An explanation of the translation of the Nasadiya Sukta

(hymn 10.129 of the Rigveda) by Kant Singh

1. nāsadāsīn no sadāsīt tadānīṃ nāsīd rajo no vyomāparo yat |

nā=No; sat=exist; sin=body; no=but (assumed); sada=always;

asit=existed; tadānīṃ=just as; rajas=dust; no=that (assumed);
vyom=atmosphere/air; par=upon; yata=held in

(You) do not exist in bodily form , but (you have) always existed, just as
dust that exists in the air.

kimāvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmannambhaḥ kimāsīd gahanaṃ gabhīram ||

kim=who; āvar=enclose(capture); kuh=where; kasya=whose;

śara=arrows; man=as if; nama=bow; abh=to; kim=who; āsīd=exists;
gahana=inexplicable; gabhīr= mysterious

Who can capture (you), where, whose arrows can make (you) bow to,
who exists that’s so inexplicable, mysterious.

2. na mṛtyurāsīdamṛtaṃ na tarhi na rātryā ahna āsītpraketaḥ |

na=no; mṛtyu=death; āsīd=exists; amṛtaṃ=immortal; na=no;

tarhi=therefore; rātr=night; ahan=day; āsīt=exists; praket=meaning

No death exists (for you), (you are) immortal, therefore night and day
have no meaning (for you).

ānīdavātaṃ svadhayā tadekaṃ tasmāddhānyan na paraḥ kiṃ canāsa ||

ānī= bring near; dava=fire; ā tam=to you; svadh=by custom/religiously;

tadeka=each and everyone; tasmād=those; dhānya=rich; na=(for
emphasis); par=others(those); kim=which; canāsa=are not

(People) light fire religiously to (worship) you, each and everyone, those
that are rich, as also those that are not.

3. tama āsīt tamasā gūḷamagre.apraketaṃ salilaṃ sarvamādim |

tama(tvam)= you; āsīt=exist; tamas=darkness/nothingness; gur=high;

agre=highest; apraketa=invisible; salil=infinite; sarva=all; adim=earlier

(All rights reserved – Kant Singh. Contact: drkantsingh@outlook.com)

 You exist where nothing exists, (you are) the highest of high, invisible,
infinite, most ancient of all.

tuchyenābhvapihitaṃ yadāsīt tapasastanmahinājāyataikam ||

tu=you; cha=hidden; yena=where; bhav=to be; a pihit=not concealed;

yad=who; āsīt=exists; tapas=heat; ast=go down (diminish);
mahi=power; na=no; ājāyata=be produced; ta=your; kam=wish

You are hidden where nothing can be concealed, no heat exists that can
diminish your power, nothing can be produced against your wishes.

4. kāmastadagre samavartatādhi manaso retaḥ prathamaṃ yadāsīt |

kāma= wish; as=is; ta=to you; agre=forward; samvart=cover(I have

taken it as “bless”); at=much; adhi=upon; manas=people/mankind;
reta=seed(here it means continuance of the race); prathamaṃ=foremost;
yad=that; āsīt=exist

(Our) wishes we forward (to you), bless the mankind with continued
existence, o foremost one that exists.

sato bandhumasati niravindan hṛdi pratīṣyākavayo manīṣā ||

sat=true; bandhu=friend; asat(from ast)=to be; nir=all; vind=pray;

hrd=heart; pratīṣ=accept; kavi=poet; manīṣā=prayer

(You are) the true friend that all pray for, heartily accept this poet’s
prayer.

5. tiraścīno vitato raśmireṣāmadhaḥ svidāsī.a.a.at |

ti=your; śacī=might; vitat=spread; raśmi=rays; iṣā=issue; dha=wealth;

avidās=unending/unlimited; at=much (from ati. that goes on and on)

With your might that spreads like rays, issue wealth, unlimited, to last
forever.

retodhāāsan mahimāna āsan svadhā avastāt prayatiḥ parastāt ||

ret=produce; dha=wealth; san=distribute; mahimān=with your powers;

āsan=lasting; svadha=pleasure; avastāt=unending; prayat=donation;
parastāt=hereafter

(All rights reserved – Kant Singh. Contact: drkantsingh@outlook.com)

 Produce wealth and distribute through your powers, for our lasting
pleasure, that donation may last forever.

6. ko addhā veda ka iha pra vocat kuta ājātā kuta iyaṃvisṛṣṭiḥ |

ko=who; addhā=certainly; veda=know; ka=what; iha=in this world;

pra=about which; vocat=being spoken; kuta=how; ājātā=produced;
kuta=when; iyaṃ=here; visṛṣṭiḥ=created

Who for sure knows what in this world, about which we speak, how was it produced,
when was it created?

arvāg devā asya visarjanenāthā ko veda yatābabhūva ||

arvāk=in front of(here I take it as “apart from the”); devā=lord;

asya=this; sarjan=creation; nāth=master; ko=who; veda=know;
yatā=that; bhūva=was earlier

Apart from the lord, the master of this creation, who else can know that
what existed earlier.

7. iyaṃ visṛṣṭiryata ābabhūva yadi vā dadhe yadi vā na |

iyaṃ=it is; vi sṛṣṭi=maker of creation; yata=that; ā babhūva=bless;

yad=that; vā=which; dadh=preserve; yad=that; vā=which; na=not

It is the maker of the creation, whose blessings decide what is to be

preserved, and what is not to be.

yo asyādhyakṣaḥ parame vyoman so aṅga veda yadi vā naveda ||

yo=as/since(not in dictionary, but in Hindo “jo”); as=are(to be);

adhyakṣa=head/chief; parama=highest; vyoman=heaven; so=therefore(as
in hindi); aṅga=please; veda=(make)known; yad=that; vā=indeed;
naveda=not known.

As the chief of the highest heaven, please make known to us, that what is
yet unknown.

NOTE: The personal pronoun appears to be missing through this hymn.

Hence I have placed it in brackets. Perhaps in English, it is a must, but in
Hindi, e.g. it isn’t, but is rather understood.

* * *

(All rights reserved – Kant Singh. Contact: drkantsingh@outlook.com)