Nasadiya Suktam (Hymn of Creation) PDF

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?

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.

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).

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.

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.

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?

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.