Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c9.24

c9.24

resulting from the *Tapas* of Brahma. Besides *Ṛishi* and *Muni*, other terms indicative of highest spiritual advancement are *Vipra*, *Vedhas*, and *Kavi* [i, 127, 1; 129, 1, 11; 162, 7; iv, 26, 1]. In i, 164, 45, there is a reference to seers called *Manīshīs* who comprehend *Vāk* or speech in all its' four forms, Brahma as *Śabda*, as *Yogīs*. Of these four forms of *Vāk*, three are stated to be hidden in *guhā*, i.e. in the depths of the soul, while the fourth is manifest as the speech of man, *laukikī bhāshā*. This states the philosophical position that what is rendered explicit in the creation is only a fragment of the Implicit or the Absolute. A similar idea is contained in the 41st verse describing *Śabda* as Brahma unfolding itself in gradual stages as *Ekapadī*, *Dvipadī*, *Chatushpadī*, *Ashṭapadī*, and *Navapadī* and ultimately pervading the Universe as *Sahasrākshara*. Only a part of this *Śabda* or *Vāk* is captured by man for his use as *laukikī* or *vyavahārikī bhāshā*. This verse also indicates that Vedic Sanskrit grew out of spoken language or popular vernacular Sanskrit.