Ekam Sat: One Truth, Many Ways

myNachiketa
3 days ago
3 min read

Ekam Sat, means ‘One Truth’ in Sanskrit. It comes from the ancient Veda - the Rigveda. The complete shloka is "एकं सत् विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति" ("Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti"), which means: There is one truth, but wise people describe it in many ways.

Dear children, say your music teacher teaches you a new song. Some of you play it on piano, some on guitar, some on flute, and some on violin. Your song remains the same; however, your instruments are different. Just like that, Ekam Sat tells us that while everyone might see things a little differently, we’re all connected by the same big truth!

myNachiketa presents Ekam Sat: One Truth, Many Ways

What is Ekam Sat?

Even though people around the world may believe in different gods, follow various traditions, or speak other languages, they are searching for the same Truth, the same Light, the same love.

It’s like this: In a rainbow, each colour is different—red, blue, yellow, green—but they all come from the same light.

Learning Ekam Sat from Different Cultures

Different religions and traditions speak about truth, love, and peace in different languages and stories, but they all teach us to be good human beings.

In Hinduism, there are many names and forms of God—Krishna, Shiva, Durga, Ganesha, Lakshmi—but they are all part of one big reality called Brahman. Hindus believe that all these different forms help people understand the same Truth about devotion, surrender, love, and happiness in their special way. Hinduism teaches that everything in life is connected.
Buddhism speaks about the truth of life — that kindness, love, and wisdom are the way to live a happy life. Buddhist teachings help us live in happiness with ourselves and with others, just like the truth behind Ekam Sat.

Ekam Sat in Our Daily Lives

Dear Children, we have learned that there is one truth, but people may speak of it in different ways. Now, let us learn how we can apply this in our daily lives.

Dear Children, your friends at school may celebrate different festivals, eat different foods, or speak different languages. Ekam Sat reminds us that even if we look or live differently, we all belong to the same human family, and we should be respectful, kind, and caring to everyone.

God can have many names and forms—like Krishna, Shiva, Saraswati, Allah, Jesus, or Buddha—but the love behind them is the same. We should not fight over whose way is right.

Ekam Sat reminds us of the importance of listening and understanding each other.

Let us learn Ekam Sat through a wonderful story

One evening, Payal saw many people lighting lamps at a festival.

Some said, “This is for Krishna!” for "Maa Durga" or for "Ganesh Ji".

Others said, “I light mine for Allah,” or “for Jesus,” or “for Buddha.”

Payal asked her grandmother, “Are they all lighting for different gods?”

Grandma smiled and said, “The names are different, dear, but the light is the same. Ekam Sat...One Truth, many names.” Do you know Payal, there is a shloka in the Bhagwavd Gita also that tells us about Ekam Sat, but people see it differently?"

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।

मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥

ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham

mama vartmanuvartante manushyah partha sarvashah

"What does it mean?" asked Payal.

Grandmaa replied, "Partha (Arjuna), in whatever way people surrender to Me, I accept them in the same way. Everyone follows my path, in all ways."

Payal looked at the glowing lamps and smiled gently.

"No matter where we come from, we all want to live in peace and happiness. Just like Ekam Sat says, there are many ways to reach one truth!"

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Conclusion

Ekam Sat means that even though people believe in different things and call God by different names, they are all trying to understand the same truth.

It teaches us to be kind, respectful, and loving to all. Children, we don’t need to fight about who is right — instead, we can learn from one another and live together in peace.