Nasadiya Sukta - A probe into its depth

 

Nāsadīya Sūkta

Nāsadīya Sūkta represents the philosophical cosmogony espoused by the ancient Indian Sages (Ṛṣi). It is part of the Ṛgveda Samhita. As you know, for each of the four Vedas there are four parts namely Samhita, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka and Upaniṣad. Of these, Samhita constitutes the primary responses of intuitive minds of the ancients to the wonderful phenomena of the physical world; it forms the basis of the other three parts. Sūktas in the Samhita are generally of the nature of hymns in praise of gods seeking their blessings for welfare. Nāsadīya Sūkta and Puruṣa Sūkta are however exceptions. Ṛgveda Samhita contains 10548 mantras (verses) spread out in 1028 Sūktas which are divided into 10 groups called Maṇḍalas. Each Sūkta is devoted to a divinity (Devata) and is known in the name of the Ṛṣi who originally perceived it. Nāsadīya Sūkta is numbered as 129 in the last Maṇḍala, the 10^th.  It contains 7 mantras; its Ṛṣi is Parameṣṭi Prajāpati and Devata is ‘Bhāvavṛttam’. The name of the Devata itself indicates cosmogony.

Nobody knows for sure how ancient the Ṛgveda Samhita is. Researchers and scholars fix it oldness at 2000 to 1000 BCE. This is merely a conjecture without definite substantiation. Evenif this figure is accepted as true, it is an indication of the ancientness of the Indian civilization; for, such esoteric compilations and such maturity of language couldnot have happened all of a sudden. Thousands of years must have been taken to reach such a level of greatness in thought and and maturity in language. It is an indisputable fact that the Indian philosophy is the oldest one; at the same time it is the most modern one since it is still alive with irrefutable speculative discoveries and pronouncements. Its unique fathomless depth has not so far been explored exhaustively.

Nāsadīya Sūkta opens by describing how the situation was in the beginning before the emergence of this universe. It was all darkness, then. Nothing was distinguishable; the universe that would be was in a totally undifferentiated, chaotic and unstable state enveolped in complete darkness. There was no duality in expression which is the essential feature of physical existence; there was no differentiation into SAT and ASAT, day and night, death and immortality, etc. Nothing existed except the One who sustained Himself. Invoking own skill for physical manifestation, He projected Himself as a being through tapas (intense willing). Then unleashed Kaama (desire), the seed of which was there in his imagination (thoughts). As a result the manifestation extended in all directions and accordingly, the entire universe came into being. This is how the Sūkta presents the initial state of being and the subsequent manifestation culminating in the emergence of the universe.

The Sūkta is reproduced below in full:

Ṛgveda Sūkta : 10 – 129

ऋषि- परमेष्टी प्रजापतिः                                   छन्दः – त्रिष्टुप्                     देवता-भाववृत्तम्

Ṛṣi - Parameṣṭī Prajāpatiḥ            Chandaḥ- triṣṭup      Devatā-bhāvavṛttam           

 

नासदासीन्नो सदासीत् तदनीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् |    

किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्रहनं गभीरम् || 1 ||

nāsadāsīnno sadāsīt tadanīṃ nāsīdrajo no vyomā paro yat;

kimāvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmannambhaḥ kimāsīdrahanaṃ gabhīram. (1)

 

न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः |

अनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किंचनास || 2 ||    

na mṛtyurāsīdamṛtaṃ na tarhi na rātryā ahna āsītpraketaḥ;

anīdavātaṃ svadhayā tadekaṃ tasmāddhānyanna paraḥ kiṃcanāsa. (2)

 

तम आसीत्तमसा गूल्हमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम् |

तुच्छ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकः || 3 ||

tama āsīttamasā gūlhamagre'praketaṃ salilaṃ sarvamā idam;

tucchyenābhvapihitaṃ yadāsīttapasastanmahinājāyataikaḥ. (3)

 

कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः प्रथमं यदासीत् |

सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन् हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयो मनीषा || 4 ||     

kāmastadagre samavartatādhi manaso retaḥ prathamaṃ yadāsīt;

sato bandhumasati niravindan hṛdi pratīṣyā kavayo manīṣā. (4)

 

तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासीदुपरि स्विदासीत् |

रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात् || 5 ||

tiraścīno vitato raśmireṣāmadhaḥ svidāsīdupari svidāsīt;

retodhā āsanmahimāna āsantsvadhā avastātprayatiḥ parastāt. (5)

 

को अद्धा वेद क इह प्रवोचत् कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः |

अर्वाग्देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यत आबभूव  || 6 || 

ko addhā veda ka iha pravocat kuta ājātā kuta iyaṃ visṛṣṭiḥ;

arvāgdevā asya visarjanenāthā ko veda yata ābabhūva. (6)

 

इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न |

यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन्सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद || 7 ||     

iyaṃ visṛṣṭiryata ābabhūva yadi vā dadhe yadi vā na;

yo asyādhyakṣaḥ parame vyomanso aṅga veda yadi vā na veda. (7)

 

The Now, we shall look into individual mantras to have a direct understanding of how the Ṛṣi perceived the whole episode.

 

नासदासीन्नो सदासीत् तदनीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् |    

किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्रहनं गभीरम् || 1 ||

nāsadāsīnno sadāsīt tadanīṃ nāsīdrajo no vyomā paro yat;

kimāvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmannambhaḥ kimāsīdrahanaṃ gabhīram. (1)

 

Word Meaning: na- not; asat- ASAT; āsīt- existed; no- not; sat- SAT; tadanīṃ- then, at that time, in the beginning; nāsīt – na āsīt; rajas- air, space between earth and heaven; vyoman – sky, heaven, space; para- beyond; kim- what; āvarītṛ– one who veils or covers; kuha – where?; kasya- whose; śarman – protection, safety, shelter; ambhaḥ- water; rahas – mystery; gabhīra – inscrutable.

 

Mantra Meaning:  At that time (in the beginning) there was no ASAT; there was no SAT either; no air, nor any space beyond. Which veiled all these? And where? Under whose shelter was water? Which was that inscrutable, mysterious one?

              What we see here is the spontaneous outflow of an inquisitive mind endowed with a logical perspective. The Sage recognises that in the beginning there was neither ASAT nor SAT. It indicates that there were no dual expressions; the physical world has its foundation on duality. Where there is no duality, there is no recognisable feature. We experience pleasure because there is pain also. Then, what is SAT and what is ASAT? Gīta defines both these words in verse 2.16, thus: ‘SAT is that which has no state of non-existence and ASAT is that which has no state of existence’. That which is always there is pure or absolute existence; so SAT is pure existence. It exists on its own all time. ASAT is its opposite. It cannot exist on its own; it gets expression when supported by SAT. The universe is such an expression, the ASAT supported by SAT. It is neither SAT nor ASAT. The duality of SAT-ASAT is an essential feature of the physical world. The absence of this duality in the beginning is an indication that there was no physical existence at that time. The original state must be that ASAT is involved in SAT and manifestation happens when SAT invokes ASAT and sustain it facilitating the emergence of the universe.

          Looking at the ever-continuing phenomenon of making and unmaking of physical beings in the world around, the Sage traces back this phenomenon to the origin of all changes and perceives that at that time no physical existence must have been there. The basis of all changes is a changeless one; therefore, it must not be physical. It must be absolute existence, surpassing all relative factors of time, matter and space. This absolute existence is, as we have mentioned, SAT. Every relative existence is contained in it. Relativeness is brought about when SAT projects ASAT under the limiting factors of time, matter and space. In the beginning there was no such projection. When the Sage says that there was no SAT and no ASAT, it only means that there was no projection of ASAT by SAT and everything was involved in SAT only. When he says about the veiling, sheltering, inscrutable entity he refers to the lone entity who has SAT as an integral constituent.

          While in this mantra the Sage raised some questions about the existence of a mysterious ultimate entity, in the next mantra he comes up with definite answers. Let us examine the second mantra.

न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः |

आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किंचनास || 2 ||  

na mṛtyurāsīdamṛtaṃ na tarhi na rātryā ahna āsītpraketaḥ;

ānīdavātaṃ svadhayā tadekaṃ tasmāddhānyanna paraḥ kiṃcanāsa. (2)

 

Word Meaning: na- not; mṛtyuḥ- death, mortality; āsīt- existed; amṛtaṃ- immortality; tarhi- then, at that time; rātryā- with or by night; ahna- by day; praketaḥ- knowledge, perception, sight; ānīta – brought, taken; vātaṃ- air, the sustaining energy; svadhayā – spontaneously, according to one’s habit or pleasure, on one’s own volition; tat- that; ekaṃ- one; tasmāddhānyanna - tasmāt + ha + anyat + na – nothing other than it (than Him); paraḥ- great, high, superior, beyond; kiṃcana – whatever; āsa- existed, was there.

 

Mantra Meaning: Mortality and immortality were not there at that time. There was no distinction like day and night. Only He alone existed who sustained by own sustaining energy. Nobody else existed superior to Him.

 

              The verse says that nothing could be differentiated at that time; the duality of mortality and immortality was also not there. The ultimate entity is said to be immortal. But, this feature of immortality is distinguishable only when there exists mortality also. The original state was however without any such differentiation, implying that only the absolute whole existed in the beginning which was beyond all dual attributes. Without duality nothing can be known. We become conscious of night, because there is day also. In the beginning, that which existed was beyond such differential consciousness; it was the ultimate and nothing existed other than it or beyond it.

          The original state of existence is further described in the next mantra and it is followed by a mention of how the physical manifestation was initiated. The mantra may be seen below:

तम आसीत्तमसा गूल्हमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम् |

तुच्छ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकः || 3 ||

tama āsīttamasā gūlhamagre'praketaṃ salilaṃ sarvamā idam;

tucchyenābhvapihitaṃ yadāsīttapasastanmahinājāyataikaḥ. (3)

 

Word Meaning: tama- tamas (which means darkness); āsīt- existed; tamasā- by tamas; gūlham - hidden, concealed; agre- in the beginning; apraketa- indistinguishable, without attributes; salila-unsteady, unstable, fluctuating, without a definite form; sarvamā idam – all that is here;

tucchya- empty, tucchyena- completely; ābhu- void, empty, chaos; apihita- concealed; yadāsīt – yat+āsīt – which existed; tapasaḥ- by tapas (tapas is intense willing and perseverance); tanmahinā - tat+ mahinā; tat- that; mahina- sovereignty, dominion; mahinā- by the power (for physical manifestation); ajāyata- brought forth, begot, generated, propagated offspring; ekaḥ- the (only) One.

 

Mantra Meaning: Darkness existed in the beginning; in that darkness was hidden all that is here, in an indistinguishable state, without any definite form. The only existing One, which was completely absorbed in this chaos, projected Himself (as a physical being) through tapas, invoking His own power (for physical manifestation).

 

              The only existing One mentioned here is Ātmā. His power for physical manifestation is Prakṛti which He invokes for projecting the physical world periodically. Darkness here indicates absence of physical phenomena. Everything was in a undifferentiated state, fully absorbed in Ātmā. By invoking Prakṛti, Ātmā unleashes all that has thus far been in His hold. This marks the beginning of the world. With Prakṛti invoked, Ātmā is known as Puruṣa. Therefore, Puruṣa is the One who was projected at first by Ātmā. 

          Another feature of the physical manifestation is unfolded in the next mantra.

कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः प्रथमं यदासीत् |

सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन् हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयो मनीषा || 4 ||  

kāmastadagre samavartatādhi manaso retaḥ prathamaṃ yadāsīt;

sato bandhumasati niravindan hṛdi pratīṣyā kavayo manīṣā. (4)

 

Word Meaning: kāmaḥ- Kāma (Desire); tat- that; agre- in the beginning; samavartata- emerged; adhi manasaḥ – in the thought; retaḥ- germ, seed; prathamaṃ- original; yatdāsīt – yat+āsīt – which existed; sataḥ- of SAT; bandhuḥ- connection, relation; asati- in ASAT; nir – (this is a particle and suffix implying certainty or assurance); avindan- having known or understood or experienced; hṛdi- in the Heart; pratīṣati – regard, accept; kavayaḥ- Sages, the englightened ones; manīṣā - intellect, intelligence.

 

Mantra Meaning: That which existed there in the thought as the initial (original) seed of physical manifestation emerged as Kāma; the Sages, having experienced in their Heart through intellect, regarded this to be the connection of SAT on ASAT.

          Together with Puruṣa, the original seed of physical expression was also released as Kāma. This seed had been existing in the thoughts of Puruṣa. Kāma occurs only when there is something other than oneself. Here, apart from Puruṣa, there is Prakṛti also. Puruṣa is SAT (सत्) and Prakṛti is ASAT (असत्). That is why it is said in the mantra that Kāma is a connection of SAT on ASAT. Sages were aware of this fact. SAT is that which has no state of non-existence (Gīta 2.16). That means, it is existence abstracted or pure existence. On the other hand, ASAT is that which has no state of existence. It cannot exist on its own. ASAT gets a relative existence when it is supported by SAT. The product of this union is neither SAT nor ASAT; it is said to be inexplicable (अनिर्वचनीय -  anirvacanīya).

          Now, having initiated the projection of the universe, the next step is the expansion of the available material outwards in all directions. This process is explained in the next mantra.   

तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासीदुपरि स्विदासीत् |

रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात् || 5 ||

tiraścīno vitato raśmireṣāmadhaḥ svidāsīdupari svidāsīt;

retodhā āsanmahimāna āsantsvadhā avastātprayatiḥ parastāt. (5)

 

Word Meaning: tiraścīnaḥ- transverse, vitataḥ- spread out, extend; raśmiḥ- leash, rein; eṣām-its; adhaḥ- below; svid- perhaps, any, indeed, (a particle of doubt or enquiry); āsīt- was, existed; upari- above; retodhā- impelled by the original seed; mahimāna- magnitude, might, the power for increasing in size at will; āsant- was; svadhā- power of self, impelled by oneself;  avastāt- underneath, below; prayatiḥ- energy, intention, exertion, will, effort; parastāt- later, above, afterwards.

Mantra Meaning: Its leash spread out transversely; indeed, the spread was there below as well as above. This was impelled in range and magnitude by the original seed as well as by the inherent power (of the Puruṣa). The energy therefor came from the inner and from the outer (the Puruṣa and the original seed, respectively).

 

              This mantra describes how the projection of universe gathered range and magnitude and thus increased in size to progressively fill the space around. This may remind us of the Big Bang.

          In the next two mantras a speculation is made upon who cognised the knowledge about this projection and how.

को अद्धा वेद क इह प्रवोचत् कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः |

अर्वाग्देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यत आबभूव      || 6 || 

ko addhā veda ka iha pravocat kuta ājātā kuta iyaṃ visṛṣṭiḥ;

arvāgdevā asya visarjanenāthā ko veda yata ābabhūva. (6)

 

Word Meaning: kaḥ- who; addhā- truly, certainly, for sure; veda- knows; iha- here; pravocat- declare; kutaḥ- from where; ājātā- born, originated; iyaṃ- this; visṛṣṭiḥ- creation;

arvāk- after; devāḥ- Devas, gods; asya- its (of the creation); visarjanena- of the projection; atha ā - therefore; yataḥ- from where; ābabhūva- came to be.

Mantra Meaning: Who knows with certainty and who can here declare where all these creations came from. Even gods are later than the emission of all this and therefore who knows whence all this occurred. (It may be noted that Devas are all creations of Ātmā – see verses 2.1.20, 2.4.6 of Bṛhadāraṇyaka and other Upaniṣads).

इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न |

यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन्सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद || 7 || 

iyaṃ visṛṣṭiryata ābabhūva yadi vā dadhe yadi vā na;

yo asyādhyakṣaḥ parame vyomanso aṅga veda yadi vā na veda. (7)

 

Word Meaning: iyaṃ- this; visṛṣṭiḥ- creation; yataḥ- from where; ābabhūva- came into being; yadi vā - whether … or; dadhe- held, projected; na- not; yaḥ- whoever; asya- its (of the creation); adhyakṣaḥ- presiding entity, controller, master; parame vyoman – supreme, ultimate space; saḥ- he; aṅga- indeed, verily; veda- knows.

 

Mantra Meaning: From where did this creation occur? Is it a mere projection or is it not so? Only the One who presides over the creation, from the ultimate space, knows it for sure; or, even He does not know.

          The One who is mentioned in this mantra as presiding over the creations is Puruṣa. The ultimate space is the subtlest space within the whole physical manifestation.

          What we see in these two mantras is an expression of the utmost humility with which the Sages made their expositions about the divine power behind all natural phenomena. They don’t arrogantly raise any claim of absolute authenticity or of proprietary rights over what they have observed and exposited. They confess to the limitation of their own knowledge and findings. The last two mantras demonstrate these facts. After clearly spelling out the process of emergence of the universe from a state of chaos the Sage expresses the possibility for further conceptions in the matter and indicates lack of finality in the matter. The room for further enquiry is kept open for enterprising minds.

          By all standards, it is a wonder that speculative endeavours rose to such heights in a period of such antiquity and this height still remains to be beyond the reach of human intellect even today, after the elapse of more than at least four thousand years.    

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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