ESSENCE OF NUMBERS - एकम् = One

The Sanskrit number system is rich and systematic, with distinct names for each number up to 100 and beyond. The system changes every 10 numbers, introducing a new base term that modifies the subsequent numbers in that range. 

Āryabhaṭa numeration is an alphasyllabic numeral system based on Sanskrit phonemes. It was introduced in the early 6th century in India by Āryabhaṭa, in the first chapter titled Gītika Padam of his Aryabhatiya. It attributes a numerical value to each syllable of the form consonant+vowel possible in Sanskrit phonology, from ka = 1 up to hau = 10.

Devanagari -     १      २     ३     ४       ५       ६       ७       ८       ९      १०

Indian/ Hindu - 1     2    3     4       5      6      7       8       9     10

Sanskrit -       एकम्   द्वि  त्रीणि  चत्वारि   पञ्च      षट्    सप्त      अष्ट      नव      दश

                                   *************************************************

एकम् = One

“Brahma Ekameva” = “Supreme soul is only one”.

yaṁ vaidikā mantradṛśaḥ purāṇāḥ indraṁyamaṁ mātariśvā namāhuḥ |
edāntino nirvacanīyamekam yaṁ brahma śabdena vinirdiśanti ||

śaivāyamīśaṁ śiva ityavocan yaṁ vaiṣṇavā viṣṇuriti stuvanti |
buddhastathārhan iti bauddha jaināḥ sat śrī akāleti ca sikhkha santaḥ ||

śāsteti kecit katicit kumāraḥ svāmīti māteti piteti bhaktyā |
yaṁ prārthanyante jagadīśitāram sa eka eva prabhuradvitīyaḥ ||

Meaning:
Whom (Yam) the Vaidika Mantradrashah (those who have understood the Vedas and to whom the mantras were revealed), the Puranas (stories and history of ancient times) and other sacred scrip­tures call: Indram (Indra, the God of Gods), Yamam (Yama, the eternal timeless God) and Mātariśvā (present everywhere like air). Whom the Vedāntins (those who follow the philosophy of Vedānta), indicate by the word Brahma as the One (ekam) which cannot be described or explained (Nirvachaniya).

Whom the Śaivas call (Avochan) the Omnipotent (Yamisham) Śiva and Vaishnavas praise (stuvanti) as Vishnu, the Buddhists and Jains (Baudhajainaha) respectively call as Buddha and Arhant (without any end), whom the Sikh sages (Sikh-santaha) call Sat Śrī Akāl (the timeless Truth).

Some (kecit) call Whom as Śāstā, others (katicit) Kumāra, some call It Swāmī (Lord of the Universe and protector of all), some Mātā (divine mother) or Pitā (father). To whom they offer prayers, It (Sa) is the same and the only One (Eka Eva), without a second (advitiyah).

(This blogpost is a part of Blogchatter's Half Marathon 2024)