| '''ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE Translation by - Sri. Rayalu Vishwanadha''' <ref name=":02">[https://vedaravindamu.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/origin-of-the-universe-nasadiya-sukta-of-rig-veda/ Origin of the Universe] By Sri. Rayalu Vishwanadha | Oct 11, 2011 | Articles on Veda</ref> | | '''ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE Translation by - Sri. Rayalu Vishwanadha''' <ref name=":02">[https://vedaravindamu.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/origin-of-the-universe-nasadiya-sukta-of-rig-veda/ Origin of the Universe] By Sri. Rayalu Vishwanadha | Oct 11, 2011 | Articles on Veda</ref> |
− | In the tenth book (Mandalam) of Rig Veda, 129th Hymn (Suktam) deals with the origin of the universe and creation. Original text and translation are given below: | + | In the tenth book (मण्डलम् ॥ Mandalam) of [[Rigveda|Rig Veda]], 129th Hymn (सूक्तम् ॥ Suktam) deals with the origin of the universe and creation. Original text and translation are given below: |
− | Nasadiya Suktam<blockquote>"नास॑दासी॒न्नो सदा॑सीत्त॒दानी॒म् नासी॒द्रजो॒ नो व्यो॑मा प॒रो यत्।</blockquote><blockquote>किमाव॑रीव॒: कुह॒ कस्य॒ शर्म॒न्नंभ॒: किमा॑सी॒द्गह॑नं गभी॒रम् ॥१॥ "</blockquote><blockquote>"nāsa̍dāsī̱nno sadā̍sītta̱dānī̱m nāsī̱drajo̱ no vyo̍mā pa̱ro yat |</blockquote><blockquote>kimāva̍rīva̱ḥ kuha̱ kasya̱ śarma̱nnaṁbha̱ḥ kimā̍sī̱dgaha̍naṁ gabhī̱ram ||1|| "</blockquote>Meaning : Neither existence nor nonexistence was there. Neither matter nor space around. What covered it, where it was and who protected? Why, that plasma, all pervading, deep and profound?<blockquote>"न मृ॒त्युरा॑सीद॒मृतं॒ न तर्हि॒ न रात्र्या॒ अह्न॑ आसीत्प्रके॒तः।</blockquote><blockquote>आनी॑दवा॒तं स्व॒धया॒ तदेकं॒ तस्मा॑द्धा॒न्यन्न प॒रः किञ्च॒नास॑॥२॥ "</blockquote><blockquote>"na mṛ̱tyurā̍sīda̱mṛta̱ṁ na tarhi̱ na rātryā̱ ahna̍ āasītprake̱taḥ |</blockquote><blockquote>ānī̍davā̱taṁ sva̱dhayā̱ tadekaṁ̱ tasmā̍ddhā̱nyanna pa̱raḥ kiñca̱nāsa̍ ||2|| "</blockquote>Meaning : Neither death nor immortality was there. And there was neither day nor night. But for that breathless one breathing on its own. There was nothing else, surely nothing.<blockquote>"तम॑ आसी॒त्तम॑सा गू॒ळ्हमग्रे॑ऽप्रके॒तं स॑लि॒लं सर्व॑मा इ॒दं।</blockquote><blockquote>तु॒च्छ्येना॒भ्वपि॑हितं॒ यदासी॒त्तप॑स॒स्तन्म॑हि॒ना जा॑य॒तैकं॑॥ ३॥ "</blockquote><blockquote>"tama̍ āasī̱ttama̍sā gū̱ḻhamagre̍’prake̱taṁ sa̍li̱laṁ sarva̍mā i̱daṁ |</blockquote><blockquote>tu̱cchyenā̱bhvapi̍hitaṁ̱ yadāsī̱ttapa̍sa̱stanma̍hi̱nā jā̍ya̱taika̍ṁ || 3 ||"</blockquote>Meaning : It was darkness concealed in darkness. And an uninterrupted continuum of fluid. Out came in material form and shape. That one lying deep inside, on its own intent.<blockquote>"काम॒स्तदग्रे॒ सम॑वर्त॒ताधि॒ मन॑सो॒ रेत॑: प्रथ॒मं यदासी॑त्।</blockquote><blockquote>स॒तो बन्धु॒मस॑ति॒ निर॑विन्दन् हृ॒दि प्र॒तीष्या॑ क॒वयो॑ मनी॒षा॥४॥ "</blockquote><blockquote>"kāma̱stadagre̱ sama̍varta̱tādhi̱ mana̍so̱ reta̍ḥ pratha̱maṁ yadāsī̍t |</blockquote><blockquote>sa̱to bandhu̱masa̍ti̱ nira̍vindan hṛ̱di pra̱tīṣyā̍ ka̱vayo̍ manī̱ṣā ||4|| "</blockquote>Meaning : In the cosmic mind, all pervading. Desire, the primal seed made its first appearance. And the wise men, seeking deep in their heart. Could see the link between ‘that is’ and ‘that is not’.<blockquote>"ति॒र॒श्चीनो॒ वित॑तो र॒श्मिरे॑षाम॒धः स्वि॑दा॒सी ३ दु॒परि॑ स्विदासी ३ त्।</blockquote><blockquote>रे॒तो॒धा आ॑सन्महि॒मान॑ आसन्त्स्व॒धा आ॒वस्ता॒त्प्रय॑तिः प॒रस्ता॑त्॥५॥</blockquote><blockquote>"ti̱ra̱ścīno̱ vita̍to ra̱śmire̍ṣāma̱dhaḥ svi̍dā̱sī 3 du̱pari̍ svidāsī 3 t |</blockquote><blockquote>re̱to̱dhā āa̍sanmahi̱māna̍ āasantsva̱dhā ā̱vastā̱tpraya̍tiḥ pa̱rastā̍t ||5|| "</blockquote>Meaning : Reins of the link, a grid of crisscross lines, Holds all the seeds and mighty forces, Microcosmic forces within And macro forces out above.<blockquote>"को अ॒द्धा वे॑द॒ क इ॒ह प्र वो॑च॒त्कुत॒ आजा॑ता॒ कुत॑ इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टिः।</blockquote><blockquote>अ॒र्वाग्दे॒वा अ॒स्य वि॒सर्ज॑ने॒नाथा॒ को वे॑द॒ यत॑ आब॒भूव॑ ॥६॥ "</blockquote><blockquote>"ko a̱ddhā ve̍da̱ ka i̱ha pra vo̍ca̱tkuta̱ āajā̍tā̱ kuta̍ i̱yaṁ visṛ̍ṣṭiḥ |</blockquote><blockquote>a̱rvāgde̱vā a̱sya vi̱sarja̍ne̱nāthā̱ ko ve̍da̱ yata̍ āaba̱bhūva̍ ||6 || "</blockquote>Meaning : Who really knows, who can declare? When it started or where from? And where will the creation end? Seekers and sought entered later – And so who knows when all this manifested?<blockquote>"इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टि॒र्यत॑ आब॒भूव॒ यदि॑ वा द॒धे यदि॑ वा॒ न।</blockquote><blockquote>यो अ॒स्याध्य॑क्षः पर॒मे व्यो॑म॒न्त्सो अ॒ङ्ग वे॑द॒ यदि॑ वा॒ न वेद॑॥ ७॥"</blockquote><blockquote>"i̱yaṁ visṛ̍ṣṭi̱ryata̍ āaba̱bhūva̱ yadi̍ vā da̱dhe yadi̍ vā̱ na |</blockquote><blockquote>yo a̱syādhya̍kṣaḥ para̱me vyo̍ma̱ntso a̱ṅga ve̍da̱ yadi̍ vā̱ na veda̍ || 7 || "</blockquote>Meaning : That one, out of which the creation came. May hold the reins or not, Perceiving all from above, That one alone. Knows the beginning – may not know too. | + | नासदीय-सूक्तम् ॥ Nasadiya Sukta<blockquote>नास॑दासी॒न्नो सदा॑सीत्त॒दानी॒म् नासी॒द्रजो॒ नो व्यो॑मा प॒रो यत्।</blockquote><blockquote>किमाव॑रीव॒: कुह॒ कस्य॒ शर्म॒न्नंभ॒: किमा॑सी॒द्गह॑नं गभी॒रम् ॥१॥ </blockquote><blockquote>nāsa̍dāsī̱nno sadā̍sītta̱dānī̱m nāsī̱drajo̱ no vyo̍mā pa̱ro yat |</blockquote><blockquote>kimāva̍rīva̱ḥ kuha̱ kasya̱ śarma̱nnaṁbha̱ḥ kimā̍sī̱dgaha̍naṁ gabhī̱ram ||1|| </blockquote>Meaning : Neither existence nor non-existence was there. Neither matter nor space around. What covered it, where it was and who protected? Why, that plasma, all pervading, deep and profound?<blockquote>न मृ॒त्युरा॑सीद॒मृतं॒ न तर्हि॒ न रात्र्या॒ अह्न॑ आसीत्प्रके॒तः।</blockquote><blockquote>आनी॑दवा॒तं स्व॒धया॒ तदेकं॒ तस्मा॑द्धा॒न्यन्न प॒रः किञ्च॒नास॑॥२॥ </blockquote><blockquote>na mṛ̱tyurā̍sīda̱mṛta̱ṁ na tarhi̱ na rātryā̱ ahna̍ āasītprake̱taḥ |</blockquote><blockquote>ānī̍davā̱taṁ sva̱dhayā̱ tadekaṁ̱ tasmā̍ddhā̱nyanna pa̱raḥ kiñca̱nāsa̍ ||2|| </blockquote>Meaning : Neither death nor immortality was there. And there was neither day nor night. But for that breathless one breathing on its own. There was nothing else, surely nothing.<blockquote>तम॑ आसी॒त्तम॑सा गू॒ळ्हमग्रे॑ऽप्रके॒तं स॑लि॒लं सर्व॑मा इ॒दं।</blockquote><blockquote>तु॒च्छ्येना॒भ्वपि॑हितं॒ यदासी॒त्तप॑स॒स्तन्म॑हि॒ना जा॑य॒तैकं॑॥ ३॥ </blockquote><blockquote>tama̍ āasī̱ttama̍sā gū̱ḻhamagre̍’prake̱taṁ sa̍li̱laṁ sarva̍mā i̱daṁ |</blockquote><blockquote>tu̱cchyenā̱bhvapi̍hitaṁ̱ yadāsī̱ttapa̍sa̱stanma̍hi̱nā jā̍ya̱taika̍ṁ || 3 ||</blockquote>Meaning : It was darkness concealed in darkness. And an uninterrupted continuum of fluid. Out came in material form and shape.That one lying deep inside, on its own intent.<blockquote>काम॒स्तदग्रे॒ सम॑वर्त॒ताधि॒ मन॑सो॒ रेत॑: प्रथ॒मं यदासी॑त्।</blockquote><blockquote>स॒तो बन्धु॒मस॑ति॒ निर॑विन्दन् हृ॒दि प्र॒तीष्या॑ क॒वयो॑ मनी॒षा॥४॥ </blockquote><blockquote>kāma̱stadagre̱ sama̍varta̱tādhi̱ mana̍so̱ reta̍ḥ pratha̱maṁ yadāsī̍t |</blockquote><blockquote>sa̱to bandhu̱masa̍ti̱ nira̍vindan hṛ̱di pra̱tīṣyā̍ ka̱vayo̍ manī̱ṣā ||4|| </blockquote>Meaning : In the cosmic mind, all pervading. Desire, the primal seed made its first appearance. And the wise men, seeking deep in their heart. Could see the link between ‘that is’ and ‘that is not’.<blockquote>ति॒र॒श्चीनो॒ वित॑तो र॒श्मिरे॑षाम॒धः स्वि॑दा॒सी ३ दु॒परि॑ स्विदासी ३ त्।</blockquote><blockquote>रे॒तो॒धा आ॑सन्महि॒मान॑ आसन्त्स्व॒धा आ॒वस्ता॒त्प्रय॑तिः प॒रस्ता॑त्॥५॥</blockquote><blockquote>ti̱ra̱ścīno̱ vita̍to ra̱śmire̍ṣāma̱dhaḥ svi̍dā̱sī 3 du̱pari̍ svidāsī 3 t |</blockquote><blockquote>re̱to̱dhā āa̍sanmahi̱māna̍ āasantsva̱dhā ā̱vastā̱tpraya̍tiḥ pa̱rastā̍t ||5|| </blockquote>Meaning : Reins of the link, a grid of crisscross lines, Holds all the seeds and mighty forces, Microcosmic forces within And macro forces out above.<blockquote>को अ॒द्धा वे॑द॒ क इ॒ह प्र वो॑च॒त्कुत॒ आजा॑ता॒ कुत॑ इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टिः।</blockquote><blockquote>अ॒र्वाग्दे॒वा अ॒स्य वि॒सर्ज॑ने॒नाथा॒ को वे॑द॒ यत॑ आब॒भूव॑ ॥६॥ </blockquote><blockquote>ko a̱ddhā ve̍da̱ ka i̱ha pra vo̍ca̱tkuta̱ āajā̍tā̱ kuta̍ i̱yaṁ visṛ̍ṣṭiḥ |</blockquote><blockquote>a̱rvāgde̱vā a̱sya vi̱sarja̍ne̱nāthā̱ ko ve̍da̱ yata̍ āaba̱bhūva̍ ||6 || </blockquote>Meaning : Who really knows, who can declare? When it started or where from? And where will the creation end? Seekers and sought entered later – And so who knows when all this manifested?<blockquote>इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टि॒र्यत॑ आब॒भूव॒ यदि॑ वा द॒धे यदि॑ वा॒ न।</blockquote><blockquote>यो अ॒स्याध्य॑क्षः पर॒मे व्यो॑म॒न्त्सो अ॒ङ्ग वे॑द॒ यदि॑ वा॒ न वेद॑॥ ७॥</blockquote><blockquote>i̱yaṁ visṛ̍ṣṭi̱ryata̍ āaba̱bhūva̱ yadi̍ vā da̱dhe yadi̍ vā̱ na |</blockquote><blockquote>yo a̱syādhya̍kṣaḥ para̱me vyo̍ma̱ntso a̱ṅga ve̍da̱ yadi̍ vā̱ na veda̍ || 7 || </blockquote>Meaning : That one, out of which the creation came. May hold the reins or not, Perceiving all from above, That one alone. Knows the beginning – may not know too. |
| There are many theories about the origin of Universe but the concept of Brahman or the formless entity being the source of Creation is unique to Bharatiya philosophies only. Many of these philosophies while expounding many related concepts digress from the Vedic philosophy of Oneness of Existence and the एकमेवाद्वितीयम् ब्रह्मा concept of the Shruti statement. Based on the above given hypotheses, many sarcastic questions can be raised questioning the veracity of existence of God and His Creation, such as: | | There are many theories about the origin of Universe but the concept of Brahman or the formless entity being the source of Creation is unique to Bharatiya philosophies only. Many of these philosophies while expounding many related concepts digress from the Vedic philosophy of Oneness of Existence and the एकमेवाद्वितीयम् ब्रह्मा concept of the Shruti statement. Based on the above given hypotheses, many sarcastic questions can be raised questioning the veracity of existence of God and His Creation, such as: |