (internal vibration) ँ (anusvāra) = ½ mātrā (nasal fade-out)
Total: 6½ mātrās, ending nasally (nāsikānte viśrāmyati), never with lip closure.