←Backवापस

नासदीयसूक्तम् (ऋग्वेद १०.१२९)

Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129)

Ṛgveda, Maṇḍala 10, Sūkta 129 — ṛṣi Prajāpati Parameṣṭhin; devatā bhāvavṛtta (the origin of being); metre triṣṭubh

Continue exploring · आगे पढ़ें

The Nāsadīya Sūkta, Ṛgveda 10.129, takes its name from its first words, nāsad āsīt — “there was not non-existence.” It is often called the Hymn of Creation, and it is the most celebrated philosophical poem of the Ṛgveda. In seven verses it tries to imagine the state before anything existed: neither being nor non-being, neither death nor immortality, no night and no day — only “that One”, breathing without air by its own power, and darkness hidden in darkness. It names heat (tapas) and desire (kāma), “the first seed of mind”, as the powers through which the world began, and says the sages found the link between what is and what is not by searching in their own hearts. Then it does something rare in any scripture: it doubts its own answer. The gods, it says, came later than creation, so who can say where it came from? Perhaps the one who watches over it in the highest heaven knows — “or perhaps he does not know.” These are among the oldest hymns in any Indo-European language, and their language is often archaic; where scholars and traditional commentators read a word differently, the meaning here says so briefly. 7 verses, the complete sūkta.

नासदीय सूक्त, ऋग्वेद १०.१२९, का नाम इसके पहले शब्दों “नासदासीत्” — “तब असत् नहीं था” — से पड़ा है। इसे प्रायः सृष्टि-सूक्त कहा जाता है, और यह ऋग्वेद की सबसे प्रसिद्ध दार्शनिक कविता है। सात मन्त्रों में यह उस अवस्था की कल्पना करता है जब कुछ भी अस्तित्व में नहीं था: न सत्, न असत्; न मृत्यु, न अमरता; न रात, न दिन — केवल “वह एक”, जो बिना वायु के अपनी ही शक्ति से श्वास ले रहा था, और अन्धकार में छिपा अन्धकार। यह तप और काम — “मन का पहला बीज” — को वे शक्तियाँ बताता है जिनसे जगत् आरम्भ हुआ, और कहता है कि ऋषियों ने अपने हृदय में खोजकर सत् और असत् का सम्बन्ध पाया। फिर यह वह करता है जो किसी भी धर्मग्रन्थ में दुर्लभ है: यह अपने ही उत्तर पर सन्देह करता है। देवता सृष्टि के बाद आए, तो कौन बता सकता है कि यह कहाँ से आई? शायद परम आकाश में इसका अध्यक्ष जानता हो — “या शायद वह भी नहीं जानता।” ये किसी भी भारोपीय भाषा के सबसे प्राचीन सूक्तों में से हैं और इनकी भाषा प्रायः पुरानी है; जहाँ विद्वान् और पारम्परिक भाष्यकार किसी शब्द को अलग ढंग से पढ़ते हैं, वहाँ अर्थ में यह संक्षेप में बताया गया है। ७ मन्त्र, सम्पूर्ण सूक्त।

Textual source · पाठ-स्रोत

Ṛgveda 10.129, complete (7 verses). The Sanskrit follows Sanskrit Wikisource, ऋग्वेदः सूक्तं १०.१२९, a public-domain text, which writes the Ṛgvedic ḷ (ळ) as the saṃhitā has it. It has been checked verse by verse against Theodor Aufrecht's edition of the Ṛgveda (Bonn, 1877; public domain) as entered in GRETIL, and agrees with it in every verse; the only differences are in how a nasal before a consonant is written. The syllables marked ३ in verse 5 are prolonged (pluta) vowels of the questions “below?” and “above?”. The Ṛgveda is chanted with pitch accents (svaras); they are not shown here — the text is given unaccented, as in the source, and it is not presented as an accented Vedic text. The English and Hindi introductions above are original writing by AdiVeda; they give context and summary, not a translation of the Sanskrit and not a traditional commentary.

Verse meanings · श्लोकार्थ

प्रत्येक श्लोक के नीचे दिया गया हिन्दी और अंग्रेज़ी अर्थ AdiVeda का अपना सम्पादकीय अनुवाद है, जो ऊपर दिए गए संस्कृत पाठ से सीधे इस संस्करण के लिए किया गया है। यह पाठ को समझने में सहायता के लिए है — यह किसी प्रकाशित अनुवाद का उद्धरण या कोई पारम्परिक भाष्य नहीं है। जहाँ विभिन्न परम्पराएँ किसी अंश को अलग ढंग से पढ़ती हैं, वहाँ संक्षेप में यह बताया गया है।

The Hindi and English meaning under each verse is AdiVeda's own editorial translation, made directly from the Sanskrit printed here for this edition. It is meant to help you follow the text — it is not quoted from any published translation and it is not a traditional commentary. Where traditions read a passage differently, the meaning says so briefly.

ऋग्वेदः १०.१२९ · Ṛgveda 10.129 — The Hymn of Creation

नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् ।
किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥ १ ॥

nāsadāsīnno sadāsīttadānīṃ nāsīdrajo no vyomā paro yat,
kimāvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmannambhaḥ kimāsīdgahanaṃ gabhīram || 1 ||

Naasadaasiinno sadaasiittadaaniim naasiidrajo no vyomaa paro yat, kimaavariivah kuha kasya sharmannambhah kimaasiidgahanam gabhiiram || 1 ||

तब न असत् (अभाव) था, न सत् (भाव)। न लोक (वायुमण्डल) था, न उसके परे आकाश। क्या (सबको) ढके हुए था? कहाँ? किसके संरक्षण में? क्या अथाह, गहरा जल था?

Then there was neither non-existence nor existence. There was no realm of air, nor the sky beyond it. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, deep beyond fathoming?

न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः ।
आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किं चनास ॥ २ ॥

na mṛtyurāsīdamṛtaṃ na tarhi na rātryā ahna āsītpraketaḥ,
ānīdavātaṃ svadhayā tadekaṃ tasmāddhānyanna paraḥ kiṃ canāsa || 2 ||

Na mrityuraasiidamritam na tarhi na raatryaa ahna aasiitpraketah, aaniidavaatam svadhayaa tadekam tasmaaddhaanyanna parah kim chanaasa || 2 ||

तब न मृत्यु थी, न अमरता; रात और दिन का कोई चिह्न (भेद) नहीं था। वह एक, बिना वायु के, अपनी ही शक्ति (स्वधा) से श्वास ले रहा था। उसके अतिरिक्त और कुछ भी नहीं था।

There was no death then, nor immortality; there was no sign to tell night from day. That One breathed, windless, by its own power. Other than that, there was nothing at all.

तम आसीत्तमसा गूळ्हमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम् ।
तुच्छ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम् ॥ ३ ॥

tama āsīttamasā gūḻhamagre'praketaṃ salilaṃ sarvamā idam,
tucchyenābhvapihitaṃ yadāsīttapasastanmahinājāyataikam || 3 ||

Tama aasiittamasaa guulhamagre'praketam salilam sarvamaa idam, tuchchhyenaabhvapihitam yadaasiittapasastanmahinaajaayataikam || 3 ||

आरम्भ में अन्धकार अन्धकार से ढका हुआ था; यह सब चिह्न-रहित जल ही था। जो शून्य (तुच्छ) से ढका हुआ उत्पन्न होने वाला था, वह एक तप की महिमा से उत्पन्न हुआ।

In the beginning darkness was hidden by darkness; all this was water without distinguishing mark. That which was coming into being, covered by emptiness, that One was born through the power of heat (tapas).

कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः प्रथमं यदासीत् ।
सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन् हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयो मनीषा ॥ ४ ॥

kāmastadagre samavartatādhi manaso retaḥ prathamaṃ yadāsīt,
sato bandhumasati niravindan hṛdi pratīṣyā kavayo manīṣā || 4 ||

Kaamastadagre samavartataadhi manaso retah prathamam yadaasiit, sato bandhumasati niravindan hridi pratiishyaa kavayo maniishaa || 4 ||

आरम्भ में उसमें काम (इच्छा) उत्पन्न हुआ, जो मन का पहला बीज था। कवियों (ऋषियों) ने अपने हृदय में बुद्धि से खोजकर असत् में सत् का बन्धन (सम्बन्ध) पाया।

In the beginning desire came upon it — desire, the first seed of mind. Searching in their hearts with wisdom, the poets found the bond of existence in non-existence.

तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासी३दुपरि स्विदासी३त् ।
रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात् ॥ ५ ॥

tiraścīno vitato raśmireṣāmadhaḥ svidāsī3dupari svidāsī3t,
retodhā āsanmahimāna āsantsvadhā avastātprayatiḥ parastāt || 5 ||

Tirashchiino vitato rashmireshaamadhah svidaasii3dupari svidaasii3t, retodhaa aasanmahimaana aasantsvadhaa avastaatprayatih parastaat || 5 ||

उनकी (विभाजक) रेखा आड़ी फैली हुई थी। क्या नीचे कुछ था? क्या ऊपर कुछ था? (वहाँ) बीज धारण करने वाले थे, (वहाँ) महान् शक्तियाँ थीं; नीचे स्वधा (अपनी शक्ति) थी, ऊपर प्रयति (प्रेरणा)।

Their cord was stretched across. Was there a below? Was there an above? There were seed-bearers, there were powers; own-power below, impulse above.

को अद्धा वेद क इह प्र वोचत्कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः ।
अर्वाग्देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यत आबभूव ॥ ६ ॥

ko addhā veda ka iha pra vocatkuta ājātā kuta iyaṃ visṛṣṭiḥ,
arvāgdevā asya visarjanenāthā ko veda yata ābabhūva || 6 ||

Ko addhaa veda ka iha pra vochatkuta aajaataa kuta iyam visrishtih, arvaagdevaa asya visarjanenaathaa ko veda yata aababhuuva || 6 ||

कौन वास्तव में जानता है? कौन यहाँ बता सकता है कि यह कहाँ से उत्पन्न हुई, यह सृष्टि कहाँ से आई? देवता तो इस सृष्टि के बाद के हैं; फिर कौन जानता है कि यह कहाँ से आई?

Who really knows? Who here can declare it — from where it was born, from where this creation came? The gods came after the creation of this world. Who, then, knows from where it came into being?

इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न ।
यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन्त्सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद ॥ ७ ॥

iyaṃ visṛṣṭiryata ābabhūva yadi vā dadhe yadi vā na,
yo asyādhyakṣaḥ parame vyomantso aṅga veda yadi vā na veda || 7 ||

Iyam visrishtiryata aababhuuva yadi vaa dadhe yadi vaa na, yo asyaadhyakshah parame vyomantso anga veda yadi vaa na veda || 7 ||

यह सृष्टि जहाँ से उत्पन्न हुई — किसी ने इसे धारण किया, या नहीं किया — जो परम आकाश में इसका अध्यक्ष है, वही इसे जानता है; या शायद वह भी नहीं जानता।

From where this creation came into being — whether it was made, or whether it was not — he who oversees it in the highest heaven, he surely knows. Or perhaps he does not know.

Text source & editorial review

Source of this text
Ṛgveda, Maṇḍala 10, Sūkta 129 — ṛṣi Prajāpati Parameṣṭhin; devatā bhāvavṛtta (the origin of being); metre triṣṭubh
Last reviewed
What was reviewed
On 13 October 2026 every verse of this text was re-checked: the Devanagari for script and encoding errors, the IAST line letter by letter against the Devanagari, and the pronunciation line and the Hindi and English meanings for completeness. The Hindi and English meanings of every verse were also read against the original, and the errors found were corrected.

How we source and check these texts

Frequently asked questions

What is the Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129)?

Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129) (नासदीयसूक्तम् (ऋग्वेद १०.१२९)) is a Vedic hymn (sūkta). A sūkta is a hymn of the Vedas; the Vedic hymns are among the oldest religious poetry in the world and are still recited in worship.

Is the Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129) available in Hindi and English?

Yes. On Adiveda the Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129) is given verse by verse in Devanagari (the script used for Sanskrit and Hindi) with Roman (IAST) transliteration, simple phonetics, and Hindi and English meanings, so you can read, pronounce and understand every line.

What is the source of the Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129)?

The Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129) is drawn from Ṛgveda, Maṇḍala 10, Sūkta 129 — ṛṣi Prajāpati Parameṣṭhin; devatā bhāvavṛtta (the origin of being); metre triṣṭubh.

Can I read the Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129) online for free?

Yes - the Nasadiya Suktam (Rigveda 10.129) is free to read online at Adiveda, formatted for mobile, for devotees in India and around the world.