ANALYSIS: Rig-Veda

The Creation Hymn

Book X-Hymn 129

1. There was neither nonexistence nor existence then; there was

neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What
stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water,
bottomlessly deep?

2. There was neither death nor immortality then. There was no

distinguishing sign of night nor of day. That One breathed, windless,
by its own impulse. Other than that there was nothing beyond.

3. Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning; with no

distinguishing sign, all this was water. The life force that was
covered with emptiness, that one arose through the power of heat.

4. Desire came upon that one in the beginning; that was the first
seed of mind. Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom found the
bond of existence in non-existence.

5. Their cord was extended across. Was there below? Was there
above? There were seed-placers; there were powers. There was
impulse beneath; there was giving-forth above.

6. Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced?
Whence is this creation? The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe. Who then knows
whence it has arisen?

7. 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 speaker of the poem is aperson having doubt about the creation of the universe.

-The speaker tells the people who reads it.

-The mood of the poem: confusion and doubtful

Figures of Speech:

Paradox: There was neither nonexistence noe existence then.

There was neither death nor immortality then.

There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day

Rig-Veda; Creation Hymn tells about the nothingness of the universe in the beginning. That no one
knows how and who create the universe. Rig-Veda connects people with the origins, knowledge, religion
and culture.

The Lion Makers:

Background of the work- A story from Panchatantra. Panchatantra wa probably written down in Kashmir
in the second century B.C. but the stories are believed to be much older. The stories are fables which
revolved around the moral maxims which are sometimes taken from the Vedas.

Authors Background: Vishnu Sharma- Born in Kashmir, India. He is an Indian scholar and author. One of
the most widely translated secular authors in history. And he is also the official guru of the prince of Kasi.
To teach political science in a creative way, he wrote the Panchatantra.

Characters: 4 Brahmans, Lion

Setting: In the forest; In a certain town

The Lion makers remind us that even you have a high quality of learning more than others but without
using a sense its useless. The 1 st three Brahmans have a high quality of learning think that they have
nothing to learn more in this world. So they bring back the lion to life that causes their death. It’s about
wisdom and having sense to understand, to appreciate what we have. Don’t rely on what you already
know and think carefully before you do actions.