Of all the philosophical writings of Hinduism, the Nasadiya Sukta, or Hymn of Creation, stands out as par excellence (Rig Veda 10.129). Such ancient hymns, believed to be the hallmark of prajnaparamita or transcendental wisdom, offer tremendous richness into the nature of existence itself, especially for those who are attracted to Hindu thought and considering choosing it as their spiritual path.

The Great Cosmic Question

The Nasadiya either opens up with a very stark question challenging us in every possible sense of the word:

"There was neither non-existence nor existence then; Neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomlessly deep?" (Rig Veda 10.129.1)

Unlike confident proclamations that commence creation myths, this hymn begins with uncertainty and wonder. As such, it recognizes a state before creation in which normal conceptual categories like "existence" and "non-existence" did not apply. This paradoxical existing state transcends our common conceptual framework.

Beyond Dual-Form

This takes into consideration the Sukta's deepening metaphysical territory:

"There was neither death nor immortality then. There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day. That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse. Other than that there was nothing beyond." (Rig Veda 10.129.2)

Here we encounter the term "That One" (tad ekam), a principle beyond dualities like life/death or day/night. This points to what would later develop in Hindu philosophy as Brahman-the ultimate reality that transcends all opposites and categories.

The Pre-Creation Void

"Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning, with no distinguishing sign, all this was water. The life force which was covered with emptiness, that One arose through the power of heat." (Rig Veda 10.129.3)

This verse describes primordial state both in terms of darkness and of water, signifying the undifferentiated potential from which all would emerge. The mention of "heat" (tapas) introduces a concept that would ultimately become central to Hindu thought: the creative power of spiritual energy, later developed as the discipline of tapasya or spiritual austerity.
 

Birth of Desire

"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." (Rig Veda 10.129.4)

What a wondrous verse now introduces desire (kama) as the first impulse of consciousness. It is not merely a physical appetite for things—kama here is the impetus that initiates manifestation, the primal urge which causes the cosmos to seed. Following Hindu custom would develop a more sophisticating literary tradition out of this into complex theories about how consciousness shapes reality.

Cosmic Beginnings

"Stretched their cord across. Was there below? Was there above? There were seed-placers, there were powers. There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above." (Rig Veda 10.129.5)

This poetic imagery suggests the first structuring of the cosmos, with polarities emerging from the undifferentiated One. The reference to "seed-placers" hints at the concept of cosmic intelligence directing creation, later developed as the principle of divine intelligence (Ishvara).

Divine Humility

The hymn closes with one of the great passages in all literature: 

"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?" (Rig Veda 10.129.6). 

"Whence has this creation 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 He does not know." (Rig Veda 10.129.7). 

Such profound intellectual humility is on display in these concluding verses. Even the gods themselves came after creation; who then could know its ultimate source? The very acknowledgement of mystery sets Hindu metaphysics apart from dogmatic systems.

And for the many who are interested in Hindu spirituality, the Nasadiya Sukta unfolds the philosophy's remarkable depth. It embraces paradox, affirms the limitations of human understanding, and points to a reality beyond the bounds of our conceptual categories, and it continues in texts such as the Upanishads, especially the Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads, and in the Bhagavad Gita, especially in chapters 7-12, which further articulate these profound metaphysical concerns.

A hymn indeed, taking us not just to believe in a creation story but into the very heart of the mystery of being itself-the impetus for the major part of Hindu spiritual practice.