Creation of the Universe (सृष्ट्युत्पत्तिः)

Creation of the Universe (Samskrit: सृष्ट्युत्पत्तिः) has been discussed in the bharatiya knowledge tradition. Vedic literature provides information on many things related to the origin of creation. This article explores the vedic explanations on the creation of the universe, hymns related to the same as well as the features of the ultimate reality resposible for the creation of the universe as discussed in the Vedas.

विराट्पुरुषः ॥ Primordial Being

In the Rigveda, many rishis like Prajapati, Parmeshthi Narayana and Dirghatamas have described the initial stage of creation.

Rigveda mentions creation of the universe in Nasadiya Sukta and Purusha Sukta. According to the Purusha Sukta, creation of the universe originated from Virat Purusha. Rishi Narayana, describing the creative power and omnipresence of the supreme being, in the Purusha Sukta says,

सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वात्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम् ॥१॥ sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt । sa bhūmiṁ viśvato vr̥tvātyatiṣṭhaddaśāṅgulam ॥1॥

Here, the Supreme Being is described as one with thousands of heads, thousands of eyes and with thousands of feet, who is present in the whole universe. It states that the Supreme Being, who is the creator of the world, has surrounded the entire nature in all its forms. And even after encompassing the entire universe from all sides, transcends it by ten angulas.

The Purusha Sukta, therefore, explains creation of the universe through working powers of the Supreme Being.

द्वैतम् ॥ Duality

Rishi Dirghatamas in the Rigveda, revealing the mystery of the origin of creation says,

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परि षस्वजाते । तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभि चाकशीति ॥२०॥ dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṁ vr̥kṣaṁ pari ṣasvajāte । tayoranyaḥ pippalaṁ svādvattyanaśnannanyo abhi cākaśīti ॥20॥

Meaning: Two birds are sitting side by side on the same tree. One of these two birds tastes the fruits of that tree while the other bird is not eating the fruits and doing a subtle inspection of the movements of the first bird eating those fruits.

Here, the first bird is a metaphor of the person who is doing the deeds while the second one observing the bird is the metaphor of the divine, who is closely observing the movements of that first bird in order to give fruit according to its deeds. It is thus, expressed through this verse that there are two major elements in the creation of the universe.

त्रैतम् ॥ Triad

According to the Atharvaveda, three major elements are mentioned in the creation process as follows:

बालादेकमणीयस्कमुतैकं नेव दृश्यते । ततः परिष्वजीयसी देवता सा मम प्रिया ॥२५॥ bālādekamaṇīyaskamutaikaṁ neva dr̥śyate । tataḥ pariṣvajīyasī devatā sā mama priyā ॥25॥

It means that there is an element which is more subtle than the subtle hair and is unique. This a metaphor for an organism. The second element is so subtle that it is irresistible. This is the metaphor for subtle invisible nature. While the third element is the one in which nature is embraced. And that is the omnipotent Supreme Power, the beloved deity.

सृष्टिसिद्धान्तः ॥ Theory of Creation

मूलतत्त्वम् ॥ Primordial Substance

According to Prajapati Parmeshthi in the Nasadiya Sukta of the Rigveda, in the early period of creation, there was a substance in liquid state from which the creation has taken place. It is said that the primordial being breathed due to its own inherent powers. That is, no one had power other than that one.

आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किं चनास॥२॥ ānīdavātaṁ svadhayā tadekaṁ tasmāddhānyanna paraḥ kiṁ canāsa॥2॥

It further states that before the creation of the universe, there was initially just darkness covered with darkness. And there was only that liquid.

तम आसीत्तमसा गूळ्हमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम् । tama āsīttamasā gūlhamagre'praketaṁ salilaṁ sarvamā idam।

In conclusion, there is a moving fluid which made creation possible. That primordial substance is akin to an atom. For, atoms behave like a liquid due to being too subtle. And then it transforms in the form of water - salilaṁ sarvamedam.

सृष्टिप्रक्रिया ॥ Process of Creation

This ultimate power of the universe is considered Hiranyamaya in the Rigveda, which led to the emergence of the five great elements -

रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात्॥५॥ retodhā āsanmahimāna āsantsvadhā avastātprayatiḥ parastāt॥5॥

(Rigveda 10.129.5) According to Rigveda, Rishi Madhuchanda, the Almighty created the complete space from water which was filled with atoms -

ततो रात्र्यजायत ततः समुद्रो अर्णवः ॥१॥ tato rātryajāyata tataḥ samudro arṇavaḥ ॥1॥

(Rigveda 10.190.1) Time, era and calculation appeared from the space containing atoms. The Sun, day, night and vital world held on to the Supreme Power

समुद्रादर्णवादधि संवत्सरो अजायत । अहोरात्राणि विदधद्विश्वस्य मिषतो वशी ॥२॥ samudrādarṇavādadhi saṁvatsaro ajāyata । ahorātrāṇi vidadhadviśvasya miṣato vaśī ॥2॥

(Rigveda 10.190.2) After this, the mighty Supreme God created the sun, the moon, the dhuloka, the earth, the space and the heaven respectively.

सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ धाता यथापूर्वमकल्पयत् । दिवं च पृथिवीं चान्तरिक्षमथो स्वः ॥३॥ sūryācandramasau dhātā yathāpūrvamakalpayat । divaṁ ca pr̥thivīṁ cāntarikṣamatho svaḥ ॥3॥

(Rigveda 10.190.3) The sage Kutsa of the Atharvaveda believes that this process of creation of the world keeps on being new and transforming. It keeps going on continuously. The power that it produces is permanent and eternal.

सनातनमेनमाहुरुताद्य स्यात्पुनर्णवः । अहोरात्रे प्र जायेते अन्यो अन्यस्य रूपयोः ॥२३॥ sanātanamenamāhurutādya syātpunarṇavaḥ । ahorātre pra jāyete anyo anyasya rūpayoḥ ॥23॥

(Atharvaveda 10.8.23)

ORIGIN OF CREATION

the origin of creation in the light of our ancient knowledge tradition.

In our ancient Vedic literature many informative things have been said about the origin of creation.

• the origin of the creation of the Vedas;

• Vedic hymns related to the origin of creation.

• Vedic explanation of creation of the universe.

• Features of the ultimate power