Nasadiya Sukta
Hymn of Creation

Nasadiya Sukta is a set of 7 verses from Rig Veda. Rig Veda is oldest known Sanskrit text of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). It is the oldest compilation of human wisdom.

Nasadiya means ‘not the non-existent’ and Sukta is a ‘well said’ hymn.

Nasadiya Sukta raises the eternal question, about the origin and nature of the Universe, without giving definite answers. It is the most thought-provoking philosophical song.

Nasadiya Sukta describes the source using paradoxes such as ‘there was neither existence nor non-existence’ and there was ‘neither death nor immortality’. It describes the flow of manifestation, stating even Gods and space and time came after the creation. And having taken the reader through a roller coaster ride, it leaves the reader bewildered, by wondering, if the creator knows it all. Maybe there was no beginning!

All in 7 verses.

Nasadiya Sukta

नास॑दासी॒न्नो सदा॑सीत्त॒दानी॒म् नासी॒द्रजो॒ नो व्यो॑मा प॒रो यत्।
किमाव॑रीव॒: कुह॒ कस्य॒ शर्म॒न्नंभ॒: किमा॑सी॒द्गह॑नं गभी॒रम्॥१॥

There was neither existence nor non-existence, neither matter nor space
What covered it? Where was it? What was its purpose? What protected it? Who was the master of the cosmic water that was dense and deep?

न मृ॒त्युरा॑सीद॒मृतं॒ न तर्हि॒ न रात्र्या॒ अह्न॑ आसीत्प्रके॒तः।
आनी॑दवा॒तं स्व॒धया॒ तदेकं॒ तस्मा॑द्धा॒न्यन्न प॒रः किञ्च॒नास॑॥२॥

There was neither death nor immortality and nothing to separate night and day.
That One existed enclosed in nothingness, there was only that One and no other.

तम॑ आसी॒त्तम॑सा गू॒ळ्हमग्रे॑ऽप्रके॒तं स॑लि॒लं सर्व॑मा इ॒दं।
तु॒च्छ्येना॒भ्वपि॑हितं॒ यदासी॒त्तप॑स॒स्तन्म॑हि॒ना जा॑य॒तैकं॑॥ ३॥

Darkness covered darkness, all this was hidden intelligence in cosmic water.
And the One enclosed in nothing arose from the power of heat.

काम॒स्तदग्रे॒ सम॑वर्त॒ताधि॒ मन॑सो॒ रेत॑: प्रथ॒मं यदासी॑त्।
स॒तो बन्धु॒मस॑ति॒ निर॑विन्दन् हृ॒दि प्र॒तीष्या॑ क॒वयो॑ मनी॒षा॥४॥

Desire entered and the primal seed appeared from the cosmic mind.
The wise who searched deep within their heart could discern between that which is and that which is not.

ति॒र॒श्चीनो॒ वित॑तो र॒श्मिरे॑षाम॒धः स्वि॑दा॒सी दु॒परि॑ स्विदासी त्।
रे॒तो॒धा आ॑सन्महि॒मान॑ आसन्त्स्व॒धा आ॒वस्ता॒त्प्रय॑तिः प॒रस्ता॑त्॥५॥

From the primal seed sprang crisscross rays holding all the forces above and below.
The strong powers made fertile forces with strength below and impulse above.

को अ॒द्धा वे॑द॒ क इ॒ह प्र वो॑च॒त्कुत॒ आजा॑ता॒ कुत॑ इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टिः।
अ॒र्वाग्दे॒वा अ॒स्य वि॒सर्ज॑ने॒नाथा॒ को वे॑द॒ यत॑ आब॒भूव॑॥६॥

Who can say and know where all this came from and how all this came to be?
The Devas (Gods) came after all this manifested so who knows where all this came from?

इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टि॒र्यत॑ आब॒भूव॒ यदि॑ वा द॒धे यदि॑ वा॒ न।
यो अ॒स्याध्य॑क्षः पर॒मे व्यो॑म॒न्त्सो अ॒ङ्ग वे॑द॒ यदि॑ वा॒ न वेद॑॥ ७॥

Where did creation have its origin? Who is One that created it or did the One not create it?
That One alone perceives all from above and knows the beginning or maybe doesn’t?

What matters most …

A paradox is a statement or situation that seems self-contradictory, but which, upon scrutiny, is true.

Examples of common paradoxes are ‘the most valuable things in life are free’, ‘the more you try to control a situation, the less control you have’ or ‘less is more’. Our lives are full of paradoxes.

Which paradox has guided you the most?

Everything in the Universe consists of its opposite pair. The polarities appear mutually exclusive, however, they do not exist in isolation. They are part of the same continuum. It is a play between interdependent forces of a system, which continuously push – pull each other. Paradoxes are polarities, which together, reveal the full truth:

• Deliberate – Spontaneous

• Inhalation – Exhalation

• Activity – Rest

• Body – Spirit

• Yin – Yang

We humans, have a tendency to make sense of things, by breaking them into sub parts and getting attached to one aspect that creates either higher security or reduces fear, depending on our context. This causes imbalance and stress.

Life is paradoxes in play. To see the world through the lens of paradoxes is to be effective. To embrace and resolve them in one’s mind, is to grasp reality and lead a fulfilling life.

One of my learnings is, the deeper one gets anchored internally, the greater one contributes externally. When you wean away from the speed and choices that society is addicted to, to a speed and direction which nature has designed you for, then doors open up, that you never knew existed. Doors to creative expression, relevance and serendipity. You synchronize with the Universe. Powered by a force that operates in a mysterious way. Life happens and takes you places, that could not have been programmed the conventional way.

Nasadiya Sukta sheds light on the origin of polarities. It reveals how creation happens through polarities. A dynamic unending play of seemingly opposing forces that emerge from singularity and fold back into it.

It is the way nature operates.

When duality appears, creation appears.

When duality disappears, creation disappears.

I leave you with some thoughts.

The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth… Niels Bohr

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function… Scott Fitzgerald

To exist, you have to both breathe in and breathe out. Some people just want to breathe in… Unknown