The Rig Veda: An Anthology

The seven hymns in this chapter demonstrate the rich diversity of Vedic speculation about the origins of existence and the structure of the world. The earlier books of the Rig Veda allude to many ideas about cosmogony, but poems focusing solely on the creation of the cosmos only appear in the tenth book, a late addition to the text. A number of these hymns are riddles; others portray the origin of the cosmos as a sacrifice or the result of a sexual act between obscure primordial powers. Paradox and obscurity are hallmarks of these poems, as of the poetry of the Rig Veda in general.

In the “Creation Hymn” (10.129), the poet declares that before there was existence and nonexistence, a primal entity arose from the emptiness through the power of heat. Desire impelled it, creating consciousness, and a fertilizing power from above gave seed to an activating force below. The poet claims no one can know what really happened, however, since the creation predated the appearance of the gods. Even the supreme god overlooking the universe may be ignorant of its origin.

In another hymn (10.121), the lord of creation arises as a golden embryo, seed, or womb from an unknown matrix.