Creation...

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

I was just reading again the Creation Hymn of the Rig Veda written around 1200 BCE, and thought I should post it here. I have posted it here before many years ago....so why not once again? The hymn never fails to surprise and inspire me.

It is called the Nasadiya and is Chapter 10.129 of the Rig Veda.

Here it is....

*******************

CREATION HYMN

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, bottomlessly deep?

There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
The 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 fluid.
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 did not –
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps even He does not know.

*********************

For those who may be interested.

Cheers.

Sriram

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Sriram......thanks for that, you can see why these things stand the test of time.

[ippy]

Hi everyone,

I was just reading again the Creation Hymn of the Rig Veda written around 1200 BCE, and thought I should post it here. I have posted it here before many years ago....so why not once again? The hymn never fails to surprise and inspire me.

It is called the Nasadiya and is Chapter 10.129 of the Rig Veda.

Here it is....

*******************

CREATION HYMN

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, bottomlessly deep?

There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
The 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 fluid.
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 did not –
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps even He does not know.

*********************

For those who may be interested.

Cheers.

Sriram

Nothing interesting in your science weekly, whatever you call it, this week then Sriram?

ippy

[Sriram]

Sriram......thanks for that, you can see why these things stand the test of time.

 

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Nothing interesting in your science weekly, whatever you call it, this week then Sriram?

ippy

Just recording Ippy,s response

[Sebastian Toe]

Just recording Ippy,s response

Just recording Vlad,s response. 

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Just recording Vlad,s response. 

Just recording Sebs response.....two winking smileys and one having a shave.

[Dicky Underpants]

Whence this creation has arisen
– perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not –
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps even He does not know.

Sriram

That's an interesting text (which quite inspired me when I came across it in my early twenties). Most interesting is the verse I've quoted, which shows an unwillingness to be dogmatic about divine matters, and opens the possibility of continual enquiry. Despite Vlad's approval, I doubt very much whether he will concede that his deity "perhaps does not know".

The text also bears comparison with some of the speculations of the gnostic teacher Basilides.