The Songs of Creation in the Rig Veda: Vedic Vision of the Cosmos

The Rig Veda, the oldest sacred text in India, contains only one hymn devoted to the creation of the world: the Nasadiya Sukta (Rig Veda 10.129). Unlike creation stories in other traditions, this hymn does not give a clear answer about the origin of the cosmos. It asks questions and leaves room for doubt.

A hymn that questions more than it affirms

The Nasadiya Sukta begins with an enigmatic scene: in the very beginning there was neither existence nor non-existence, neither sky nor earth, neither light nor darkness. The primordial water seems to be the only thing present, but even this is uncertain. The hymn speaks of a mysterious force, an unsupported breath, which stirred these waters.

Far from explaining creation with certainty, the text asks: how did the world appear? Where did this first impulse come from? Who gave birth to the universe? Even the gods arrived after creation, so they cannot be its authors. The hymn goes so far as to suggest that perhaps no one knows how the universe was created, not even the one who generated it.

Prajapati: a creator absent from the Rig Veda

In later texts, Prajapati is presented as the creator god, but in the Rig Veda, he has no particular role. His only act is to have generated the world, and he intervenes neither in the organization of the cosmos nor in its maintenance. Unlike other divinities of the civilization of the seven rivers, such as Indra, Agni or Varuna, Prajapati remains a vague figure, almost absent from the Vedic text.

An open vision of creation

This hymn shows that, in the civilization of the 7 rivers, the creation of the world was not perceived as a fixed event with a single explanation. The Vedic cosmogony leaves room for uncertainty and questioning, without imposing an absolute truth. This approach contrasts with other traditions that offer detailed and affirmative accounts of the origin of the world.

The Nasadiya Sukta is thus a unique text, which does not seek to impose an answer but to invite reflection. It reflects an open vision of creation, where the origin of the universe remains a mystery that even the gods could ignore.