Nasadiya Suktam (Hymn of Creation) — Complete Lyrics
नासदीय सूक्तम्
Sanskrit text with English transliteration and translation
Verse 1
नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत्।
किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम्॥१॥
Nasadasinno sadasittadanim nasidrajo no vyoma paro yat;
Kimavarivah kuha kasya sharmannambhah kimasidgahanam gabhiram. (1)
Then there was neither the non-existent nor the existent; there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. What stirred? Where? In whose shelter? Was there water, unfathomably deep?
Verse 2
न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः।
आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किं चनास॥२॥
Na mrityurasidamritam na tarhi na ratrya ahna asitpraketah;
Anidavatam svadhaya tadekam tasmaddhanyanna parah kim chanasa. (2)
There was neither death nor immortality then; there was no distinguishing mark of night or day. That One breathed, windless, by its own power; other than that there was nothing whatsoever.
Verse 3
तम आसीत्तमसा गूळ्हमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम्।
तुच्छ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम्॥३॥
Tama asittamasa gulhamagre'praketam salilam sarvama idam;
Tuchyenabhvapihitam yadasittapasastanmahinajayataikam. (3)
Darkness there was, hidden by darkness in the beginning; all this was an unillumined flood. That One, which was covered by the void, was born through the power of heat (tapas).
Verse 4
कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः प्रथमं यदासीत्।
सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयो मनीषा॥४॥
Kamastadagre samavartatadhi manaso retah prathamam yadasit;
Sato bandhumasati niravindanhridi pratishya kavayo manisha. (4)
Desire arose in It in the beginning — that was the first seed of mind. The wise, searching in their hearts with contemplation, found the bond of the existent in the non-existent.
Verse 5
तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासीदुपरि स्विदासीत्।
रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात्॥५॥
Tirashchino vitato rashmiresham adhah svidasidupari svidasit;
Retodha asanmahimana asantsvadha avastatprayatih parastat. (5)
Their cord was stretched across: was there a below? was there an above? There were seed-bearers, there were mighty powers — impulse below, gift above.
Verse 6
को अद्धा वेद क इह प्र वोचत्कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः।
अर्वाग्देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यत आबभूव॥६॥
Ko addha veda ka iha pra vochatkuta ajata kuta iyam visrishtih;
Arvagdeva asya visarjanenatha ko veda yata ababhuva. (6)
Who truly knows? Who here can declare it — whence it was born, whence this creation came? The gods came after the creation of this world; who then knows whence it arose?
Verse 7
इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न।
यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन्त्सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद॥७॥
Iyam visrishtiryata ababhuva yadi va dadhe yadi va na;
Yo asyadhyakshah parame vyomantso anga veda yadi va na veda. (7)
This creation — whence it arose, whether it was established or not — He who is its overseer in the highest heaven, He alone knows; or perhaps even He knows not.
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