The Nasadiya Sukta, or Hymn of Creation, is one of the most enigmatic and philosophically
profound passages in the ancient Rigveda. Found as the 129th hymn in the 10th mandala, it stands out for its
poetic exploration of the origins of the universe and the mystery surrounding creation. Here are some key
aspects:
Historical and Literary Context
Ancient Origins: Composed in an era when ritual and myth intermingled with early philosophical
inquiry, the hymn reflects the rich spiritual tradition of Vedic India.
Textual Placement: As part of the Rigveda—the oldest of the Vedic texts—the hymn is written in a
highly symbolic and evocative Sanskrit that invites multiple layers of interpretation.
Themes and Content
Primordial Mystery: The hymn begins by evoking a state of non-being or void, questioning what
existed before the creation of the cosmos. It paints a picture of a time when neither existence nor
non-existence had yet emerged.
Speculative Inquiry: Unlike many creation myths that offer definitive answers, the Nasadiya Sukta
is marked by its open-ended inquiry. It ponders whether creation was a deliberate act or the result of
spontaneous emergence and even suggests that perhaps not even the gods know the truth about the universe’s
origins.
Agnostic Tone: The text’s reflective uncertainty and its reluctance to claim absolute knowledge
have led many scholars to view it as one of the earliest expressions of agnosticism in world literature.
Significance
Philosophical Depth: Its nuanced approach to the questions of existence and creation has
inspired countless interpretations in both religious and philosophical traditions.
Literary Influence: The hymn’s ambiguous language and its blend of myth, mystery, and
philosophical inquiry continue to influence modern thought and literature, making it a timeless piece that
resonates with seekers of truth.
In essence, the Nasadiya Sukta invites readers to reflect on the profound mystery of
existence, leaving us with more questions than answers—a testament to its enduring power and enigmatic
beauty.
सृष्टि से पहले सत् नहीं था, असत् भी नहीं
अंतरिक्ष भी नहीं, आकाश भी नहीं था।
छिपा था क्या, कहां, किसने ढका था।
उस पल तो अगम, अतल जल भी कहां था।
Then was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it.
What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?
न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः।
आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किञ्चनास ॥२॥
नहीं थी मृत्यु, थी अमरता भी नहीं।
नहीं था दिन, रात भी नहीं। हवा भी नहीं।
सांस थी स्वयमेव फिर भी, नहीं था कोई, कुछ भी।
परमतत्व से अलग, या परे भी।
Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no sign was there, the day's and night's divider.
That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothing whatsoever.
उस समय अंधकार था, अंधेरा था वहां।
उस अंधकार के ऊपर जल था, जलमय था सब कुछ।
उस अंधकार को छिपा रखा था, उसके ऊपर जल था।
उस जल से उत्पन्न हुआ तपस्, उस तपस् से उत्पन्न हुआ एकम्।
Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this All was indiscriminated chaos.
All that existed then was void and formless: by the great power of warmth was born that Unit.
परम मन में बीज पहला जो उगा,
काम बनकर वह जगा।
कवियों, ज्ञानियों ने जाना
असत् और सत् का, निकट सम्बन्ध पहचाना।
Thereafter rose desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of spirit.
Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent.
पहले सम्बन्ध के किरण धागे तिरछे।
परमतत्व उस पल ऊपर या नीचे।
वह था बटा हुआ, पुरुष और स्त्री बना हुआ।
ऊपर दाता वही भोक्ता नीचे वसुधा स्वधा हो गया॥
Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it?
There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder.
को अद्धा वेद क इह प्र वोचत्कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः।
अर्वाग्देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यत आबभूव ॥६॥
सृष्टि ये बनी कैसे, किससे आई है कहां से।
कोई क्या जानता है, बता सकता है?
देवताओं को नहीं ज्ञात वे आए सृजन के बाद।
सृष्टि को रचा है जिसने, उसको, जाना किसने।
Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation?
The gods are later than this world's production. Who knows, then, whence it first came into being?
इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न।
यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन्त्सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद ॥७॥
सृष्टि का कौन है कर्ता, कर्ता है व अकर्ता?
ऊँचे आकाश में रहता, सदा अध्यक्ष बना रहता।
वही सचमुच में जानता या नहीं भी जानता।
है किसी को नहीं पता, नहीं पता, नहीं है पता।
He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it,
Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not.