Vak S.

 Vāk Sūkta (Ṛg Veda 10.125)

This is one of the most beautiful hymns of the Ṛg Veda, spoken in the voice of the Goddess of Speech, Vāk.

It is composed by the seer Vāk Ambhṛṇī, a woman ṛṣi.

In it, the Goddess identifies herself with the cosmic speech and creative power of the universe.

1. I am the cosmic force

Vāk declares she is present in gods, humans, and nature — the one through whom everything breathes and lives.

2. Speech as creative power

Words are not just communication; in the Vedic vision, they are śakti (power) that sustains the cosmos.

3. Unity of inner and outer worlds

The hymn links the human act of speaking to the divine act of creation.

“I move among gods and men; I uphold them, I make them strong.”

Here, Vāk is both immanent (present in all beings) and transcendent (empowering them).

“I am the queen, the gatherer of treasures, first among the worshipped.”

She identifies as Śrī, Lakṣmī-like, provider of wealth and abundance.

“The one whom I love, I make powerful — a seer, a sage, a Brahman.”

Speech elevates humans to wisdom and leadership.

“I am in the waters, in the ocean, I pervade all worlds.”

Suggests the cosmic pervasiveness of sound, vibration, and divine order.

Vāk = Brahman’s expression: Just as thought becomes real through speech, the unmanifest Absolute becomes manifest through Vāk.

Link to Tantra and Vedānta: Later traditions identify Vāk with Sarasvatī, Pārvatī, or Śakti, the power of Brahman.

Levels of speech: In later Indian thought, speech is classified into four levels — parā (transcendental), paśyantī (visionary), madhyamā (mental), and vaikharī (spoken) — all foreshadowed in this sūkta.

 So, the Vāk Sūkta is a celebration of divine feminine power as cosmic speech, the force that creates, sustains, and inspires the world.

The Voice Divine

I am the Queen, the Mother of treasures,

The one the gods honor, the first among the worshipped.

Through me, the wise become wise,

Through me, the strong gain strength,

Through me, the seeker finds the path.

I move among gods, among humans,

I breathe in all beings, I give life to all.

The one whom I love, I raise up—

I make him a sage, a leader, a knower of truth.

I am in the waters, flowing and endless,

I am in the winds, restless and free,

I am in the Earth, steady and vast,

I am in the heavens, shining with light.

Without me, nothing can exist.

With me, all things are held together.

I am Speech—Vāk—

The power of creation,

The voice of the Eternal,

The song of the Infinite.

From Vāk Sūkta to Devī Mahatmya

1. In the Vāk Sūkta

The goddess speaks: “I am everywhere, sustaining all. I make whom I will into seer, sage, ruler.”

She identifies herself with cosmic power and speech.

2. In the Devī Māhātmya (part of Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, c. 5th–6th century CE)

The same spirit evolves into Mahādevī, the Great Goddess.

She is addressed as Śakti who creates, preserves, and destroys the universe.

She declares: “I am the sole cause of creation and dissolution. All gods depend on me.”

Just like in Vāk Sūkta, she is both immanent (present in all beings) and transcendent (supreme source).

 In the hymn Ya Devī Sarvabhūteṣu, the goddess is said to dwell in every being as buddhi (intelligence), kṣudhā (hunger), chāyā (shadow), śakti (power), and vāk (speech).

This directly echoes the older Vāk Sūkta idea of pervasiveness.

Tantra systematizes the idea of Vāk (speech) into four levels:

1. Parā – transcendental, unspoken vibration, the root of all sound.

2. Paśyantī – subtle vision of sound before it forms.

3. Madhyamā – mental speech, inner thought.

4. Vaikharī – spoken words, ordinary sound.

This reflects the Vāk Sūkta’s suggestion that speech is not just sound but cosmic energy descending into expression.

In Tantra, this energy is Śakti, the dynamic force of Śiva.

Mantras are considered manifestations of this divine Vāk. Chanting them re-aligns the human voice with cosmic vibration.

Vāk Sūkta → Goddess as cosmic speech and creative power.

Devī Māhātmya → Goddess as Mahāśakti, supreme mother, immanent and transcendent.

Tantra → Goddess as Śabda-Brahman, sound as ultimate reality, with levels of Vāk unfolding creation.

The Vāk Sūkta planted the seed of seeing the Goddess as cosmic power manifest through sound. Later, this blossomed into Mahādevī of the Purāṇas and the Śakti of Tantras, who is not only speech but the total force of creation.