"Breathless, breathed by its own nature " Did it breathe or not? Hardly both. The mystery of the creation of this universe has still puzzled the people in the world. In fact, there are so many intellectual and religious leaders in the world, but nobody knows how this universe was created. There are only some speculations about the creation, which has become a master puzzle, impossible to decode. Human minds have created so many things but in the past and even in the present, it has been trapped by the single basic question of how the universe was created. The not knowing is kind of beautiful in that the mystery is magical.
Some have speculated that there was some mighty force and the begetters, whose free action worked for the creation. There might be some power above and their creation below. Who knows truly about when this universe was created and how it was created? It is believed that Gods are created later than the creation of the universe. Possibly, there was one. He, the first origin of this creation who might have made it all or not; whose eyes have controlled the universe might know the truth or might not know it all. In this way, this hymn of Rig Veda presents a very essential question of creation and its mystery.
Original NasadiyaSukta
नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् ।
किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥ १॥
न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः ।
आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किञ्चनास ॥२॥
तम आसीत्तमसा गूहळमग्रे प्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वाऽइदम् ।
तुच्छ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम् ॥३॥
कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः प्रथमं यदासीत् ।
सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयो मनीषा ॥४॥
तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासीदुपरि स्विदासीत् ।
रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात् ॥५॥
को अद्धा वेद क इह प्र वोचत्कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः ।
अर्वाग्देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यत आबभूव ॥६॥
इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न ।
यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन्त्सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद ॥७॥
Ralph Griffith's Translation
- Then was not non-existent nor existent; there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. What covered in, where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?
- Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal; no sign was there, the day's and night's divider. That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature; apart from it was nothing whatsoever.
- Darkness there was; at first, concealed in darkness this All was indiscriminate chaos. All that existed then was void and formless: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit.
- Thereafter rose Desire at the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit. Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent.
- Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it? There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder.
- Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation? The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?
- He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it. Whose eye controls this world in the highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not.
Then even nothingness was not, nor existence,
There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it.
What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping
Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?
Then there was neither death nor immortality
Nor was there then the torch of night and day.
The One breathed windlessly and self-sustaining.
There was that One then, and there was no other.
At first, there was only darkness wrapped in darkness.
All this was only unillumined water.
That One which came to be, enclosed in nothing,
arose, at last, born of the power of heat.
In the beginning, desire descended on it,
That was the primal seed, born of the mind.
The sages who have searched their hearts with wisdom
know that which is kin to that which is not.
And they have stretched their cord across the void,
and know what was above, and what below.
Seminal powers made fertile mighty forces.
Below was strength, and over it was an impulse.
But, after all, who knows, and who can say
Whence it all came, and how did creation happen?
The gods themselves are later than the creation,
so who knows truly whence it has arisen?
Whence all creation had its origin,
he, whether he fashioned it or whether he did not,
he, who surveys it all from the highest heaven,
he knows-or maybe even he does not know.
Swami Vivekananda's Translation
Existence was not then, nor non-existence,
The world was not, the sky beyond was neither,
What covered the mist? Of whom was that?
What was in the depths of darkness thick?
Death was not then, no immortality,
The night was neither separate from the day,
But motionless did That vibrate
Alone, with Its own glory one-
Beyond That nothing did exist.
At first in darkness hidden darkness lay,
Undistinguished as one mass of water,
Then That which lay in void thus covered
A glory did put forth by Tapah!
First desire rose, the primal seed of the mind,
(The sages have seen all this in their hearts
Sifting existence from non-existence.)
Its rays above below and sideways spread.
Creative then became the glory,
With the self-sustaining principle below.
And Creative Energy above.
Who knew the way? Who there declared
Whence this arose? Projection whence?
For after this projection came the gods.
Who therefore knew indeed, came out this whence?
This projection whence arose,
Whether held or whether not,
He the ruler in the supreme sky, of this
He, O Sharman! knows, or know not
He perchance
A.L. Basham's Translation
Then even non-existence was not there, nor existence,
There was no air then, nor the space beyond it.
There was no air then, nor the space beyond it.
What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping?
Was there then cosmic fluid, in depths unfathomed?
Then there was neither death
nor immortality nor was there then the torch of night and day.
The One breathed windlessly and self-sustaining.
There was that One then, and there was no other.
At first there was only darkness wrapped in darkness.
All this was only unillumined cosmic water.
That One which came to be, enclosed in nothing,
arose at last, born of the power of heat.
In the beginning desire descended on it-
that was the primal seed, born of the mind.
The sages who have searched their hearts with wisdom
know that which is, is kin to that which is not.
And they have streched their cord across the void,
and know what was above, and what below.
Seminal powers made fertile mighty forces.
Below was strength, and over it was impulse.
But, after all, who knows, and who can say
Whence it all came, and how creation happened?
the gods themsleves are later than creation,
so who knows truly whence it has arisen?
Whence all creation had its origin,
the creator, whether he fashioned it or whether hr did not,
the creator, who surveys it all from highest heaven,
he knows-or maybe even he does not know.
Joel Brereton's Translation
The non-existent did not exist, nor did the existent exist at that time.
There existed neither the midspace nor the heaven beyond.
What strirred? From where and in whose protection?
Did water exist, a deep depth?
Death did not exist nor deathlessness then.
There existed no sign of night nor of day.
That One breathed without wind through its inherent force.
There existed nothing else beyond that.
Darkness existed , hidden by darkness, in the beginning.
All this was a signless ocean.
When the thing coming into being was concealed by emptiness,
then was the One born by the power of heat.
Then, in the beginning from thought there developed desire,
which existed as the primal semen.
Searching in their hearts through inspired thinking,
poets found the connection of the existent in the non-existent.
Their cord was streched across:
Did something exist below it? Did something exist above?
There was placers of semen and there were powers.
There was inherent force below, offering above.
Who really knows? Who shall here proclaim it?-
from where was it born, from where this creation?
The gods are on this side of the creation of this world.
So then who does know from where it came to be?
This creation- from where it came to be,
if it was produced or if not-
he who is the overseer of this world in the highest heaven,
he surely knows , or if he does not know....?
Wendy Doniger's Translation
There was neither non-existence nor existence then.
There was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond.
What stirred?
Where?
In whose protection?
Was there water, bottemlessly deep?
There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse.
Other than that there was nothing beyond.
Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning,
with no distinguishing sign, all this was water.
The life force that was covered with emptiness,
that One arose through the power of heat.
Desire came upon that One in the beginning,
that was the first seed of mind.
Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom
found the bond of existence and non-existence.
Their cord was extended across.
Was there below?
Was there above?
There were seed-placers, there were powers.
There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above.
Who really knows?
Who will here proclaim it?
Whence was it produced?
Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
Who then knows whence it has arisen?
Whence this creation has arisen
-perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it didnot-
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps even He does not know.
A.A. Macdonell's Translation
Non-being then existed not nor being:
There was no air, nor sky that is beyond it.
What was concealed? Wherein? In whose protection?
And was there deep unfathomable water?
Death then existed not nor life immoral;
Of neither night nor day was any token.
By its inherent force the One breathed windless;
No other thing than that beyond existed.
Darkness there was at first by darkness hidden;
Without distinctive marks, this all was water.
That which, becoming, by the void was covered,
That One by force of heat came into being.
Desire entered the One in the beginning;
It was the earliest seed, of thought the product.
The sages searching in their hearts with wisdom,
Found out the bond between being in non-being.
Their ray extended light across the darkness;
But was the One above or was it under?
Creative force was there, and fertile power;
Below was energy, above was impulse.
Who knows for certain? Who shall here declare it?
Whence was it born, and whence came this creation?
The gods were born after this world's creation:
Then who can know from whence it has arisen?
None knoweth whence creation has arisen;
And whether he has or has not produced it;
He who surveys it in the highest heaven,
He only knows, or hap;y he may know not.
Max Miller's Translation
Nor aught nor naught existed; you bright sky
Was not, nor heaven's broad woof outstretched above.
What covered all? what sheltered? what concealed?
Was it the water's fathomless abyss?
There was no death-hence was there naught immortal,
There was no confine betwixt day and night;
The only One breathed breathless in itself,
Other than it there nothing since has been.
Darkness there was, and all at first was veiled
In gloom profound,- an ocean without light.-
The germ that still lay covered in the husk
Burst forth, one nature, from the fervent heat.
Then first came Love upon it, the new spring
Of mind-yea, poets in their hearts discerned,
Pondering, this bond between created things
And uncreated. Comes this spark from the earth,
Piercing and all-pervading, or from heaven?
Then seeds were sown, and mighty power arose-
Nature below, and Power and Will above.
Who knows the secret? who proclaimed it here,
Whence, whence this manifold creation sprang?-
The gods themselves came later into being-
Who knows from whence this great creation sprang?-
He from whom all this great creation came.
Whether his will was created or was mute,
The Highest seer that is in highest heaven,
He knows it,- or perchance eén He knows not.
H.H. Wilson's Translation
The non-existent was not, the existent was not; then the world was not, nor the firmament, nor that which is above (the firmament). How could there be any investing envelope, and where? Of what (could there) be felicity? How (could there be) the deep unfathomable water?
Death was not nor at that period immortality, there was no indication of day or night; THAT ONE unbreathed upon breathed of his own strength, other than THAT there was nothing else whatever.
There was darkness covered by darkness in the beginning, all this (world) was undistinguishable water; that empty united (world) which was covered by a mere nothing, was produced through the power of austerity.
In the beginning, there was desire, which was the first seed of mind; sages having mediated in their hearts have discovered by their wisdom the connexion of the existent with the non-existent.
Their ray was stretched out, whether across, or below, or above; (some) were shedders of seed, (others) were mighty; food was inferior, the eater were superior.
Who really knows? Who in this world may declare it? Whence was this creation, whence was it engendered? The gods (were) subsequent to the (world's) creation; so who knows whence it arose?
He from whom this creation arose, he may uphold it, or he may not (no one else can) ; he who is its superintendent in the highest heaven, he assuredly knows, or if he knows not ( no one else does).
