% Text title            : nAsadIya sUkta (Rigveda)
% File name             : naasadiiya.itx
% Category              : sUkta, veda, rigveda, svara
% Location              : doc\_veda
% Transliterated by     : Avinash Sathaye sohum at ms.uky.edu
% Proofread by          : Avinash Sathaye sohum at ms.uky.edu
% Translated by         : A. L. Basham
% Latest update         : November 1, 2010, December 26, 2018
% Send corrections to   : Sanskrit@cheerful.com
%
% This text is prepared by volunteers and is to be used for personal study 
% and research. The file is not to be copied or reposted for promotion of 
% any website or individuals or for commercial purpose without permission. 
% Please help to maintain respect for volunteer spirit.
%
\documentstyle[11pt,multicol,itrans]{article}
#include=ijag.inc
#endwordvowel=.h
\portraitwide
\parindent=100pt                
\let\usedvng=\Largedvng      % for 1 column     
\pagenumbering{itrans} 
\def\engtitle#1{\hrule\medskip\centerline{\LARGE #1}}
\def\itxtitle#1{\medskip\centerline{\LARGEdvng #1}\medskip\hrule}
\def\endtitles{\medskip\obeyspaceslines}
%%
\begin{document}
\engtitle{.. nAsadIya sUkta (Rigveda )   ..}##
\itxtitle{.. nAsadIya sUkta (R^igveda ) ..}##\endtitles ##
nAsa\'dAsI\`nno sadA\'sItta\`dAnI\`M nAsI\`drajo\` no vyo\'mA pa\`ro yat |
kimAva\'rIva\`H kuha\` kasya\` sharma\`nnambha\`H kimA\'sI\`dgaha\'naM gabhI\`ram || 1|| ##
 Then even nothingness was not, nor existence,
 There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it.
 What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping
 Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?
##na mR^i\`tyurA\'sIda\`mR^ita\`M na tarhi\` na rAtryA\` ahna\' AsItprake\`taH |
AnI\'davA\`taM sva\`dhayA\` tadeka\`M tasmA\'ddhA\`nyanna pa\`raH kiM cha\`nAsa\' || 2||##
  Then there was neither death nor immortality
  nor was there then the torch of night and day.
  The One breathed windlessly and self-sustaining.
  There was that One then, and there was no other.
##tama\' AsI\`ttama\'sA gU\`Lhamagre\'.aprake\`taM sa\'li\`laM sarva\'mA i\`dam |
tu\`chChyenA\`bhvapi\'hita\`M yadAsI\`ttapa\'sa\`stanma\'hi\`nAjA\'ya\`taika\'m || 3||##
  At first there was only darkness wrapped in darkness.
  All this was only unillumined water.
  That One which came to be, enclosed in nothing,
  arose at last, born of the power of heat.
##kAma\`stadagre\` sama\'varta\`tAdhi\` mana\'so\` reta\'H pratha\`maM yadAsI\'t |
sa\`to bandhu\`masa\'ti\` nira\'vindanhR^i\`di pra\`tIShyA\' ka\`vayo\' manI\`ShA || 4||##
  In the beginning desire descended on it -
 that was the primal seed, born of the mind.
  The sages who have searched their hearts with wisdom
  know that which is is kin to that which is not.
##ti\`ra\`shchIno\` vita\'to ra\`shmire\'ShAma\`dhaH svi\'dA\`sI3du\`pari\' svidAsI3t |
re\`to\`dhA A\'sanmahi\`mAna\' Asansva\`dhA a\`vastA\`tpraya\'tiH pa\`rastA\'t || 5||##
  And they have stretched their cord across the void,
  and know what was above, and what  below.
  Seminal powers made fertile mighty forces.
  Below was strength, and over it was impulse.
##ko a\`ddhA ve\'da\` ka i\`ha pra vo\'cha\`tkuta\` AjA\'tA\` kuta\' i\`yaM visR^i\'ShTiH |
a\`rvAgde\`vA a\`sya vi\`sarja\'ne\`nAthA\` ko ve\'da\` yata\' Aba\`bhUva\' || 6||##
  But,  after all, who knows, and who can say
  Whence it all came, and how creation happened?
  the gods themselves are later than creation,
  so who knows truly whence it has arisen?
##i\`yaM visR^i\'ShTi\`ryata\' Aba\`bhUva\` yadi\' vA da\`dhe yadi\' vA\` na |
yo a\`syAdhya\'kShaH para\`me vyo\'ma\`nso a\`~Nga ve\'da\` yadi\' vA\` na veda\' || 7||##
  Whence all creation had its origin,
  he, whether he fashioned it or whether he did not,
  he, who surveys it all from highest heaven,
  he knows - or maybe even he does not know.

This is the famous ##nAsadIya sUkta ## the 129-th sUkta of
the 10-th mandala of the Rigveda . It has been translated and
discussed by many scholars and there have been volumes dedicated
to just this one sUkta . The current translation is by A . L.
Basham, from his book entitled ``The Wonder that was India''.

Encoded and proofread by Avinash Sathaye sohum at ms.kyu.edu

\medskip\hrule\obeylines

Please send corrections to sanskrit at cheerful dot c om
Last updated \today
https://sanskritdocuments.org

\end{document}