Ekam

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Ekam is the

one, single, solitary" (neuter gender), as a noun meaning "unity
". In
Smarta
theology.

Truth is One

A well-known statement is "

Rig Veda Samhita 1.164.46: "They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutman. To what is One, sages give many a title. They call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan.".[1] According to William A. Graham, "the one" in verse 1.164.46 refers to Vāc, goddess of speech, appearing as "the creative force and absolute force in the universe." In later Vedic literature, "Speech or utterance is also identified with the supreme power or transcendent reality," and "equated with Brahman in this sense."[2] Frauwallner states that "many gods are traced back to the one Godhead. The one (ekam) is not meant adjectively as a quality but as a substantive, as the upholding centre of reality."[3]

Ayyavazhi

Ekam (

Akilam
, this state of ekam is beyond the consciousness and derived to beyond the state of changing and is the extreme state in which the whole universe exists.

Evolution of Ekam, the source of whole existence as described in Akilam

In

Saivism, Ekam is used commonly to refer to the oneness of God
, but in Ayyavazhi the basic oneness is separately symbolized to be supreme and ultimate beyond all God-heads and powers. The derivations of Ekam in Ayyavazhi scriptures are sometimes close to the
Akilam
for focusing Siva as well as Vishnu in charge of this position. But, still the Ekam is addressed beyond these god-heads.

But when

Vaikundar, is jailed in Singarathoppe, he says "I am the one who created the Ekam and the one who is omnipresent everywhere". By this, the theology reveals Vaikundar (God) as beyond the attributes of Ekam, which moves the theology of Ayyavazhi more towards pantheism
.

See also

References

  1. ^ Rig Veda Samhita 1.164.46, Wiki Source
  2. ^ William A. Graham, Beyond the Written Word: Oral Aspects of Scripture in the History of Religion, pp. 70–71.
  3. ^ Frauwallner 1973, p. xvii.
  4. ^ Akilattirattu Ammanai published by T. Palaramachandran Nadar, 9th impression, 1989 Page 225-227

Sources

  • Frauwallner, Erich (1973), History of Indian Philosophy: The philosophy of the Veda and of the epic. The Buddha and the Jina. The Sāmkhya and the classical Yoga-system, Motilall Banarsidas
  • Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayana Urai by A. Arisundara Mani, 2002.
  • Sri Vaikunda Swamigal and the Struggle for Social Equality in South India by R. Ponnu, 2000.
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