Nasadiya Sukta – The Hymn of Creation

Questions regarding the origin of the universe; its creation; the birth of the earth and all its inhabitants; etc. have remained unanswered. However, religions attribute everything that is inconceivable and unknown, to an invisible God who, according to them, lives in heaven that they believe to exist high up in the skies. Most organised religions are based on this dualistic God concept.

One of the important organised religions of the world teaches its followers that creation took place over a period of six days during which, night and day were created on the second ‘day’ but the sun, moon and the stars in the sky were created in the fourth ‘day’! This makes it quite difficult to understand what the separating element between day and night could have been even before the sun was created. Another significant world religion too is based on the six-day creation story, however, their book says that God created the earth in two days; took four days to place mountains on it, nourish and bless it; and two more days to create the stars and the seven heavens. Two plus four plus two equals eight and not six! Well, they also commanded to never disbelieve or question the book. How convenient!

An organised religion has a set of rules and conditions, which every follower is expected to follow. Those who go against the rules of the religion are called heretics and apostates that deserve severe punishment. Whereas a person who really believes in something because he or she is told to do so, does not use their power of thinking and reasoning at all and this is exactly what is wanted out of them by their religious leaders because it makes controlling them and ruling over them easy. When you believe that what you believe in is right, you automatically come to the conclusion that all others are wrong. This causes those who believe in a particular dogma to hate those who don’t.

The very idea of God being separate from nature is the core principle of organised religions. Followers of such religions and cults are brainwashed to believe that a particular God created them, and he expects people to revere him. They are warned against going against authorities, saying that if they did so, they would be going against the will of God who was the one who put all those people in power. Right from the time they were little children, they were made to believe that those who did not abide by the commandments of God, would be punished in hell forever but those who were sincere to their religion would be lavishly rewarded in heaven after death. Therefore, according to organised religions, the way to avoid hell and ensure a place in heaven, is to be devoutly religious by refraining from thinking and asking questions, by obeying the clergy (who work for the authorities) and paying taxes to the religious organisation they are a part of.

On the other hand, the Sanatana Dharma (aka Hinduism), which was not founded or created by any individual, is a beginningless and endless way of life with a strong value system that in no way restricts the spiritual freedom of sincere seekers. In fact, even Krishna, in the final chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, asked Arjuna to use the knowledge he had gained from Krishna and to act as per his own wish.
SBG 18:63 I have taught you the secret wisdom, which is deeper than all that is confidential and profound. Reflect fully on what I declared to you and do what you wish to do.

Seeking the truth by taking the help of scriptures, teachers and the experiences that life offers, is the prime goal of followers of the Sanatana Dharma.

Freedom of thought, hunger for knowledge, always being awestruck by nature and experiencing oneness with the entire system, help a seeker in achieving a much higher state of consciousness in which, nothing matters to them or bothers them because they are continuously evolving. It is a path for a seeker to experience and pass through different levels of understanding, and finally experiencing the ultimate level of realising the Self. That state is nothing short of inexplicable bliss, which is priceless.

The Nasadiya Sukta is a set of seven Shlokas of the 129th Hymn from the 10th Mandala of the Rig Veda. It starts and ends with questions regarding creation. It does not say that God made the universe, the stars, the sun, the moon, the earth, the plants, the animals and the humans but on the contrary, asks how anyone could know how and when creation happened, because everything and all beings including the Devas or Gods, could have appeared only after the universe came into existence! The Sanatana Dharma is the highest and the most rational as well scientific philosophy, unlike organised religions that stand on fairy tales and bedtime stories. Being born into a family following such an advanced way of thinking could be either a stroke of chance or, the result of the person’s excellent past Karma. The latter possibility seems to be more convincing. Karmically evolved are those who were born into Sanatana Dharmic families. Do thank yourself if you were born in one. It couldn’t have happened but for your good past Karma.

The unfortunate part however is that despite being born into Dharmic families, many people still want to cling on to sectarian ideas; to babas and swamis; to ashrams and mutts, etc. instead of opening their heart, mind and soul to seek and experience the truth.

The human mind, which can be the source of unimaginable force, is most difficult to control. A seeker’s mind is filled with countless questions, which makes it challenging to control it and calm it down. The twelfth chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita is one that is dedicated to teaching devotion and focus. It is in this chapter that Krishna talks about the need for humans to worship the Supreme Brahman or Krishna with a form, because the human mind cannot imagine anything that is formless.

SBG 12:05 Those whose minds are set on an unmanifested and impersonal Absolute Power face difficulties in reaching the goal. This is because people always identify with the body and when there is no perceptible form, it is difficult to perceive.

All beings are a part of the omnipresent One. It is this understanding that takes people hundreds, if not thousands of Janmas or lifetimes to realise and comprehend.

We are all part of the same Supreme Divine Energy, but occupying different ‘containers’ called bodies. Oneness with the Supreme Being can be experienced through knowledge, right action, ‘egoless’ devotion and meditation.

The Nasadiya Sukta नासदीय सूक्तः – The Quest about creation

नास॑दासी॒न्नो सदा॑सीत्त॒दानी॒म् नासी॒द्रजो॒ नो व्यो॑मा प॒रो यत्।
किमाव॑रीव॒: कुह॒ कस्य॒ शर्म॒न्नंभ॒: किमा॑सी॒द्गह॑नं गभी॒रम्॥१॥
naasadaa-siinno sadaa-siit tadaaniim naasiidrajo no vy-o-maa paro yat |
kimaavariivah kuha kasya sharmannambhah kim-aa-siidgahanam gabhiiram ||1||
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 (space plasma) that was dense and deep?

न मृ॒त्युरा॑सीद॒मृतं॒ न तर्हि॒ न रात्र्या॒ अह्न॑ आसीत्प्रके॒तः।
आनी॑दवा॒तं स्व॒धया॒ तदेकं॒ तस्मा॑द्धा॒न्यन्न प॒रः किञ्च॒नास॑॥२॥
na mrutyur-aa-siidamritam na tarhi na raatryaa annha-aasiit praketaha |
aan-ii-davaatam svadhayaa tadekan-tasm-aa-ddhaanyanna parah-kinchanaasa ||2||
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॥
tama aasiit tamasaa guuL hamagre-e’praketam salilam sarvamaa idam |
tuchhyenaabh-vapihitam –yadaasiit-tapasastan-mahinaa jaa-yataikam-m || 3 ||
Darkness covered darkness, all this was hidden intelligence in cosmic water (Space Plasma)
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॥
kaamastadagre sama-varta-taa-dhimanaso retah prathamam- yadaasii-t |
sato bandhuma-sati niravindan hrudi pratiishy-aa kava-y-o manishaa ||4||
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॥
tirash-chiino vitato rashmir-e-shaamadhah svidaasiiii dupari svidaasiiii ta |
retodhaa –aa-sanmahimaana aasantsvadhaa aavastaatprayatih parast-aat ||5||
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॥
ko addhaa v-e-da ka iha pra v-o-chatkuta aaj-aa-taa kuta iyam visrushtihi |
arvaagdevaa asya visarjanenaathaa ko v-e-da yata aababhuuvaa ||6 ||
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॥
iyam visrushtir-yata aabhabhuuva yadi vaa dadhe yadi va na |
yo asyaadhyakshah parame vy-o-mantso anga ve-eda yadi va ne veda || 7 ||
Where did creation have its origin? Who is the One that created it, or did that One not create it?
That One alone perceives all from above and knows the beginning or maybe doesn’t?

Aum Shaantih Shaantih Shaantihi
Harihi Aum