Nāsadīya Sūkta

A probe into its depth

Karthikeyan Sreedharan

Nāsadīya Sūkta consists of a consolidation of 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 is generally referred to as the
Veda and is the basis of the other three parts. Sūktas in the Ṛgveda Samhita
are mostly in the nature of hymns in praise of gods, seeking their blessings
for welfare, peace and happiness. Nāsadīya Sūkta and Puruṣa Sūkta are
however exceptions. Their focus is on recording specific speculative
conceptions.

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 10th. So, it is referred to as Sūkta number 10.129. 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 its 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 Indian civilization; for, such
esoteric compilations and such maturity of language could not have
happened all of a sudden. Thousands of years must have been taken to reach
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such a level of greatness in thought 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 so far
been neither explored exhaustively nor matched by any other system of
philosophy.

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 would-be universe 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 effecting physical manifestation, He projected
Himself as a being, through tapas (intense willing). Then He unleashed Kāma
(desire), which was there in His inner hold as the original seed. By the spread
of this leash, the manifestation extended in all directions and eventually, 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 प्रजापष िः छन्दिः – षिष्टु प् दे व ा-भाववृत्तम्

Ṛṣi - Parameṣṭī Prajāpatiḥ Chandaḥ- triṣṭup Devatā-bhāvavṛttam

नासदासीन्नो सदासी ् दनीीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो य ् |

षिमावरीविः िुह िस्य शममन्नम्भिः षिमासीद्रहनीं गभीरम् || 1 ||
nāsadāsīnno sadāsīt tadanīṃ nāsīdrajo no vyomā paro yat;
kimāvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmannambhaḥ kimāsīdrahanaṃ gabhīram. (1)

न मृत्युरासीदमृ ीं न षहम न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रिे िः |

अनीदवा ीं स्वधया दे िीं स्माद्धान्यन्न परिः षिींचनास || 2 ||
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na mṛtyurāsīdamṛtaṃ na tarhi na rātryā ahna āsītpraketaḥ;
anīdavātaṃ svadhayā tadekaṃ tasmāddhānyanna paraḥ kiṃcanāsa. (2)

म आसीत्तमसा गूल्हमग्रेऽप्रिे ीं सषििीं सवममा इदम् |

ु च्छ्येनाभ्वषपषह ीं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्मषहनाजाय ै ििः || 3 ||
tama āsīttamasā gūlhamagre'praketaṃ salilaṃ sarvamā idam;
tucchyenābhvapihitaṃ yadāsīttapasastanmahinājāyataikaḥ. (3)

िामस्तदग्रे समव म ाषध मनसो रे िः प्रथमीं यदासी ् |

स ो बन्धुमसष षनरषवन्दन् हृषद प्र ीष्या िवयो मनीिा || 4 ||
kāmastadagre samavartatādhi manaso retaḥ prathamaṃ yadāsīt;
sato bandhumasati niravindan hṛdi pratīṣyā kavayo manīṣā. (4)

ष रश्चीनो षव ो रश्मिरे िामधिः श्मस्वदासीदु परर श्मस्वदासी ् |

रे ोधा आसन्मषहमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयष िः परस्ता ् || 5 ||
tiraścīno vitato raśmireṣāmadhaḥ svidāsīdupari svidāsīt;
retodhā āsanmahimāna āsantsvadhā avastātprayatiḥ parastāt. (5)

िो अद्धा वेद ि इह प्रवोच ् िु आजा ा िु इयीं षवसृषष्टिः |

अवाम ग्देवा अस्य षवसजम नेनाथा िो वेद य आबभूव || 6 ||
ko addhā veda ka iha pravocat kuta ājātā kuta iyaṃ visṛṣṭiḥ;
arvāgdevā asya visarjanenāthā ko veda yata ābabhūva. (6)

इयीं षवसृषष्टयम आबभूव यषद वा दधे यषद वा न |

यो अस्याध्यक्षिः परमे व्योमन्सो अङ्ग वेद यषद वा न वेद || 7 ||
iyaṃ visṛṣṭiryata ābabhūva yadi vā dadhe yadi vā na;
yo asyādhyakṣaḥ parame vyomanso aṅga veda yadi vā na veda. (7)

Now, we shall look into individual mantras to have a direct

understanding of how the Ṛṣi perceived the whole episode.

नासदासीन्नो सदासी ् दनीीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो य ् |

षिमावरीविः िुह िस्य शममन्नम्भिः षिमासीद्रहनीं 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.

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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. What is SAT and what is ASAT, after all? 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 the 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 was
totally involved in SAT; manifestation happens when SAT invokes ASAT and
sustains it facilitating the eventual 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. Change is an inalienable feature of physical existence.
Therefore, the nature of the changeless one 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
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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. It is nothing but Ātmā.

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 मृत्युरासीदमृ ीं न षहम न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रिे िः |

आनीदवा ीं स्वधया दे िीं स्माद्धान्यन्न परिः षिींचनास || 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- other,
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 existed other than Him.

The verse says that nothing could be differentiated at that time; the
duality of mortality and immortality was also not there. It is well known that
the ultimate entity is 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.

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 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:

म आसीत्तमसा गूल्हमग्रेऽप्रिे ीं सषििीं सवममा इदम् |

ु च्छ्येनाभ्वषपषह ीं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्मषहनाजाय ै ििः || 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 an 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.

िामस्तदग्रे समव म ाषध मनसो रे िः प्रथमीं यदासी ् |

स ो बन्धुमसष षनरषवन्दन् हृषद प्र ीष्या िवयो मनीिा || 4 ||
kāmastadagre samavartatādhi manaso retaḥ prathamaṃ yadāsīt;
sato bandhumasati niravindan hṛdi pratīṣyā kavayo manīṣā. (4)
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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 inner hold of Ātmā 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 as fully absorbed within
Ātmā. Kāma occurs only when there is something other than oneself. Here,
apart from Puruṣa, there is Prakṛti also. Puruṣa is SAT (स ् ) and Prakṛti is
ASAT (अस ् ). 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 (अषनवमचनीय - 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.

ष रश्चीनो षव ो रश्मिरे िामधिः श्मस्वदासीदु परर श्मस्वदासी ् |

रे ोधा आसन्मषहमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयष िः परस्ता ् || 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
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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 (of Kāma) 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.

With this mantra, the explication of cosmogony is over. Now, in the next
two mantras a speculation is made upon who can cognise the knowledge
about this projection and how.

िो अद्धा वेद ि इह प्रवोच ् िु आजा ा िु इयीं षवसृषष्टिः |

अवाम ग्देवा अस्य षवसजम नेनाथा िो वेद य 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. (Note: It may
be noted that Devas are all creations of Ātmā – see verses 2.1.20, 2.4.6 of
Bṛhadāraṇyaka and other Upaniṣads).

इयीं षवसृषष्टयम आबभूव यषद वा दधे यषद वा न |

यो अस्याध्यक्षिः परमे व्योमन्सो अङ्ग वेद यषद 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,

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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 remains yet to be
transcended, after the elapse of more than four thousand years or even more.

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