Nasadiya Sukta (Rig Veda 10.129):
- “Then there was neither non-existence nor existence. There was no realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomlessly deep?”
- “Death was not then, nor was there immortality; no sign was there of day or night. That one breathed, windless, by its own impulse. Other than that, there was nothing beyond.”
- “Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning, with all this being unmanifested. The one who came into being, covered with void, that was the water; and in that, the germ of life was sown.”
- “Who really knows? Who can tell it? Whence was it born? Whence is this creation? The gods came afterward, with the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen?”
- “Whence this creation has 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.
The Nasadiya Sukta from the Rig Veda and the Big Bang Theory share an unexpected yet fascinating parallel: both describe the origin of the universe in terms of an unimaginable beginning. Imagine being thrust into a void, where nothing exists — no time, no space, no matter. It’s almost as if the universe was born out of nothingness, from a point smaller than a speck of dust, expanding into the cosmos we see today. This ancient hymn, written thousands of years ago, captures the essence of the Big Bang in poetic verses. Here’s how:
Let as Start:
“In the beginning, there was nothing. No space. No time. Just a vast, incomprehensible void. And from this nothingness — the universe exploded into existence.”
This is the Big Bang Theory in a nutshell. The universe started from a singularity, a point of infinite density, and then began expanding rapidly. This process is what modern science believes happened around 13.8 billion years ago. What’s mind-blowing is that the Nasadiya Sukta describes something eerily similar — a state where “nothing” existed. There was no time, no space, no concept of day or night, only an infinite, undifferentiated void.
Middle – The Unknowable Force:
As the hymn goes, “Desire arose in It, which was the primal seed of mind.” This desire or “tapas” (heat) can be compared to the force that caused the Big Bang to happen. In both cases, an incredible energy led to the birth of the universe. The heat in the Vedic hymn is a metaphor for the intense energy at the moment of creation — the energy that ignited the universe into expansion. The Big Bang itself was an explosion of unimaginable energy that set the universe into motion.
Correlating the Cosmic Growth:
Just like the universe after the Big Bang expanded and began to cool, forming galaxies, stars, and planets, the hymn also suggests that the universe evolved from a state of formlessness to one with structure, life, and energy.
End – Mystery & Uncertainty:
And here’s where the Nasadiya Sukta and modern science meet in perfect harmony — the unknown. It ends with a statement of cosmic uncertainty, asking, “Who knows where it came from?” and “Who really understands this creation?” In the same way, even with all our advanced telescopes, quantum theories, and cosmic maps, we still don’t have all the answers. Just like the hymn concludes, “Maybe even the gods don’t know the origins of the universe.”
Final
So, whether we’re looking at the ancient verses of the Vedas or the latest in astrophysics, we’re left with the same awe and mystery. In the end, the universe is not just a scientific puzzle; it’s a cosmic riddle that transcends time and space — one that humankind has always been drawn to explore, understand, and ultimately revere.
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