Vāc Explained

Vac (Sanskrit: वाच्, ) is a Vedic goddess who is a personified form of divine speech. She enters into the inspired poets and visionaries, gives expression and energy to those she loves; she is called the "mother of the Vedas" and consort of Prajapati, the Vedic embodiment of mind.^[1] She is also associated with Indra in Aitareya Aranyaka.^[2] Elsewhere, such as in the Padma Purana, she is stated to be the wife of Vision (Kashyapa), the mother of Emotions, and the friend of Musicians (Gandharva).^[2]

She is identified with goddess Saraswati in later Vedic literature and post-Vedic texts of Hindu traditions. Saraswati has remained a significant and revered deity in Hinduism.^[3]

Thomas McEvilley gives goddess Vac and the area of her divine purview treatment in 'Appendix E: Philosophy and Grammar' to his magnum opus The Shape of Ancient Thought.^[4]

See also

• Hindu deities
• Rigvedic deities
• Śabda

Further reading

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend by Anna Dhallapiccola
• Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions by David Kinsley
• Nicholas Kazanas, Vedic Vāc and Greek logos as creative power: a critical study (2009)

Notes and References

1. Book: Holdrege, Barbara A.. Veda and Torah: Transcending the Textuality of Scripture. 2012-02-01. SUNY Press. 978-1-4384-0695-4. en.
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=1HMXN9h6WX0C&pg=RA1-PA260 The Myths and Gods of India
3. Book: David Kinsley. Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. 1987. Motilal Banarsidass . 978-81-208-0394-7. 55, 222.
4. Book: Thomas C. McEvilley . Thomas C. Mcevilley The Shape Of Ancient Thought Comparative Studies In Greek And Indian Philosophies (2001, Allworth Press) Libgen.lc . 2001.