BY AGA SYED IBRAHIM DARA

[Aga Syed Ibrahim Dara is a scholar of Islamic Mysticism and of Sufism and has also profound and deep knowledge of Indian philosophies, religions and Yoga. He has devoted his life to spiritual realization and attainment and for the last seven years is doing Yoga at the feet of Sri Aurobindo in his Ashram at Pondicherry. We invite the special attention of our readers to his contribution. Editor, Triveni.]

These words were spoken in Islam at the beginning of the third century A. H. by the Sufi sage, Hosain Mansoor al Halaj, whose life is of great interest and worth studying. He was a heroic soul that fought alone and single handed against the entire orthodox and fixed religious beliefs of his time, when religion was at its zenith and had a very strong hold on the mind of the people. Sufism too was yet in the grip of dogmatic theology. Though many Sufis had devoted their lives for spiritual realization they had hardly gone beyond the boundary of religious philosophy. Hosain Mansoor brought into it a flood of new ideas and higher perceptions of spiritual truths, and by his heroic and untiring fight in which he had to undergo untold suffering and bear great pain, he at last succeeded in his mission of establishing his doctrine on a firm basis. His life work had a great effect on Sufism; it not only left much that is permanent in it but also opened it to much greater possibility of vaster and loftier spiritual realizations.

Incidents of his early life are not many. That he was an inspired child born to be a great sage could be seen from his early childhood. At the age of fourteen years he renounced all luxury and comfort of homely life and becoming a fakir wandered in quest of God. He had an ardent aspiration which made him undergo very severe and rigorous discipline and perform hard penance. He prayed all day and night and observed long fasts. He visited all the sages of his time but none could satisfy him fully. He then went to Mecca and stayed with the son of Hazarat Usman named Oomar who became his great friend, but after one year Mansoor left Mecca and came to Bagdad.

In the town of Bagdad he met the greatest Sufi sage of his time, Junned Bagdadi, whose fame had spread to distant countries and whom the Khalif greatly revered. Junned took great interest in Mansoor, kept him with himself in solitude and imparted to him his spiritual knowledge. Mansoor very soon passed over all the stages, and being yet unsatisfied with his attainments he left the sage and went back to Mecca, and this time he lived with the Sufi fakirs of the place. Soon he began to get new inspiration and rare experiences from which he formed his own new doctrine and explained everything in his own terms. His first realization was that there is no difference between the individual soul of the devotee and the God whom he worshipped. This idea was yet quite new even in Sufism, not to say of the orthodox believers. Though the Sufis had by now perceived and experienced that an individual could get out of his body and the limits of his mind, and get contact with the Transcendent Divine above and get Union with God through the heart and inner consciousness, none of them had experienced the descent of the Divine into the human consciousness and of man becoming God. It was this that Mansoor began to experience and realise in himself. His greatest words were "Anal Haq" "I am God." Although they expounded only the doctrine of the oneness of God and the Unity of the soul of man with the One, they became the cause of his sufferings, persecution and death. ^l

The entire Muslim belief opposed Mansoor. None could understand the meaning of his words. He was called a Kafir by all who heard him. His friends sincerely implored him not to speak blasphemy and to fear God. Mansoor was driven to despair. He cut himself off from everybody in Mecca and returned to Bagdad, to Junned, his spiritual master in the hope of being understood by him. He told Junned all his experiences and explained to him his doctrine of "Anal Haq." Junned heard him patiently but did not give any reply. Mansoor then put to him some questions and asked for an answer. Junned pondered over them and at last spoke "Mansoor, I fear in a short time your body will be hanged." Mansoor got disappointed and he too said, "The day I am hanged you will have to change your Sufi dress of a fakir and put on the garments of a worldly man." With these words Mansoor left his master and after some time he himself began delivering discourses and explaining and publicly preaching his message of "Anal Haq" to the people. Though crowds came to listen to him, none could understand his meaning. The orthodox section, whom he most mercilessly attacked, became his greatest enemy. The learned scholars too opposed Mansoor and scorned his ideas. They all gathered and sent an appeal to the Khalif urging strongly that Mansoor should be hanged. Individually too people wrote about him to the Khalif and there was no end of opposition from the ignorant masses. The Khalif went through the entire heap of the complaints and the letters and remarked, "I do not find here any remark of the sage Junned. His opinion too is necessary in such a serious matter and should be obtained." Junned was now pressed to give his opinion. The sage hesitated for some time. Then he left his hermitage and went to a religious college. Here he took off his Sufi dress and put on the robes of a religious theologian, and with their pen wrote to the Khalif, "From the worldly point of view Mansoor should he hanged. Of internal matters God alone is the best judge." The Khalif did not pronounce any judgment and Mansoor was set free.

Mansoor left the place and went to Tastar and stayed there for one year. In this short period he created a miraculous impression on the people. He gave inspired discourses and eloquent speeches of rare wisdom and beauty, His language too was sweet, convincing and forceful. Large crowds came to hear him from distant places and all kinds of rumours, such as that Mansoor called himself God, spoke to the gods and the beasts, and performed miracles and wonders, began to get afloat everywhere. His ideas were spreading fast and firing the imagination of the people. The religious and the educated class became alarmed at it and opposed him strenuously. They sent long complaints to the Khalif asking him to put an end to Mansoor's life. Even Oomar, the son of Hazarat Usman, who was Mansoor's friend now pressed for his execution. Mansoor left the place but wherever he went there arose a storm of endless opposition and he met with great and serious difficulties. Personally too, he had to undergo great physical suffering. The infuriated mob wanted to kill him. The orthodox were pressing for his trial and death. Regardless of all the difficulties, enmity, opposition and personal sufferings, bold and fearless like a lion as he was called, Mansoor went on fighting for the Truth that had descended upon him and for the spiritual experience he had realised. There was the Divine light and the Divine power working through Mansoor and he acted at its bidding. All his enemies and the infuriated people dashed themselves against him in vain, as the stormy waves against the hard rocks, to be shattered, broken and thrown back; for who can touch the Divine or contradict the Will of God or come near the light of His Presence? Mansoor went on fighting and attacked everything that came in his way or opposed him. In a short period of this miraculous superhuman activity Mansoor had delivered his message to the people. Now came the period of darkness and depression and of a great test for Mansoor. In all such cases of the descent of the Divine Power in the individual, there are always chances of the Power withdrawing itself, leaving him in utter helplessness at the mercy of the enemy. At times it is to make the instrument more perfect and to purify it for a greater descent, that all the weak points of the individual and the hidden impurities of the nature are exposed and brought to the forefront and their ugliness shown to the man. At such times all the hostile forces and dormant enemies rise in revolt to attack the person and overpower him. For, so long as the Presence of God was there, no power on earth could do any harm. It is only when the Power and Presence are withdrawn that the enemy gets a chance to attack and overpower the individual, who at such times has nothing at all with which to defend himself and has only to rely upon his faith. This reminds one of the saying of the Christ, "My father! Why hast Thou forsaken me?" and the anxious Waiting of Joan of Arc for the Voices to return till the last moment of her death. Similar too was the case with Mansoor. By his Superhuman and ceaseless activity he had spent up his forces and the Power had withdrawn, leaving him an ordinary, powerless human being fuIl of innumerable weaknesses in the midst of a storm of enmity. Mansoor did not know what to do. It seemed that there was no possibility at all of his message ever being understood by the people. Mansoor acted wisely and did not commit any blunders. He at once changed his entire mode of life. He threw off his fakir garments and lived like an ordinary man among rich people, acting like one of them. At times he traveled to different countries.

Thus for five years Mansoor led quite an aimless ordinary life bereft of his former Light and force. After this period he went to Persia and here it was that he once more got the Light. The atmosphere of Persia has always been most suitable for spiritual inspiration, for the heart of the race is open to the Divine and responds to the call of Love. It inspired Mansoor to such an extent that he began to remain all the time in a deep state of trance, and it is said that even a moment of separation caused in him intense pain which he could not bear, though there was no physical suffering or torture which he had not borne without the least difficulty. People for this reason called him "Mast"

He stayed in khorasan, Mudrambar and Nimroze and wrote most of his books in which he beautifully explained his doctrine. Then he once more put on his Sufi dress and started holding his discourses and preaching his doctrine again with his former vigour.

From Persia Mansoor went to Mecca followed by a large band of fakirs and preached to the people. A certain Yakub Nehar saw his miracles and raised a great agitation against Mansoor censuring him as a magician. Mansoor went to Basara and from there once more went to Persia; and from Persia came to India. The object of Mansoor’s visit to India is not known. His enemies say that he came to study magic.2 His period of stay in India was very short and it is interesting to note that the first thing he saw in India was the performance of some clever magic tricks and rope-dancing etc., on this occasion performed by a Woman.³ It is also true that after going from India Mansoor performed many tricks himself. Once when in the Course of a serious speech Someone told Mansoor, "You say you are God, then get some apples from the garden of Paradise," Mansoor stretched his empty hands and fine big apples began to drop from them. The audience examined the fruits, one of which had a mark as if it had been slightly gnawed by an insect and asked Mansoor how such an apple could be of Divine origin. In answer Mansoor instantaneously spoke out a beautiful couplet. Whatever be the truth and the value of the miracle itself, we should at least give Mansoor the credit, of the wit and the humour of the apt reply:

Mansoor became very famous in India and is referred to as the expounder of the philosophy of "Anal Haq" by the poets and also the Vedantists. From India he went to Khorasan travelling through Machin and Mudrambar and preaching everywhere to the people. "Thus," says his biographer, "Mansoor travelled over the most part of the known world and delivered his message to all."

Having finished this important part of his work Mansoor now returned to his native place. His people saw that he had become a changed man, "now there was no restraint in him." His manner had become more offensive and he challenged everybody and all authority. He gave discourses on all subjects and performed miracles. He began to get crowds of ignorant followers who at times were fascinated by him and at other times became his enemies. The people could not follow his subtle ideas or understand his message. From his words they took him to be an enemy of religion and it roused their anger and worst fanaticism. The same trouble arose again. There was endless opposition, bitter hatred, ignorance and enmity. People got so enraged that they attacked him personally when he said "Anal Haq" or explained his doctrine. In fifty different places he was beaten by the audience. The government authorities sent complaints to the Khalif and spared no pains to torment and torture Mansoor in all possible ways. In spite of this great opposition Mansoor carried on his work with a fair amount of success. He influenced the masses a great deal. His inspiring and drawing so many people to himself under the circumstances is in itself a great miracle. For we find he was always surrounded by thousands of men. Mansoor loved the people and they unconsciously felt attracted to him, and for the same reason they lived near him even though they did not believe his words and even hated him for it. Mansoor inspired them with his presence and made them his enemies by his talk.

Mansoor wished to start a "great work" but before that he wished to spend some time in concentration, with which idea he started for Mecca. A crowd of four thousand people followed him to the place. Mansoor went straight to the temple Kaba and on reaching the door stood in front of it and began to perform penance. All day and night he stood like an "inanimate idol" without the slightest movement, absorbed in a trance. The unbearable sun and the heat of the desert had no effect upon him. People put food near him out of which he took only one morsel at night time and fasted all the day. "Though his body was scorched in the sun it had no effect upon his meditation." This continued for many days. Once when Mansoor opened his eyes he saw a great crowd around him, all engaged in prayer. "Mansoor felt ashamed and hid his face behind a sand dune." When the prayer was over and the people dispersed, he lifted up his hands and prayed "O Lord I know Thee a thousand times more pure than the people that are full of emotions towards Thee and call for Thee and pray to Thee; and also more than those who know Thee in their wisdom. Thou alone knowest what is there in my heart. I cannot utter a word or describe Thee. Thou art pervading the whole of my body. Thou only can describe Thyself best."

During these days a man came to Mansoor and said, "Tell me what is patience and endurance." Mansoor replied, "If your hand and feet are severed from the body and you are put to torture and hanged, yet neither any complaint nor murmur comes to your lips, then alone you have true endurance and patience." Mansoor must have seen his future during this period of penance. For after some years these very things happened to him and Mansoor died without a single murmur or complaint coming from his lips.

Another man asked Mansoor, "Why do you perform penance and undergo so much suffering and pain?" He replied, "Just as the dead body feels neither pleasure nor pain, I too am indifferent to either of these and am unaffected by all the outward reactions of Nature." This shows that Mansoor had reached the high stage of "Equality"–Samata, after which a man rises above all duality and the "pairs of opposites" such as pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow, etc. This is also evident from one of his famous and characteristic sayings on the subject, "That which is mine, for by God I never distinguish between pleasure and pain."

After this period Mansoor again took to his work with redoubled vigour. Again he was opposed and tormented as before. This time he was subjected to untold personal sufferings and put to all kinds of bodily tortures and other cruelties which his enemies could think of. He was taken prisoner by the government and for four days was nailed to the cross and left in the sun without food or water on both sides of the river Tigris. Bravely he went through all these ordeals without once yielding to the enemy. Mansoor’s spirit and enthusiasm remained unabated. He answered this oppression by performing greater miracles such as raising the dead to life and "drawing gold flowers from the air." He explained to the people that God was manifesting in him, and prophets of the former ages wished to incarnate themselves in the world, and named his disciples after them. This proves the rare vision of Mansoor and is of immense importance and of much interest to an Indian, for we find that in this Mansoor had the glimpses and perceived the truths regarding the manifestation of the Avatar, the highest Incarnation of God. It is believed by the Indian sages that at the time of the descent of the Avatar on earth, other gods and Beings of the higher spiritual worlds also come down to take part in the Manifestation and incarnate themselves in different individuals around Him. It is necessary for the perfection and completeness of the Manifestation and also for the bringing down of the "play" of forces and its delight, rapture and Ananda into this world. Mansoor must have perceived this idea and tried to expound the same to his disciples and others.⁴ This is a proof of the genuineness of his experience and it also shows that Mansoor not only preached the doctrine of "Anal Haq" but expounded some truths and ideas of the doctrine of Avatarhood also.

The "Anal Haq" doctrine is not the same as the Avatar doctrine. Anyone who reaches the One in this experience can say "Anal Haq" or "So Ham,"–"I am He," but it does not mean that he is the Incarnation of the Divine in the Sense of Avatarhood. In the Avatar the Presence of God is not difficult to perceive as it is most fully and clearly manifested. Nor is there any need for such discussions and fights for convincing others of the same. It is something very great and of enormous importance. For an Avatar, it is believed, Comes once in thousands of years, at which time the entire world undergoes a spiritual revolution. Very great wonders and miracles happen in the world at such a time. Great changes and upheavals take place in society and Nature all around such as wars, earthquakes, revolutions, changing of the old order and the struggle and conflict and clash of the new forces. At this time the vital powers and the asuras also descend on earth and try to take hold of its nature and use it for their own enjoyment. Thus all the ignorance, darkness, falsehood, sin and evil is brought to the surface and has its free expression and full play in the existing confusion of the world. At such a time the Avatar comes to save the world and to reveal the Divine Nature in man above this lower nature and to manifest and reveal God in Himself and to lead the world "from darkness into light, from death to immortality." At the same time the highest spiritual Truth, Light, Knowledge and Ananda descend into the world consciousness and also all the Divine Powers, Beings and Forces Come down to take part in the great Manifestation for which it is believed the world was being secretly prepared through all these ages. It is regarded a great blessing for any individual to be born at such a period in this world, for it is a period of Grace for the entire world and of the descent of the greatest Truth and Divine Consciousness and not a matter of only an individual realization or personal experience.

Coming back to Mansoor, we find from the above mentioned teachings of Mansoor that he not only preached the doctrine of "Anal Haq" and some ideas of the Avatar doctrine but also claimed to be an Incarnation. Thus, about the realization of Mansoor there can be no doubt from the magnitude of his action and the result (introduction of the experience of "Anal Haq " in Islam) that he can be regarded as a vibhuti–a special Force of the Divine descended into a human body and consciousness to do some great work in the world of men.

Mansoor expounded his theories and philosophical ideas in forty-seven books on the subject, some of which are of deep and profound philosophical interest containing brilliant ideas and rare visions. The publicity of these books the government tried their utmost to restrain. "But," says a critic, "the light that never for a moment was shut under a bushel, cannot be hid. The very attempt to obliterate it is in itself the cause of a keener and more persistent search." Though outwardly opposed, the ideas of Mansoor began to spread everywhere and catch the Imagination of people. They not only considerably influenced the masses but also effected the thinkers, poets and sages. Even those that were opposed to Mansoor helped the propagation and circulation of his ideas by their shouts and clamour and their ignorant and adverse criticism of the same.

Though Mansoor’s work of the future was gaining ground, its immediate effect was only an endless hostility and a storm of opposition and enmity from all quarters. At times even the closest disciples of Mansoor lost faith in him and went away. It is said that none fully knew Mansoor except his two disciples who alone knew his real worth. One of them was Shibli. But now he too lost faith and left Mansoor and thought it was his duty to kill his master. With this intention he went to his place. Mansoor who was in a trance Opened his eyes and quietly told him, "Shibli, calm yourself now. At present I am engrossed in a very great and important work and it is not proper to strike me now." The disciple was wonderstruck and went back.

The rest of the story is short. Day by day the opposition increased. The government, the religious classes, and the fanatical mob who had become his greatest enemies began to take serious steps against him. Mansoor preached to the masses, performed miracles and challenged them. "His tongue had become doubly sharp and now he began to wield a considerable influence and get followers. The Khalif was once more approached very seriously and asked to try and hang Mansoor, who was accused on innumerable charges: he said "Anal Haq", preached irreligious doctrines, performed miracles, and believed that he could himself write better verses than the Quoran. This time the Khalif took action. Yet a last chance was given to Mansoor of escaping a cruel death. He was ordered to mount upon a platform and in the place of the words "Anal Haq"–"I am God", to say "Hooal Haq "- " He is God". Mansoor bravely mounted the platform and said, "The ocean of oneness is rolling on all sides, and in that my individuality has totally merged. I cannot separate myself from it. Mansoor has forgotten that he is Mansoor and has attained Divine Nature. Why should he leave this exalted position and again become a low earthly creature?" This was his reply to the prosecution. His judges went to Junned and asked him to explain to them the meaning of these words. Junned too was anxiously waiting to hear the reply. When he heard that Mansoor did not say "Hooal Haq" and gave this answer he said, "Alas! Alas! The meaning of these words is, ‘strike on his body and cut him to pieces.’ This is not the time to explain the meaning of his words." Mahomed Dawood, a religious head, attacked Mansoor himself. Mansoor was over powered and sent to prison by the Khalif’s ministers.

Mansoor remained for one year in prison. People began to visit him in large numbers and Mansoor gave discourses and lectures to them. At last, this too was prohibited and nobody could see him for six months. At this time another great sage Abdulla Khafif who had much influence over the Khalif and on the ruling class and was revered by all, thinking that be might use his influence to save Mansoor, went to see him with his friend and said to him, "Mansoor, you should ask pardon and forgiveness for the words you speak, i. e., ‘Anal Haq’ and unless you do that you would not be free from this Captivity." Hearing this Mansoor answered, "Those who tell me to ask for forgiveness, they themselves will beg me to forgive them." At this reply Khafif attacked him.

In the prison too, Mansoor began to perform miracles. For three days he disappeared altogether and could not be seen anywhere, a fact which baffled the authorities. Then he as miraculously appeared also in his place one day. After it he freed many fellow-prisoners that requested him to do so. The authorities were utterly at a loss what to do. They came to Mansoor and asked, "Where are the prisoners" He answered, "They are free from captivity". The authorities asked, "Why are you not free yourself?" Mansoor said, "For me it is the wish of God and I remain here to abide by His will." His miracles continued and matters came to such a pass that the prison authorities had to send to the Khalif an alarming report of the same and press for his immediate execution. The Khalif replied, "If Mansoor is kept any longer in prison there will be a great chaos in the country. Therefore, the sooner he is hanged the better. Beat him with sticks whenever he speaks ‘Anal Haq’, and put him to the gallows.

Mansoor was brought out of the prison and the order read out to him. He felt happy and exultant and continued saying "Anal Haq." Each time he said it he was given a stroke. But he did not seem to feel it at all. The number reached over three hundred! The man who was beating him heard a voice speaking to Mansoor, "Mansoor, do not fear," and he himself felt a great awe and fear.

Mansoor was then led to the gallows, where thousands of people had gathered to see him. On seeing the crowd, Mansoor greeted them with shouts of "Anal Haq." He spoke now with greater enthusiasm and in a still higher pitch.

A fakir came to him making his way through the crowd and asked, "Mansoor, tell me what is Love." Mansoor replied, "You will see its most concrete manifestation today" tomorrow, and the day-after."⁵ Mansoor answered all the questions put to him by people quietly and calmly. When he reached the gallows he kissed the gallows with love, and joyfully stepping on the platform, said, "For the brave, to go to the gallows is just the same as rising to heaven." He turned towards the west, raised his arms and prayed. Some cruel people at this time threw a shower of stones. He did not utter a single word nor felt in the least disturbed. Then his hands were cut off. He said, "It is easy to cut off my bodily hands but none can cut off my spirit hands, which at this time are holding the crown of greatness and glory and are about to put it on my head." Then his legs were cut off. He again spoke, "You may gladly cut my legs which walk on this earth. But my legs by which I walk in the higher worlds, touch them if you have power to do it." Then he smeared his face with the blood which was flowing from his severed hands. Someone asked, "Why do you do this?" He replied, "Due to the loss of, blood my face may become pale. You will then think, I have become pale due to fear. I want to keep my face red because the brave must have a face beaming with blood." He then performed ablution ‘vuzu’ with his own blood and said, "There is no more pure and holier ‘vuzu’ than that done by one’s own blood." The executioners then took out his eyes. At this time there was a commotion in the crowd. People began to weep, others began to throw stones in protest. The executioners were about to pull out his tongue, when he said, "Wait a moment. I will speak something yet." Then turning his face upwards, he prayed, "O God, do not take away the happiness and joy of those that have given me this torture. They have shortened my way to Thee." After this, his ears and nose were cut off. At this moment a hard-hearted woman came forward and said, "Kill, kill this utterly mad sinner," and gave him a strong blow with a stone. The anger was due to the reason that Mansoor by his words contradicted the religious belief that God cannot be seen. In reply Mansoor quoted two words of the Quoran which were his last words, after which his tongue was pulled out. It was twilight and the Khalif now gave order to cut off his head. The order was executed and Mansoor left the body in Supreme peace and joy.⁶

It is said that when Mansoor died his words "Anal Haq" were heard as if coming from the sky, from the trees, and from the waves of the ocean. The biographer writes: "The

all-pervading soul of Mansoor, which was awake, alive and conscious in every thing, even in the trees of the forest and the waves of the ocean, made Itself seen and heard and felt even after the death of the body." The Sufi sages grasped the truth of his words soon after his death, and some of them got similar realizations. A sect or dervishes came into existence, who went about preaching the doctrine of "Anal Haq" from country to country. In the following century it had not only been accepted but had become an essential doctrine of Sufism, which by this time had become a "very much respected order" and had freed itself from the grip of dogma and its narrow limitations and "watertight compartments." It had become sufficiently wide, free and plastic to make possible the many-sided realizations of deeper spiritual Truths. Not only the idea of "Anal Haq" and of "becoming God" and also "Fana Filla"–"annihilation of the individual in the Will of God" were fully realized in all their different phases, but the idea of pantheism too got into Sufism and found a permanent place in it. There is no space to deal with the subject, but as an illustration a pragmatic saying of Bayazid may be cited. He says,

Bayazid was a great sage who came a little after Mansoor in the same century. He was greatly revered by all in his lifetime and is regarded as greater than Mansoor. He was neither prosecuted nor troubled in his life, though in his sayings he too claimed Godhood.

and also,

The conditions at the time of Mansoor were different, and it required a hard, brave and an untiring fight like his to first pierce the veil and break the hard crust of ignorant opposition and "to open the door" of higher knowledge and clear the way for the future, and very well did Mansoor perform his mission.

As to what was the actual stage and limit of Mansoor’s realization and attainment, we have already discussed in the course of this article. The ease with which he worked his difficult realization and promised it to others is evident from his characteristic saying, "The way to God is two steps, only: one out of this world, and one out of the next world, and lo! you are with the Lord."

Whatever be the controversy regarding Mansoor’s realization, a subject which still remains shrouded in its romantic mystery, all will realise the truth of his own words, which he expressed some time before dying:

1 "Anal Haq" means "I am God" or "I am the Truth." The Sanskrit equivalent of it would be "So Ham"–"I am He" or "Aham Brahmasmi"–"I am God." These are the principal sayings of the Upanishads Each Upanishad has a similar principle which forms the basis of its teachings. Similar sayings of the other Upanishads are "Tattvam Asi"–"Thou art That"; "Eko Ham Bahusyam"–"I am One and wish to become the Many," this applies to the Manifold manifestation; "Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma"–"Verily everything here is God." This corresponds to the Sufi doctrine of "Hama Oost"–"All is He." All these explain the Unity and Oneness of God and the many sided realizations of His Oneness.

In the Vedas too, "Though there is no clear reference to the spirit of man in its Unity with the One" there are Hymns in which the Rishi declares himself to be, pantheistically, all the gods and all that is in the Universe. The Gods are recognised as the names of the One "Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti," "There is one Existence and the sages call Him by different names."