Learn Sanskrit In Selangor Malaysia.

When One is not a number and the Second isn't the runner -up

Today we would learn Cardinal numbers, Ordinal numbers and some philosophy.

In Sanskrit numbers both Cardinal and Ordinal have gender.

I would be using Neuter gender here(Sanskrit has 3 genders..Masculine, Feminine and Neuter)

Let's begin.

Cardinal Numbers:

One is एकम्(ekam)

Two is द्वे(dve)

Three is त्रीणि(trINi)

Ordinal Numbers:

First is प्रथमम् (prathamam)

Second is द्वितीयम् (dvitIyaM)

Third is    तृतीयम्(tRtiyam) 

Now let's take a look at the famous line from Chandogya Upanishad :

एकम् एव अद्वितीयम् ब्रह्म (ekam eva advitIyam brahma) which means Brahman is verily One without a second.

This is where the word एकम् (ekam) is actually slightly lost in translation.

When translated into English the word एकम् (ekam) is always translated as One.

But the usage of एकम् (ekam) here to describe Brahman isn't a number.

Brahman is the absolute unmanifested state where verily only Brahman exists and nothing else.

It a state even beyond comprehension and perception.

A state that is even beyond time hence no locus exists to even start counting 1 2 3.

एकम् (ekam) here means Oneness Absolute and not the number 1.

What about the usage of अद्वितीयम्?(advitIyaM)

What does it mean?

अद्वितीयम् (advitIyaM) ) = अ(a) + द्वितीयम्(dvitIyaM) = Non Dual

The word द्वितीयम्(dvitIyam) here means dual and does not mean second.

So its not about counting 1st, 2nd and 3rd either.

The phrase एकम् एव अद्वितीयम् ब्रह्म (ekam eva advitIyam brahma) does not involve counting as Brahman is beyond any form of calculation

एकम् एव अद्वितीयम् ब्रह्म (ekam eva advitIyam brahma) denotes "Brahman is Non Dual Oneness"