Nasadiya Suktam (Hymn of Creation) Meaning — Line by Line
नासदीय सूक्तम्
Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi
Meaning — Line by Line
Every verse of Nasadiya Suktam (Hymn of Creation) with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.
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- Verse 1. Nasadasinno sadasittadanim nasidrajo no vyoma paro yat;
- Verse 2. Na mrityurasidamritam na tarhi na ratrya ahna asitpraketah;
- Verse 3. Tama asittamasa gulhamagre'praketam salilam sarvama idam;
- Verse 4. Kamastadagre samavartatadhi manaso retah prathamam yadasit;
- Verse 5. Tirashchino vitato rashmiresham adhah svidasidupari svidasit;
- Verse 6. Ko addha veda ka iha pra vochatkuta ajata kuta iyam visrishtih;
- Verse 7. Iyam visrishtiryata ababhuva yadi va dadhe yadi va na;
Nasadasinno sadasittadanim nasidrajo no vyoma paro yat;
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)
MeaningThen 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?
Na mrityurasidamritam na tarhi na ratrya ahna asitpraketah;
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)
MeaningThere 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.
Tama asittamasa gulhamagre'praketam salilam sarvama idam;
तम आसीत्तमसा गूळ्हमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम्। तुच्छ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम्॥३॥
Tama asittamasa gulhamagre'praketam salilam sarvama idam; Tuchyenabhvapihitam yadasittapasastanmahinajayataikam. (3)
MeaningDarkness 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).
Kamastadagre samavartatadhi manaso retah prathamam yadasit;
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)
MeaningDesire 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.
Tirashchino vitato rashmiresham adhah svidasidupari svidasit;
तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासीदुपरि स्विदासीत्। रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात्॥५॥
Tirashchino vitato rashmiresham adhah svidasidupari svidasit; Retodha asanmahimana asantsvadha avastatprayatih parastat. (5)
MeaningTheir cord was stretched across: was there a below? was there an above? There were seed-bearers, there were mighty powers — impulse below, gift above.
Ko addha veda ka iha pra vochatkuta ajata kuta iyam visrishtih;
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)
MeaningWho 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?
Iyam visrishtiryata ababhuva yadi va dadhe yadi va na;
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)
MeaningThis 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.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Origin & History
Source: Rigveda, Mandala 10, Sukta 129
Author: Rishi Parameshthi Prajapati (traditional)
Period: c. 1500-1200 BCE
The Nasadiya Sukta appears near the close of the Rigveda, in its tenth and most philosophical Mandala. Traditionally ascribed to the seer Parameshthi Prajapati, it marks a turning point in Vedic thought — from the praise of individual deities toward abstract reflection on the one ultimate source of all. Rather than asserting a creation myth, the seer poses a chain of unanswerable questions, arriving at the One (Tad Ekam) that existed before the duality of being and non-being, and confessing the limits of even divine knowledge.
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