"ekam sadviprā bahudhā vadanti"

One of the ṛks which has been made popular by the part message contained in it viz., "ekam sadviprā bahudhā vadanti", or, What exists is one (it is one in reality) but the knowers speak (of it) in various ways, which is also interpreted to mean "the reality is one...".

This forms part of the ṛk 1.164.46. The sūkta (1.164) itself is a very famous one going by the name "asyavāmīya sūkta" since it starts with the words, " asya vāmasya palitasya hotuḥ". The ṛṣi for this long sūkta of 52 ṛks is held to be "dīrghatamas ", meaning 'very deep, or very prolonged darkness'. This name itself has some mystery about it, it appears. Commentaries have been written separately on this single sūkta and most experts in ṛgveda are of the opinion that the ṛks in this sūkta have deeper, encrypted meanings of different levels, than the apparent ones.

Now, for the particular ṛk no.46. Since a part of this ṛk has attained very great fame, I give below the two previous ṛks also, in order that we may get some idea of the immediate context in which it occurs:-

ऋषिः - दीर्घतमाः औचथ्य: । छन्दः - जगती । दॆवता - अग्निसूर्यवायवः (४४); वाक् (४५); सम्वत्सर-कालचक्रम् (४६)

ṛṣiḥ - dīrghatamāḥ aucathya: | chandaḥ - jagatī | devatā - agnisūryavāyavaḥ (44); vāk (45); samvatsara-kālacakram (46)

त्रयः कॆशिन ऋतुथाविचक्षते

संवत्सरे वपत एक एषाम्

विश्वम् एको अभिचष्टे शचीभिर्

ध्राजिर् एकस्य ददृशे न रूपम् --१. १४६. ४४

trayaḥ keśina ṛtuthāvicakṣate

saṃvathsare vapata eka eṣām

viśvam eko abhicaṣṭe śacībhir

dhrājir ekasya dadṛśe na rūpam --1. 164. 44

Note :

This ṛk refers to three kinds of forces; sāyaṇa refers to them as agni, āditya and vāyu. From their descriptions given in the ṛk, these names look appropriate, but let us note that the ṛṣi himself has not ascribed any specific names to them.

“Three long-haired ones appear periodically during the year. One (of them) shaves this world, another graciously looks upon and strengthens, while the third is not visible but for its flow and course.”

The above is the most literal meaning of this ṛk. sāyaṇa infers the reference to the “three long-haired ones” to agni (which burns up a lot and thus can be said to "shave" the earth), āditya (who gives light and creates growth due to rains) while the third, viz., vāyu, is not visible but can only be inferred from its gliding and sweeping course. This description may fit agni whose flames may be looked upon as its hair, and āditya whose rays are usually compared to hair. But how vāyu is called ‘keśin’ is unclear, obviously when it is said to be 'invisible' (dadṛśe na rūpam). Apparently, this is illogical.

चत्वारि वाक् परिमिता पदानि

तानि विदुर् ब्राह्मणा यॆ मनीषिणः

गुहा त्रीणि निहिता नेंगयंति

तुरीयम् वाचो मनुष्या वदंति --१. १६४. ४५

catvāri vāk parimitā padāni

tāni vidur brāhmaṇā ye manīṣiṇaḥ

guhā trīṇi nihitā neṃgayaṃti

turīyam vāco manuṣyā vadaṃti --1. 164. 45

"vāk" here can be taken to mean 'words' or ‘speech’. This ṛk says that there are four kinds of words/speech, of which three are secret and hence not open. Human beings speak the fourth type of vāk.

sāyaṇa himself says that human beings, both the knowledgeable and the ignorant, (अज्ञास्तज्ञाश्च) speak the fourth category of words. He goes on to say that "about which are the four kinds of vāk, many people describe according to their opinion". vedavādins say that the praṇava (aum) and the three vyāhṛtis- bhūḥ bhuvaḥ suvaḥ - constitute the four categories. Some others go by grammatical categories like nāma, ākhyāta, etc. Yet others link it to the tonal differences like those pronounced with loud voice, low voice, etc. yājñika, kalpa, brāhmaṇa and day-to-day speech is what some others define as the four classes. The language of animals, flute, and deer (पशुषु, तूणवॆषु, मृगॆषु) as well as humans, hold the ātmavādins. Those who adopt the mātṛkā system opine that the four classes of vāk are parā , paśyanti, madhyamā and vaikharī .

इन्द्रम् मित्रम् वरुणम् अग्निम् आहु-

रथो दिव्यस्ससुपर्णो गरुत्मान्

एकम् सद् विप्रा बहुधा वद

न्त्यग्निम् यमम् मातरिश्वानमाहुः --१. १६४. ४६

indram mitram varuṇam agnim āhu-

ratho divyassasuparṇo garutmān

ekam sad viprā bahudhā vada

ntyagnim yamam mātariśvānamāhuḥ --1. 164. 46

This is the ṛk with which this post was begun. It means:

That winged divine (bird) is one but those who are adepts about the devatās and their nature, call it by different names such as indra, mitra, varuṇa, agni, yama, mātariśvan, etc.

sāyaṇa says the winged divine bird here refers to āditya. And the wise ones who have knowledge of dEvatas, attribute to this one and only āditya, various names like mitra (because he saves one from death and is the deity of day(pramītermaraṇāttrātaram aharabhimāninam etannāmakam devam), varuṇa because he removes sins and is the deity of night (pāpasya nivārakam rātryabhimāninam devam), agni because he holds court (अग्निम् अङ्गनादि गुणविशिष्टम् एतन्नामकम्), yama because he controls (the life?), mātariśvan because he breathes in the form of vāyu.

There is indication of the identity of the variously named devatās as the one āditya. Perhaps this ṛk reflects the time when sun worship was very much in vogue (as was the case in ancient Egypt).

However sāyaṇa himself admits this ṛk having been interpreted to suit the needs of advaita, in these words:

सूर्यस्य ब्रह्मणॊऽनन्यत्वेन सर्वात्म्ययुक्तम् भवति । अत्र ये के चिदग्निः सर्वा देवता इत्यादि श्रुतितोऽयम् एव अग्निरुत्तरे अपि ज्योतिषी इति मत्वा अग्नेरेव सर्वात्म्यप्रतिपादिकॊऽयम् मन्त्र इति वदंति ।

sūryasya brahmaṇo:'nanyatvena sarvātmyayuktam bhavati | atra ye ke cidagniḥ sarvā devatā ityādi śrutito:'yam eva agniruttare api jyotiṣī iti matvā agnereva sarvātmyapratipādiko:'yam mantra iti vadaṃti |

Because sūrya, being identical to brahman, becomes connected to all ātmas. Thus whichever 'agni' is stated to be the same as all devatās by this śruti, later on also, considering it as the luminous (one), it is said that only agni is meant as the representative of all devatās in this mantra.

(This is my translation. So if knowledgeable readers find any errors or inconsistencies, kindly point out so that I can carry out necessary corrections.)

Thus, it is by a derived meaning that the "ekam sad viprā bahudhā vadanti" which originally aimed at proclaiming the unity of various deities, came to be used to prove the unity of the brahman and the ātman. It appears to me that in the ṛgvEda, the word ' ātman' is not used to denote the same thing (jeevātma, which transmigrates, experiences the results of its karma and is held identical to the absolute brahman) as the upanishads do, and subsequently in the vedānta; it means the essential principle of life which, on the physical body becoming lifeless, migrates to other worlds like pitṛloka, and is not seen as identical with the hiraṇyagarbha, the primordial egg, or with the trimūrtis.