"Hymn of Creation" (Rig Veda) by Unknown

Note: If you know who composed this poem in the Rig Veda in Sanskrit, please leave a comment.

1.nAsadAsIn no sadAsIt tadAnIM nAsId rajo no vyomAparo yat |\

kimAvarIvaH kuha kasya sharmannambhaH kimAsId gahanaM gabhIram ||\

2.na mRtyurAsIdamRtaM na tarhi na rAtryA ahna AsItpraketaH |\

AnIdavAtaM svadhayA tadekaM tasmAddhAnyan na paraH kiM canAsa ||\

3.tama AsIt tamasA gULamagre.apraketaM salilaM sarvamAidam |\

tuchyenAbhvapihitaM yadAsIt tapasastanmahinAjAyataikam ||\

4.kAmastadagre samavartatAdhi manaso retaH prathamaM yadAsIt |\

sato bandhumasati niravindan hRdi pratISyAkavayo manISA ||\

5.tirashcIno vitato rashmireSAmadhaH svidAsI.a.a.at |\

retodhAAsan mahimAna Asan svadhA avastAt prayatiH parastAt ||\

6.ko addhA veda ka iha pra vocat kuta AjAtA kuta iyaMvisRSTiH |\

arvAg devA asya visarjanenAthA ko veda yataAbabhUva ||\

7.iyaM visRSTiryata AbabhUva yadi vA dadhe yadi vA na |\

yo asyAdhyakSaH parame vyoman so aN^ga veda yadi vA naveda ||\

Note:  If you know who did this particular translation, please leave a comment. Thanks.

Then nothingness was not, nor existence then,

Nor air nor depths nor heavens beyond their ken

What covered it? Where was it? In whose Keeping ?

In unfathomed folds, was it cosmic water seeping ?

Then there was no life, no birth nor death,

Neither night nor day nor wind nor breath,

At last One sighed ” a self sustained Mother,

There was that One then, and none other,

Then there was darkness wrapped in darkness;

Was this unlit water, unseen, dry, wetless ?

That one which came to be, enclosed in naught,

Arose, who knows, how, from the power of what !

“But after all who knows and who can say

Who, how, why, whence began creation’s day ?

“Gods came after creation did they not ?

So who knows truly, whence it was wrought!_.

“Does that first Mother Herself know, now?

Did She create or was Herself created somehow;

She, who surveys form the heavens, above us all,

She knows ” or maybe She knows not at all.

“Did She Herself create the one god !

And gladly gave Him the Creator’s rod !

But so re- fashioned Time and Space

That He was more, and She was less ?

“Did She turn future into past ?

So He came first and She was last!

“But surely, She told Him all, all!

Then how could He not know at all?

“Or perhaps He knows it not, and cannot tell

Oh! He knows, He knows, but will not tell…

[Via http://poemfortoday.wordpress.com]

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