SánscritoIASTSignificado
वाक्vākspeech; the word
वावvāvatruly; indeed
नाम्नःnāmnaḥof the name; appellations
भूयसीbhūyasīgreater (bhūyasī, feminine); surpasses; higher
वाक्vākspeech; the word
वैvaiverily; indeed
ऋग्वेदम्ṛgvedamthe Ṛg-veda; the knowledge of hymns
विज्ञापयतिvijñāpayatihe makes known (causative of vi + √jñā); proclaims; he makes it knowable
यजुर्वेदम्yajurvedamthe Yajur-veda; the knowledge of sacrificial formulas
सामवेदम्sāmavedamthe Sāma-veda; the knowledge of chants
आथर्वणम्ātharvaṇamthe Atharva-veda; the lore of the Atharvans
चतुर्थम्caturthamthe fourth; the fourth
इतिहासपुराणम्itihāsapurāṇamhistory and the purāṇas; the ancient legends
पञ्चमम्pañcamamthe fifth; the fifth
वेदानाम्vedānāmof the Vedas; of the sacred knowledges
वेदम्vedamthe Veda; knowledge
पित्र्यम्pitryamthe lore of the fathers; the rite of the fathers
राशिम्rāśimcomputation; mathematics
दैवम्daivamthe lore of portents; divine knowledge
निधिम्nidhimtreasures; the lore of hidden treasure
वाकोवाक्यम्vākovākyamlogic and disputation; the art of speech
एकायनम्ekāyanamthe one path; the science of the one path
देवविद्याम्devavidyāmthe lore of the gods; the science of the deities
ब्रह्मविद्याम्brahmavidyāmthe knowledge of Brahman; the sacred science
भूतविद्याम्bhūtavidyāmthe lore of beings; the science of spirits and elements
क्षत्रविद्याम्kṣatravidyāmthe lore of the kṣatriyas; the science of government
नक्षत्रविद्याम्nakṣatravidyāmthe lore of the stars; the science of the stars
सर्पदेवजनविद्याम्sarpadevajanavidyāmthe lore of serpents and celestial beings; the science of serpents and celestials
दिवम्divamthe sky; the heavenly world
चcaand; as well as
पृथिवीम्pṛthivīmthe earth; the earthly world
चcaand; as well as
वायुम्vāyumthe wind; Vāyu
चcaand; as well as
आकाशम्ākāśamspace; ether
चcaand; as well as
अपःapaḥthe waters; the watery element
चcaand; as well as
तेजःtejaḥthe blaze; the fiery power
चcaand; as well as
देवान्devānof the gods; of the deities
चcaand; as well as
मनुष्यान्manuṣyānof men; human beings
चcaand; as well as
पशून्paśūnanimals; cattle
चcaand; as well as
वयांसिvayāṃsibirds; the winged
चcaand; as well as
तृणवनस्पतीन्tṛṇavanaspatīnherbs and trees; plants and forest trees
श्वापदानिśvāpadāniwild beasts; beasts of prey
आकीटपतङ्गपिपीलकम्ākīṭapataṅgapipīlakamdown to worms, moths and ants; the small creatures
धर्मम्dharmamdharma (dharma — law, duty); the right and the law; dharma
चcaand; as well as
अधर्मम्adharmamadharma (a-dharma — lawlessness); unrighteousness; adharma
चcaand; as well as
सत्यम्satyamtruth; reality
चcaand; as well as
अनृतम्anṛtamfalsehood (an-ṛta); untruth; falsehood
चcaand; as well as
साधुsādhuthe good (sādhu); the wholesome; the good
चcaand; as well as
असाधुasādhuthe evil (a-sādhu); the not-good; the evil
चcaand; as well as
हृदयज्ञम्hṛdayajñamwhat the heart knows (hṛdaya-jña — 'known to the heart'); what the heart understands; dear to the heart
चcaand; as well as
अहृदयज्ञम्ahṛdayajñamwhat the heart does not understand; alien to the heart
चcaand; as well as
यत्yatwhich; that which
वैvaiverily; indeed
वाक्vākspeech; the word
नnanot; no
अभविष्यत्abhaviṣyatthere would be; it would exist
नnanot; no
धर्मःdharmaḥdharma; righteousness
नnanot; no
अधर्मःadharmaḥadharma; unrighteousness
व्यज्ञापयिष्यत्vyajñāpayiṣyatit would make known; it would inform us
नnanot; no
सत्यम्satyamtruth; reality
नnanot; no
अनृतम्anṛtamfalsehood (an-ṛta); untruth; falsehood
नnanot; no
साधुsādhuthe good (sādhu); the wholesome; the good
नnanot; no
असाधुasādhuthe evil (a-sādhu); the not-good; the evil
नnanot; no
हृदयज्ञःhṛdayajñaḥthe knower of the heart; intelligible to the heart
नnanot; no
अहृदयज्ञःahṛdayajñaḥunintelligible to the heart; alien to the heart
वाक्vākspeech; the word
एवevaindeed; surely
एतत्etatthis; all this
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
विज्ञापयतिvijñāpayatihe makes known (causative of vi + √jñā); proclaims; he makes it knowable
वाचम्vācamspeech (vāc, accusative); the word; speech
उपास्स्वupāssvaworship; contemplate
इतिitithus; how
The second rung: vāc, speech, is greater than name, for a name is only the fruit while speech is the tree: it "makes known" (vijñāpayati) the names themselves and everything nameable, from the Vedas to the ant. Especially weighty is the argument about values: without speech "neither dharma nor truth nor the good would be proclaimed". Morality, law, revelation all rest upon the capacity to announce: a mute universe would have nothing with which to tell the holy from the foul.
The hymn to speech is as old as the Ṛg-veda, where Vāc is a goddess who carries gods and men (RV 10.125). But Sanatkumāra has a limit ready for this queen too: speech makes everything known — and what moves speech itself? A ladder is a ladder precisely because every support stands upon the next; Nārada's road goes deeper and deeper, from the spoken to the speaker.