The Prelude of Nasadiya Sukta

Nasadiya Sukta is the 129^th Sukta (section) of the 10^th Mandala (Chapter) of the Rig-Veda. Though it is the ending chapter of this most ancient scripture, it talks about the beginning of all. It springs up few very basic and obvious questions about the origin of this creation and also tries to answer those. The rishis (seers: people who have seen the truth behind everything– Author’s note) of that time tried to dive deep into the mystery of creation and were overwhelmed by the paradoxical outcome of their search.

Here in this article, I would let myself to reinvent or rather re-decipher the truth that has been documented in Nasadiya Sukta and shares those to my readers.

The subject is a bit complex and demands concentrated interest to grasp the whole concept of non-causal creation.

This article contributes to the pool of write-ups that are written with the purpose of enriching and broadcasting the culminating perceptions of Indian philosophers.

I have segregated this article into two separate write-ups. The Nasadiya Sukta consists of seven shlokas. The current article shall discuss the first three shlokas (subsections). The second part shall discuss the rest of it.

The Description

 

nāsad āsīn no sad āsīt tadānīṁ nāsīd rajo no vyomā paro yat |
kim āvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmann ambhaḥ kim āsīd gahanaṁ gabhīram || 1 ||

The very first description in the Nasadiya Sukta starts with a paradox. In our mundane world, we can think of two states of anything tangible or intangible.

The first one is of its existence or its non-existence. A horn on a donkey’s forehead is nonexistent because it never happened to be like this. Nobody has seen it, nor is it recorded anywhere. The existence we know because we can see or feel it through our senses.

The rishis state in Nasadiya Sukta’s first line that, then there was the absence of neither nothingness nor existence. The contradiction of this statement surpasses all thoughtful frameworks of this creation. We can understand the lack of existence, but how can the absence of non-existence? This is something that is beyond human intellect because it does not fall into our known scientific model.

In the next instance, it says that there was not even air or matter (rajo: Its literal meaning is dust, but its contextual meaning is particle or matter – Author’s note). There was even the absence of space (vyomā). If there an absence of space, then there must be an absence of time as space-time builds up the tapestry of creation and its relative existence.

So we actually get a picture (ironically) where nothing existed, nor even the existence itself. It talks about a state that is out of the scope of our wildest imaginations.

Next, the seer asks the obvious questions: who was covering the all? Where was its location then? What was that, taking shelter inside the cosmic waters which were incredibly dense and had unfathomable depth?

So it was pitch black and the depth of it can’t be measured. But it is clear through the question that there was something hidden within this dark and impenetrable cosmic water. It had no identity and nor it had any form at that moment.

The Portrayal Continues

 

na mṛtyur āsīd amṛtaṁ na tarhi na rātryā ahna āsīt praketaḥ |
ānīd avātaṁ svadhayā tad ekaṁ tasmād dhānyan na paraḥ kiṁ canāsa || 2 ||

This second subsection of the Nasadiya Sukta again begins with a paradox that defies our standard understanding of life and death. We are aware of the fact that organic existence can have two situations: living or death. We are not talking about immortality, as our physical laws don’t agree on everlasting existence.

In this shloka, the seeker declares that there was neither death nor immortality. There was neither the existence of day nor night. There was something that was breathing without air and sustaining itself independently. That entity was the only “One” present, and there was nothing other than this.

The Final Touch

 

tama āsīt tamasā gūl̥ham agre ‘praketaṁ salilaṁ sarvam ā idam |
tucchyenābhv apihitaṁ yad āsīt tapasas tan mahinājāyataikam || 3 ||

In the third subsection (Shloka); the seer again describes the condition of the initial state. They say that then there was absolute darkness wrapped in darkness, and nothing can be observed in that unillumined cosmic waters which pervaded the whole. It was then that the “One” emerged, which was enclosed by nothing; it arose from the depths of emptiness born from the intense power of heat[1].

The Discourse

With this description of the early stage of creation, the rishis give rise to questions that are not inclined to the classical cause-and-effect model.

 We logically prove the existence of a creator after seeing the creation because the creation is the effect and the creator is the cause.

But, in Nasadiya Sukta, it seems to be misaligned with this concept; rather, it is actually illustrating an opposite idea disregarding the common belief.

 Here we can see that the creator is emerging from its own creation. Then, from where did this creation come? The creator, with a single windless breath, emerged as an entity that enveloped the mysterious “One”.

 We shall discuss more on this in my next article. Stay tuned.

 [1] The heat that was enveloped within the “One” at the moment of creation is known as “Hiranya Garbha” in Sanskrit. It means something that carries an immense form of heat and light (a glow compared to dazzling gold) in its womb. [Author’s Note]