Mystic Passages 4: Nāsadīya Sūkta – Hymn of Creation (part-1)

This is my first attempt to decode a hymn on my own (of course under master’s hidden guidance) and that too of the most famous sukta – The Nasadiya Sukta. Most of my blogging friends, asked me to undertake this task in the past. I was not ready that time, but now I feel I am. I do not have any direct source from Master E K this time, but all the wisdom I gained from attuning to his way of approach, is what is helping me to embark on this great task.

I took some of the word-word meanings/translations from the book “A new approach to the Vedas – by A.K.Coomaraswamy” and from Sanskrit dictionary, and there upon, the meaning and the explanation of the hymn follows the rhythm of my inner thought, as I submit myself to the MASTER. You may judge the authenticity of this explanation. Well, I remind you of shakespeare’s words – “Gently to Hear, Kindly to Judge” and the proverb that “DO not judge a book by its cover“. Read fully, spend time in understanding what I have to say, compare with what you know or what you might get on internet and then take what seems to resonate with your consciousness. Let us dive now.

Introduction:

To understand a vedic hymn, we need to know few pre-elements as follows. Each of the element act as a guiding lamp for us to tread in right direction. Without these fundamental FOUR, our compass is lost and we will end up with many misunderstandings.

To Which Veda does this hymn belong? –

This hymn, famous by the name Nasadiya Sukta, is a part of Rig Veda. As mentioned in 23) The Vedas, Rik means a ray of light or a trill of vocal utterance. So, any hymn that occurs in Rig veda, in one way or the other, extols this RAY, an emanation of the Omniscient. 

Who is the Seer of this hymn? –

There must be a firsthand clarification to be made here. A seer of a hymn is NOT the “person” who invented/discovered the him. This is an utter blunder. Seer is called “Rishi” in Sanskrit and a “Rishi” is a cosmic intelligence that brings down the “RIK/Ray of LIGHT” into human comprehension. Thus, when a person, in highest state of resonance, utters a hymn, he/she gives credit to that “RISHI” or “Cosmic Intelligence” who enlightened their meditative states. Just like the deva of hunger acts in all of us, RISHIS act in appropriate personalities, who strive to transfer wisdom from invisible planes to the visible.

The seer of this hymn is “Paramesthi Prajapathi”. Unless we know who a Prajapathi is, we do not understand the purport of the hymn. Prajapathi are the first sons of creation. That means, before creation emerges, they first emerge into awakening. What is their state before that? They exist as seed principles in the EGG of cosmos (Brahmanda). These Prajapathis are also the 9 numbers that we have from 1-9, 0 being the totality of their UNIT existence. We can dedicate another article on this, but for now, the important thing to take is that, Prajapathi is the “creator-consciousness” who acts through the properties of Numbers. The seer of this hymn is called the loving darling Prajapathi of the LORD (Paramesthi Prajapathi) because, the hymn is about to expound the wisdom of creation and so obviously, the seer should be the creator consciousness. Else where (lalita sahasranama) it is said that the creation occurs due to DESIRE of Paramēśvara and hence the name.

In what meter is this hymn uttered forth? – 

A meter in the Veda suggests the rhythm of an aspect of creation. In 21) Gayatri & The Mantra and 28) The Six Keys (part-2) we have seen this explicitly. What is the meter of this hymn? It is called “Trishtup“. What do we know of this meter? It has 11 syllables in each of the four lines. What does 11 symbolize? The prajapathis (1 to 9 through 0) are the first sons of creation, while after them, the 11 is the second son. DO you know who this is? He is RUDRA, who manifests in 11 modes (that is why there are 11 rudras – Sankara, Manu, Kaala, etc.). RUDRA = Master of Rōdaśi or Master of etheric Vibrations. These vibrations can be understood as the fluctuations in apparently empty space (rōdaśi), whose different modes are the present state of matter and dark matter (it is interesting to connect the dots as to how M- theory suggests 11 dimensional existence). Thus, a meter having 11 syllables extols on these vibratory principles. Nasadiya Sukta, being a hymn of creation, should necessarily explain us through unfoldment of these  11 rudras. That is why, this hymn took the meter of TRISHTUP – 11 syllable meter.

Who is the deity that permeates this hymn? –

Every hymn is presided over by a deity. That deity encompasses the whole characteristics of the hymn as ONE symbol. The deity of this hymn is called Bhāvavṛttaṃ = a globe of Meaning. Kalidasa praises that “Parvati and Parameswara are as inseparable as an utterance and in its meaning“. If RUDRAS are uttering the creation as their CRY (Rōdana in Rōdasi, hence RUDRA), through the first principles of Prajapathis, the purpose/essence of this creation (i.e., its meaning) is then, by necessity, presided over by this Bhavavrittam/The globe of meaning. “Vrittam/Globe“ because, creation is cyclical and globular in nature.

Majority of the concepts that would come in the hymn are seeded by these four elements. These are to be sown in the soil of our mind, right now, so as to reap the fruits of the following explorations of the hymn.

Interesting point:  It is interesting to note that the hymn has 7 stanzas. Already the above four elements explained how the hymn extols on creation. Now, the number 7 is intimately connected to creation. I have explored this in 36) Mystic nature of Numbers, and I hope you read the beauties there. So, uttering 7 stanzas has the hidden secret that the septenary splendors of creation (7 rays, 7 musical notes, 7 maruts, 7 planetary deities, 7 planes of existence, etc.). 

The Hymn:

Now, let us proceed stanza by stanza, along with word-word meaning, translation and explanation. I am borrowing the transliteration scheme (Sanskrit to English) from wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasadiya_Sukta).

Stanza-1:

 nāsadāsīn nō sadāsīttadānīṃ|
nāsīdrajō nō vyōmā parō yat ||
kimāvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmann |
aṃbhaḥ kimāsīd gahanaṃ gabhīráṃ || 

Word to Word Meaning:

na+asad = Neither non existence; āsīn = preside; no = No; sad = Existence; āsīt = presided; Tat = (at) That;  ānīṃ = Time; na+āsīd = Not presiding; rajō = Grains of rajas; nō=No; vyōma =  Space; parō = Ultra; yat = this/that; kim = What; āvarīvah = Envelopes; kuha = Where; kasya = Whose; śarmann = Abode; aṃbhaḥ = Waters; kim = what; āsīd = exists; gahanaṃ = deep; gabhīraṃ = abyss.

Import:

At the moment when there was Naught nor was Aught, when neither rajō nor an abode presided the ultra space (which) enveloped the waters of the unfathomable deep abyss?

Explanation:

In the introduction we have seen in what direction we have to understand this hymn. Because the four elements suggest that the hymn is woven with the thread of ideas of creation, let us define and understand the hymn in that direction. Important terms to be defined in this first stanza:

• Sat/Asat: Definition of sat is generally given as existence. But, I prefer the term “Truth of existence”. When you look at moon and ask, “does moon exist?”, does this question has a definite answer? When we look, we can affirmatively say yes. When we don’t? or when vision is impaired? The truth of existence of Moon will become blind to us. It will become a matter of belief rather than a fact. This apparent “truth” of existence is dual in its nature. It is “observer dependent” and hence is only partial in its absolute truth levels. Any thing in this Universe can be categorized into just Sat/Asat – and this set may change to each observer. So, Sat/Asat is the relative truth of existence of a piece of observation, relative to an observer.
• Rajas: Consider an atom. An atom has a whirlpool of forces which render it stable (apparently) in a given situation. Again consider a tornado. There is a whirlpool of movement over which the dust particles superimpose to give the shape of tornado. In both the cases, the whirlpool of forces pre-exist the particles/subparts of the “effect” of the whirl (atom/tornado). Imagine the same to the creation. Before anything starts, there comes a first whirlpool of forces. The seed principle or basic block of this whirlpool is called “RAJAS”. This is depicted in purāṇās as the “churning of ocean” or in emblems of ancient lore as “Swastika”, etc. 
• Ambhah:  The synonym of this word in Vēdās is “Āpas”, which means water in normal terms and “divine waters” in vēdic terms. What are divine waters? It is the milk ocean that the above mentioned churning takes place. Just like waves arise and recede from an ocean, the creation too emerges from and merges into the divine waters. So, Ambhah is the backdrop of totality.

Given that you have digested these important terms, let us understand the first stanza point wise. But before, we need another clarification to be made. A vēdic hymn is an utterance of a saint in highest state of resonance with THE ONE. So, the seeming questions of a hymn need to be understood as “rhetorical” rather than mere question. It is utterly foolish to think a Vēdic hymn “poses” a question or a seer is in doubt and that he does not know. If that were the case, then why “SING” the hymn in a tune and preserve a “doubt” for millennia? So, I am on the stand that every vēdic hymn that seems to be a question has an answer in it at plain sight – we just need to rub off the preconceived rubbish of our intuition. So, taking that the stanza has no questions, but only affirmative answers, let us dive into them:

• It seems that there is neither SAT nor ASAT at the beginning.
• This is the point of observation – at that moment of creation.
• Not even rajas existed at that moment.
• There was no abode to be found in the space.
• Nor this space is enveloping the Waters.
• These waters are supposed to be in deep ultra space, but they are unfathomable.
• The question of what, when and whose – applied to all the above is rhetorically asked.

Let us go in reverse direction (which I always tend to do in my blog articles and seems that the seer of this hymn too followed the same logic i.e to understand within to without, we go from without to within. 

1. The first and foremost mention (the last) is the DEEP ABYSS. This is deep and abyss because there was no observer to observe. As Gīta says “That which exists will never cease to exist …“, There is something from which the creation is emerging (we know this for fact). This something when was ONE, has no dual. When no dual, is there a question of understanding? When you sleep, can you ever ask yourself “Am I Asleep” ? That is the reason it is deep and abyss.
2. It seems that all the entities mentioned in 4 lines of this hymn emerge from this Deep Abyss. Next question about abode (śarmann) suggests this fact. This deep abyss acts as abode of everything. Everything emerges from and recede into this abyss. That is why it was asked “Where was the abode?” – “of course There is the abode” is the hidden answer. Otherwise, how foolish can a person be to first say “it is abyss/empty” and then ask ” where is my home in emptiness?”. This again I repeat to stress on this point of “answer in the question” style of vēda.
3. This abode floats on the waters (Ambhaha). That means, waters form the condensed state of this deep space as first descent into manifestation. The same can be seen on Earth as the waters condensing into rain and descending onto Earth as droplets. It is no coincidence, but the property of imbibing nature of NATURE.
4. If this is an abode, and there are waters of LIFE permeating it, there must be a boundary i.e., when unmanifest manifests,a layer of duality acts as a veil. This we may call Maya/Illusion. This envelopes the deep abyss and the waters.
5. What is the stage for all this? It is said as “Parō Vyōman” meaning ultra space. The space we see, as apparent emptiness, is still not empty. The space that acts as background to the space we see is parō vyoma. It seems that all the above said “abyss”, “abode”, “waters” exist in this parō vyōma. Para is always associated with the GOD beyond and Space with the omnipresent Vishnu. Thus, Parō Vyōma should indicate and hint us about the omnipresent lord who is beyond any cycle of creation. It seems that in HIM all this drama of creation is occurring.
6. In our example of clouds condensing, what drives the clouds to condense into water? A movement right? Only when one cloud rubs against the other and the thunder thus produced, does the rain drop onto Earth. Similarly, the waters of this deep abyss will have a STIR/WHIRL-POOL of force in them, as an intrinsic property. This, we defined as Rajas. So, it seems that next, “Rajas” or a dynamic movement or impulse occurs in the apparent static waters making everything revolve/rotate. This nature is imbibed into the rotations of Planets, electrons, galaxies, our thoughts over an idea, etc. So, the first and foremost “DYNAMIC” agent that emanates in the process of creation is RAJAS and the hymn is stating that this occurs when the creation is about to emerge from the dark spaces filled with waters of life.
7. The birth of rajas, which creates the whirl is also the birth of TIME as we know – the time as duration. This is called Śēṣa/Snake crawling. There is another background time called ANANTA, which is depicted as snake eating its tail. Here, in this stanza, when the time aspect is brought, it was after the birth fo RAJAS and hence the time as we know is what is being described here. So, RAJAS cause the first time as we know. That is why, the time calculations are based on revolutions, rotations of planets/Suns and vibrations (atomic clocks) which are effects of Rajas.
8. This RAJAS creates a movement in waters which then condense into subsequent stages of creation (next stanzas). This causes the primary – relativity SAT and ASAT, which are two sides of ONE coin of EXISTENCE.

So, in the mask of questions, the first hymn affirmatively gives the above order of creation. If not so, why to mention those entities at all? If the seer wants to speak of unfathomable, why to bring exact rajas/abode/water etc to compare? Why not a comb or a sweet or a toy ?? It is because he intends to give us an order of creation via rhetorical question, these entities form part of the hymn as objects of questioning.

Does this hymn say there is nothing before creation or that seer does not know ?? Does it match with Big-bang theory (Universe came out of nothing)? NOOOOOOO. It is wrong to say that nāsadiya matches big-bang. That is a foolish attempt of greedy humans to satisfy their agony of mismatch between science and religion. Vēda never claims there was NOTHING before creation. Actually no one can ever claim. If they did, then there was “NOTHING” as something. Is there anything like “NOTHING” at all? Can you imagine? If you do, then there is something – how can you imagine nothing? – what is the object of imagination? So, it is this simple intuitive logic people forget before embarking on taking Vēda to interpret. Unless properly understood, vēda indeed is the most cryptic and toughest of all mysteries. So, NO, this hymn does not portray confusion, nor affirms big-bang nor does it say that NOTHING was before creation. The first statement “Nothing was and was nothing” itself is a mantra to meditate, not sit and debate!

Conclusion:

This article gives a thorough introduction and a taste of the hymn, via the first stanza, of Nāsadīya, through my lens of intuition and devotion. Let me know your opinions in shaping future stanza’s explanations. This hymn has 7 in total.

 

Thank You!