The 'creation hymn' of the Rig Veda
Quoting from PT Raju's book -- "The Philosophical Traditions of India":
Even the Hymns are not devoid of philosophical enquiries. The first most important philosophical hymn ever composed according to Max Mueller, by the Aryan race, is the Nasadiya Hymn of the Rgveda. It raises questions about the origin of the universe in the abstract terms of Being and Non-Being. It reads:
There was no Non-being, nor was there Being
What were its contacts, but where ?
In whose protection did it exist ?
Was there water, deep and unfathomable ?
There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was not the guidance of night and day.
That One breathed by its own power, without air.
Other than that there was nothing.
Darkness was concealed by darkness then.
All was water indistinguishable.
That which was coming into Being was covered by void.
That One was born through the power of penance.
Desire was in the beginning,
That was the first seed of mind.
The wise discovered in their hearts
The bond of Being to Non-being.
This is a philosophical questioning about what there can be beyond Being and Non-being, with which we are acquainteed in thsi world. And the composer himself of this Naasadiya hymn ends:
Whence is this creation ?
Is it founded or not ?
The presiding Deity in the skies knows it,
Or perhaps He does not..
Even the Hymns are not devoid of philosophical enquiries. The first most important philosophical hymn ever composed according to Max Mueller, by the Aryan race, is the Nasadiya Hymn of the Rgveda. It raises questions about the origin of the universe in the abstract terms of Being and Non-Being. It reads:
There was no Non-being, nor was there Being
What were its contacts, but where ?
In whose protection did it exist ?
Was there water, deep and unfathomable ?
There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was not the guidance of night and day.
That One breathed by its own power, without air.
Other than that there was nothing.
Darkness was concealed by darkness then.
All was water indistinguishable.
That which was coming into Being was covered by void.
That One was born through the power of penance.
Desire was in the beginning,
That was the first seed of mind.
The wise discovered in their hearts
The bond of Being to Non-being.
This is a philosophical questioning about what there can be beyond Being and Non-being, with which we are acquainteed in thsi world. And the composer himself of this Naasadiya hymn ends:
Whence is this creation ?
Is it founded or not ?
The presiding Deity in the skies knows it,
Or perhaps He does not..
posted by VK at 6:54 AM
6 Comments:
how can you say something like...
*even* the hymns *are not devoid* of philosphical enquiry.
the hymns *are* about philosophical enquiry. based on the understanding of nature the authors had at the time. and a sublime, graceful acceptance of nature. 'dharma' in sanskrit means nature.
Actually the entire thing is a quote from the book. Since the entire book is about philosophy, I guess the statement was made in comparing the hyms with the more philo-heavy portions of Hindu literature like the Upanishads.
Best,
Vijay
attributed it wrongly to you.
and could not find a justifiable context (though i tried).
my bad.
I am guessing you are not an Indian/Hindu. Because of a revenrential kind of note in your writing, that would not be there (I think) from an Indian. A 'familiarity breeds ...' kind of effect.
you guess is incorrect. quite spectacularly, in fact.
Okay, and you don't have to be so smug about it.
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