The Vedas are grand literary works with the oldest scriptural wisdom. Its sweet sublime poetry found in 20,349 quotes of the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda cover every aspect of human life and beyond. This post aims at sharing the Veda quotes that highlight the Upanishad teachings that God is One, a single Universal Intelligence. Further, also that the invocations for 33 different devatas, are directed towards the multiple attributes of the same Ultimate God.
In a similar vein, the formlessness of this Cosmic Spirit is also touched upon in the Vedas. Additionally, some profound quotes symbolically refer to the path mortals can take to perceive HIM and that is through concentration on the Atman in the heart.
To sum it up, the glorifying references to multiple Divinities only allude to the aspects of this Cosmic Spirit (Brahman) that is all pervasive and also which resides within each as the Atman.
Seers/ Rishis and their role in the composition of Veda quotes/verses
Vedas have a tradition of being orally taught for thousands of years precisely up to the last syllable. However, the general agreement is that these verses may have been recorded in writing only between 3000- 1500 B.C.
It’s important here to note that despite ideological differences, great religious leaders like Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya and countless scholars and leaders from various sects and sub-sects and philosophies, largely agree to the authority of the Vedas.
Vedas are the Shrutis, meaning Seers or Rishis perceived these mantras in their Super conscious meditative state, then recorded and taught them. That is why every mantra begins with those Rishis names to whom it was revealed. Therefore, every Vedic mantra refers to different aspects of the One Universe God, the aspect that the Seer related most to.
Vedic Sanskrit v/s Later Sanskrit
Now, because the exact script of the Vedic mantra was preserved meticulously, the originality of every quote survived for ages. But alongside over many millennia, newer versions of Sanskrit developed as a spoken language, that were distinctly different from Vedic Sanskrit.
For example, Apsara means a ray in Vedic but an angel in Sanskrit, Varaha means a cloud in Vedic but a pig in Sanskrit, Agastya means a star in Vedic but a sage in Sanskrit and so on.
This difference arose because Vedic Sanskrit was a yogic/derivative or root based language while later Sanskrit was la lokik/conventional/literal language. So, in Vedic Sanskrit the meanings of nouns depend on the root of the verbs. Also, Vedic Sanskrit is symbolic, representing deeper connotations than the literal word meaning.
So Vedas read in the light of medieval/modern Sanskrit make less sense when applied to quotes from the Veda. That is why the idea of ‘God is One’ does not come out clearly in most running translations even by Indian scholars.
Nirukta’s role in helping decipher the essence of the Vedas
The ancient Nirukta (composed by Yaska Muni in 500 B.C) along with the Nighantu are the closest possible glossaries to the Vedic times. While Nighantu elucidates on difficult Vedic words, Nirukta follows the method of finding the derivative meaning of the root of the verbs.
This precious book explains over 700 Vedic mantras with their interpretations. Further the revered author, Yaskacharya declares that the Vedas cannot be understood without the Nirukta which is agreed upon by luminaries like Dayanand Saraswati.
Later translations of quotes from Vedas
The translations frequently referred to by both Indian and Western scholars is almost 2000 years after Nirukta viz from Sayanacharya (1331 A.D) and Mahidhar (1645 A.D). However, both were from a culture that was replete with medieval Sanskrit, pauranic deities, animal sacrifices also tantra practices.
In Fact, the widely referred translation by Sayanacharya is considered quite literal as it fails to derive completely from the Nirukta. The same also reflects on all translations based on Sayanacharyas commentary including the European ones. Consequently, the true transcendental theme of the One God in the Vedas becomes fuzzy. Having said that one must appreciate the laborious work put in, in-order to produce such a voluminous work especially by Sayanacharya.
Recent translations basis Nirukta to understand the essence of the Vedas
Swami Dayanand Saraswati (Rigvedadi Bhasya Bhumika) , a thorough Vedic scholar expounded the true essence of the Vedas by extensive reference to Nirukta and other ancient Vedic works. Sri Aurobindo (Secret of the Vedas) and Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Orion) also made their own significant contributions to these translations. Additionally Vedic translations from Panna Lal Parihar (Inside Vedas) and Dr Tulsi Ram Sharma (Rgveda, the Hymns of Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda) and others strike a chord with their exposition on the symbolism of many Veda quotes.
The 33 Gods of the Vedas refer to the attributes of the same Cosmic Spirit (Brahman)
The 33 Gods of the Vedas bring out a notion of polytheism and nature worship. Also, that the Devas are pictured as supernatural beings who need to be pleased with sacrifices for granting boons.
The word Deva or God however has a different connotation. The Nirukta says the word Devata, attached to a mantra, is not God but the subject matter of the quote/sukta/ mantra. So, Deva is one who gives something to man. Hence, the forces of nature are Devas very much like one’s parents, Guru etc.
Additionally, the Nirukta also says that there is only one God and all devas are simply attributes of HIM.
15 Beautiful Vedic Quotes that uphold that God is One
The most celebrated reference to the Vedas One God is the 121st Sukta from the 10th Rigveda Mandala called Hiranyagarba (the Golden Egg: the Source of creation of the Universe) Sukta
1) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 10.121.10
Prajapate na tvadetanyanyo visva jatani pari ta babhuva. Yat kamaste juhumastanno astu vayam syama patayo rayinam.
Translation : Prajapati, lord of life and your children, there is none other than you who rules over life forms and materials in existence, for yours are the laws of existence, none else’s. (Therefore) may all our desires, whatever you wish we should desire, our prayers , be fulfilled in life for us. Also, may we be masters in control of the wealth, honour and excellence of the world within your laws of life (Dr Tulsi Ram)
2) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 10.121.1
‘Hiranyagarbhah samavartatagre bhutasya jatah patireka asit. Sa dadhara prthivim dyamutemam kasmai devaya havisa vidhema.’
Translation: Hiranyagarbha, the golden Seed, one lord of light and the sole creator of lights such as the sun, existed before creation (as he ever exists). He alone was and is the lord and sustainer of all forms of created being. Also, He alone holds and sustains the earth and heaven and supports this whole universe. Therefore, we worship the same One Lord and offer him homage with oblations of fragrant materials (Dr Tulsi Ram)
3) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 10.121.3
‘Yah pranato nimisato mahitvaika idraja jagato babhuva. Ya ise asya dvipadascatuspadah kasmai devaya havisa vidhema.’
Translation: God is the only one Supreme Lord controlling the Universe which consists of sentient and insentient beings. He holds the with his great glory and might. Moreover, He is the creator and overlord controller of all creatures, bipeds and quadrupeds, men and animals. Hence, May we devote ourselves with love and meditation to the Blissful Lord. (Shri Panna Lal Parihar)
4) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 10.121.9
‘Ma no himsijjanita yah prthivya yo va divam satyadharma jajana. Yascapascandra brhatirjajana kasmai devaya havisa vidhema.‘
Translation: May the one lord supreme never hurt us, the lord that is creator of the earth, who also creates the heavens and who also creates the vast oceans of energies and waters, all beauteous, soothing and blissful, the master, controller and ordainer of all the laws of existence in operation in truth. So, let us worship that one lord supreme with offers of faith and havis. (Dr Tulsi Ram)
5) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 1.164. 46
‘Indram mitram varunam-agnim-ahuratho divyah sa suparno garutman. Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadantyagnim yamam matarisvanam ahuh.’
Translation: That Supreme Spirit is the Protector of all and He pervades and gives light to all bright things. Further, this Spirit is called Indra or the Glorious Mitra or the Friendly Varuna or the Greatest and the Best Agni or Adorable. Though one, He is called by the wise by many names such as Agni (The Adorable), Yama (the Ruler or Controller) Matarishva or the Mighty (Dayanand Saraswati)
6) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 2.1.3
Translation: You, Agni are Indra, the showerer of bounties on the good. Also, you are the adorable Vishnu, the hymned of the many, you Brahmanaspati are Brahma, the possessor or riches, you the author of various conditions associated with wisdom. (H.H Wilson and Sayanacharya)
7) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 2.1.4
Translation: Agni, lord of life and light of existence, you are the glorious ruler. Also, You are Varuna, greatest and best lord of nature and humanity, upholder of natural truth and law of life. Mitra too the master, dear as friend and the very breath of life, adorable and worthy of homage and worship. Also, you are Aryama, lord giver of love and justice, preserver and promoter of truth and sustainer of the lovers of truth and justice. Moreover, Lord of light blazing as the sun, generous and blissful, in the grand yajnic system of life and living, you are the giver of everyone’s rights and duties, actions and rewards, according to the law of Dharma and the Karma dispensation (Dr Tulsi Ram)
8) God is One quote from the Rig Veda 1.164.10
‘Tisro matrstrin pitrn bibhradeka urdhvastasthau nemava glapayanti. Mantrayante divo amusya prsthe visvavidam vacamavisvaminvam.’
Translation: The one Supreme lord of the universe who abides over all sustains the three mothers, earth, sky and the heavens of light. Also, He sustains the three fathers, Agni, Vayu and Aditya, fire, wind and sun. These three do not tire Him or smear Him. In fact, on the heights of the heaven of that lord Prajapati, they meditate on this voice of omniscience and recreate and replenish the life sustaining energy and the creative vitality and fertility of motherhood. (Dr Tulsi Ram)
9) God is One quote from the Yajur veda 32.1
Translation: (‘That’) here refers to the Supreme Self), Agni is That, the Sun is That, Vayu and Chandramas are That, The Bright is That, those waters(too), That is Prajapati (H.H. Wilson)
10) God is Formless quote from the Yajur Veda 40.8
‘Sa paryagacchukramakayamavranam asnaviram suddhamapapaviddham. Kavirmanisi paribhuh svayambhuryathatathyato arthan vyadadhacchasvatibhya samabhya‘
Translation: The Supreme Spirit overspreads All. Also, this Spirit is powerful and bright, incorporeal and devoid of form and does not assume any bodily shape. Moreover, He is pure perfect, without defect or ignorance and is beyond contact of sin and is Omniscient and knows the innermost heart of every person. Also, He is the inward controller of all and the dispeller of evils. Further, He is all supporting, all pervading and a dispenser of fruits of action as per merit/principles. (Shri Panna Lal Parihar)
Meaning: The Ultimate Cosmic Spirit (Brahman) is Nirguna/ Formless
11) The Realized sages describe God through his many attributes quotes Rigveda 10.114.5
‘Suparnam viprah kavayo vacobhirekam santam bahudha kalpayanti. Chandamsi ca dadhato adhvareshu grahantsomasya mimate dvadasa.’
Translation: The learned and the wise describe the One existing God in many forms of expressions. (Dayanand Saraswati- Arya samaj)
12) The Realized sages describe God through his many attributes, quotes Yajur Veda 40. 7
‘Yasmintsarvani bhutanyatmaivabhudvijanata. Tatra ko mohah kah soka ekatvamanupasyatah.’
Translation : When, in the man who clearly knows, Self has become all things that are, what wilderment, what grief is there in him who sees the One alone? (H.H Wilson & Sayancharya)
13) God is One quotes from the Atharva Veda 13th Kanda, Sukta 4, quotes 16 to 21
16. Na dvitiyo na triyascaturtho napyucyate. Ya etam devamekavrtam veda. 17. Na pancamo na sasthah saptamo napyucyate. Ya etam devamekavrtam veda. 18. Nastamo na navamo dasamo napyucyate. Ya etam devamekavrtam veda. 19. Sa sarvasmai vi pasyati yacca pranati yacca na. Ya etam devamekavrtam veda. 20. Tamidam nigatam sahah sa esa eka ekavrdeka eva. Ya etam devamekavrtam veda. 21. Sarve asmindeva ekavrto bhavanti. Ya etam devamekavrtam veda.
He (God) is called neither the second nor the third nor yet the fourth. Neither the fifth nor the sixth nor yet the seventh. Nor the eight nor the ninth nor yet the tenth. In fact, He takes care of all that breathes and all that does not breathe and has all the conquering power. He is the One, One alone and Only One. ( Dayanand Saraswati)
14) God is One quote from the Rigveda 6.45.16
‘Ya eka it tamu stuhi krstinam vicarsanih. Patirjajne vrsakratuh.’
Translation: O man, Praise God who is One and One only and who is the Omniscient and Omnipotent Lord of all Beings (Swami Dayanand Saraswati)
15) God is One quote from the Atharva Veda 2. 2. 1
‘Divyo gandharvo bhuvanasya yaspatireka eva namasyo viksvidyah. Tam tva yaumi brahmana divya deva namaste astu divi te sadhastham.’
Translation: ‘God sustains everything in the world. Also, He is the sole master of the universe. He is above all and worthy of worship. ‘ Shri Panna Lal Parihar.
16) God is One quote from Rigveda 10.82. 3
‘Yo nah pita janita yo vidhata dhamani veda bhuvanani visva. Yo devanam namadha eka eva tam samprasnam bhuvana yantyanya.’
Translation : Our Father who is the all creating God and Who is the disposer knoweth all the worlds and all things existing. Moreover, He is the only One Reality, the name giver of all deva-shining objects. Him alone all other beings attain for. Further, He is the Only One solution of all our interrogations. (Swami Dayanand Saraswati Arya Samaj)
17) Concentrate on the Atman to realize God, quotes Rigveda 1.164.20 ( Mundaka Upanishad reference)
‘Dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksham pari sasvajate. Tayoranyah pippalam svadvattyanasnannanyo abhi cakasiti.’
Translation : Two birds associated together, and mutual friends take refuge in the same tree, one of them eats the sweet fig, the other abstaining from food merely looks on (H.H. Wilson and Sayanacharya)
Meaning : the two birds signify the jivatama and Paramatma as explained in the Mundaka Upanishad.
18) Concentrate on the Atman to realize God, quotes Rigveda 1.164.22
‘Yasmin vrkshe madhvada suparna nivisante suvate cadhi visve. Tasyedahuh pippalam svadvagre tannonnasadya pitaram na veda.’
Translation: To that tree over and above the mortal world whereon the super-souls of beautiful wings of blessed action nestle in a state of consecration and taste the nectar honey of divine joy. This tree, whose taste of the fruit the ancients describe as super-sweet, to that tree of immortal taste and bliss they do not attain who do not know the father (Dr Tulsi Ram)
Meaning : The one who gets immersed in the pleasure of the mind body and intellect i.e Rajas and Tamas, wastes his life and never gets to know the real father (Cosmic spirit)
19) Concentrate on the Atman to realize God, Rigveda 5.5.1
‘Susamiddhaya socise ghrtam tivram juhotana. Agnaye jatavedase.’
Translation : Offer abundant butter to the resplendent Susamiddha, to Agni, to Jatavedas
Meaning : This verse cryptically calls out to direct all concentration into the Atman, the light of divinity for success
20) Concentrate on the Atman to realize God, Rigveda 6.9.4
‘Ayam hota prathamah pasyatemamidam jyotiramratam martyesu. Ayam sa jajne dhruva a nisatto martyastanva vardhamanah.’
Translation : This Vaishvanara is the first offerer of burnt offerings. Therefore, Behold him, the light immortal,which has been born in a bodily shape, immoveable, all-pervading, immortal, ever increasing. (H.H.Wilson & Sayanacharya)
Meaning : here, the description of the Atman is given as the immortal Soul within the mortals that is an extension of the ultimate Brahman.
21) Concentrate on the Atman to realize God, Rigveda 6.9.5
‘Dhruvam jyotirnihitam drsaye kam mano javistham patayatsvantah, Visve deva samanasa saketa ekam kratumabhi vi yanti sadhu.’
Translation : A steady light , swifter than thought, stationed among moving beings to show (the way ) to happiness, all the gods being of one mind , and of like wisdom , proceed respectfully to the presence of the one (chief) agent, Vaishvanara (H.H.Wilson)
Meaning : the light here refers to the light of the Atman in the cave of the heart. Realization of this Atman can lead to true happiness.
Other quotes from the Upanishads that refer to the Glory of the Single God
‘From Him are the Hymns of Rig Veda, Samaveda and Yajur‘ (Mundaka Upanishad 2.1.7)
‘The Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvaveda have emanated from the breath of the Supreme Being’ (Brihadaranyak Upanishad 4.5.11)
‘Austerity, self control and virtuous actions lead to knowledge of Upanishads. The Veda constitutes that knowledge.‘ (Keno- Upanishad 4.8)
‘May my mind and tongue reproduce the Veda’ (Aitreya Upanishad 3.1.5)
‘He alone knows the origin who is well versed in the Vedas. He knows God as described by the Upanishads.’ (Shvetashvetar Upanishad 5.6)
‘From Him (Almighty) did the Vedic wisdom emanate.’ (Chhandogya Upanishad 1.1.9)
‘The essence is the Veda which is the essence of essences. The Veda is the nectar. Become immortal by its study.’ (Chhandogya Upanishad 3.5.4)
Inconclusion, ending with a quote from Sri Adi Sankaracharya
“By the light of the lamp, objects are seen. In the same vein knowledge of things is possible with Rigveda” Sri Adi Shankaracharya
Read also about the top Bhagavad Gita quotes for Students and Gayatri Mantra (Rigveda 3.62.10) benefits for students as well as Chanting rules
Recommended Reference reading
- The Sampoorna Veda set by Sayanacharya
- Rigvedadi Bhasya Bhumika by Dayanand Saraswati
- Secret of the Vedas by Sri Aurobindo
- Orion by Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Disclaimer : The links to these books are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
