From The Rig Veda Book 10
Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator
Hymn CXXIX. Creation.
1. THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm
of air, no sky beyond it.
What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water
there, unfathomed depth of water?
2 Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no sign was
there, the day's and night's divider.
That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart
from it was nothing whatsoever.
3 Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this All was
indiscriminated chaos.
All that existed then was void and form less: by the great power
of Warmth was born that Unit.
4 Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal
seed and germ of Spirit.
Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the
existent's kinship in the non-existent.
5 Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above
it then, and what below it?
There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here
and energy up yonder
6 Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was
born and whence comes this creation?
The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then
whence it first came into being?
7 He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all
or did not form it,
Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows
it, or perhaps he knows not.
Hymn CXXX. Creation.
1. THE sacrifice drawn out with threads on every side,
stretched by a hundred sacred ministers and one,-
This do these Fathers weave who hitherward are come: they sit
beside the warp and cry, Weave forth, weave back.
2 The Man extends it and the Man unbinds it: even to this vault
of heaven hath he outspun, it.
These pegs are fastened to the seat of worship: they made the
Sama-hymns their weaving shuttles.
3 What were the rule, the order and the model? What were the
wooden fender and the butter?
What were the hymn, the chant, the recitation, when to the God
all Deities paid worship?
4 Closely was Gayatri conjoined with Agni, and closely Savitar
combined with Usnih.
Brilliant with Ukthas, Soma joined Anustup: Brhaspati's voice by
Brhati was aided.
5 Viraj adhered to Varuna and Mitra: here Tristup day by day was
Indra's portion.
Jagati entered all the Gods together: so by this knowledge men
were raised to Rsis.
6 So by this knowledge men were raised to Rsis, when ancient
sacrifice sprang up, our Fathers.
With the mind's eye I think that I behold them who first
performed this sacrificial worship.
7 They who were versed in ritual and metre, in hymns and rules,
were the Seven Godlike Rsis.
Viewing the path of those of old, the sages have taken up the
reins like chariot-drivers.