Tuesday, August 25, 2009

भारत एक खोज

"Bharat ek khoj" (hindi : भारत एक खोज ) used to be a serial aired on Doordarshan in my childhood days. It was directed by Shyam Benegal with the story based on a novel of the same name by the first prime minister of independent India, Jawharlal Nehru. It wasn't really a novel, it was a recap of the thousands of years of Indian history, real history.

I did not fully understand, and hence did not like, the serial those days, even though the serial was much better than reading boring (poorly written and presented) history textbooks in school. However, what I liked even in that immature age were the title tracks of the serial. I learned from my father that they were suktas in the Rigveda. The starting track was a translation of the "Nasadiya Sukta", which is hymn 129 of the mandal 10 of the Rigveda. The english translation of the same can be found here. Below I provide the sukta in Hindi, English (from the link provided earlier) and in original Sanskrit.

First, the way the sukta was sung on the serial. It would start with the original Sanskrit verse (to create an effect, and surely it created a wonderful effect on the listener) and then the hindi translation would come. Vanraj Bhatia produced these ear pleasing sound tracks and I believe this gentleman's potential could have been utilized more in TV and/or Indian cinema. Wonder what happened to Mr. Bhatia. Some information about him on Wikipedia is this.

Here is the opening song, if I can call it a song. Check it on Youtube here.

सृष्टी से पहले सत नहीं था, असत भी नहीं,
अन्तरिक्ष भी नहीं, आकाश भी नहीं था.
छिपा था क्या, कहाँ, किसने ढका था,
उस पल तो अगम, अटल जल भी कहाँ था.

.................

सृष्टी का कौन है कर्ता,
कर्ता है ये वा अकर्ता,
ऊंचे आसमान में रहता,
सदा अध्यक्ष बना रहता.
वोही सच- मुच में जानता,
या नहीं भी जानता...
है किसी को नहीं पता ...
नहीं पता...
नहीं है पता....नहीं है पता .....

Only the first and the last stranza of the hymn were translated and sung in Hindi in the serial. The full hymn is so thought provoking and profound that one is left speechless when it is read fully. It is unfortunate that such great philosophy is not taught, not even mentioned, in our schools and colleges. Had it not been for the serial, I would have remained ignorant of this treasure of our literature. Here it is in full.

Rigveda 10,129: Nasadiya Sukta (The hymn of creation)

  1. नासदासीन नो सदासीत तदानीं नासीद रजो नो वयोमापरो यत ।
    किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद गहनं गभीरम ॥

    nâsadâsînno sadâsît tadânîm nâsîdrajo no vyomâ paro yat
    kim âvarîvah kuha kasya sharmann ambhah kimâsîdgahanam gabhîram

    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. न मर्त्युरासीदम्र्तं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः ।
    आनीदवातं सवधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन न परः किं चनास ॥

    na mrtyurâsîdamrtam na tarhi na râtryâ ahna âsît praketah
    ânîdavâtam svadhayâ tadekam tasmâddhânyanna parah kimcan âsa

    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. तम आसीत तमसा गूळमग्रे.अप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमािदम ।
    तुछ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम ॥

    tama âsît tamasâ gûlhamagre 'praketam salilam sarvam â idam
    tucchyenâbhvapihitam yadâsît tapasastanmahinâjâyataikam

    Darkness there was: at first concealed in darknew 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. कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः परथमं यदासीत ।
    सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन हर्दि परतीष्याकवयो मनीषा ॥

    kâmastadagre samavartatâdhî manaso retah prathamam yadâsît
    sato bandhum asati niravindan hrdi pratîshyâ kavayo manîshâ

    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. तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः सविदासी.अ.अ.अत ।
    रेतोधाासन महिमान आसन सवधा अवस्तात परयतिः परस्तात ॥

    tirashcino vitato rashmir eshâm adhah svidâsîdupari svidasît
    retodhâ âsan mahimâna âsan svadhâ avastât prayatih parastât

    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. को अद्धा वेद क इह पर वोचत कुत आजाता कुत इयंविस्र्ष्टिः ।
    अर्वाग देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यताबभूव ॥

    ko addhâ veda ka iha pravocat kuta âjâtâ kuta iyam visrhtih
    arvâgdevâ asya visarjanenâ- -thâ ko veda yata âbabhûva

    Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation?
    TheGods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?
  7. इयं विस्र्ष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न ।
    यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे वयोमन सो अङग वेद यदि वा नवेद ॥

    iyam visrshtiryata âbabhûva yadi vâ dadhe yadi vâ na
    yo asyâdhyakshah parame vyoman so anga veda yadi vâ na veda

    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.

Finally, the serial would end with another sukta from the Rigveda. This was the even better sounding "कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम" hymn 121 from mandal 10. It follwed the same effect-creating-sanskrit-pronounciation and followed it up with the following hindi rendering. Check on Youtube here.

वो था हिरण्य गर्भ सृष्टि से पहले विद्यमान,
वही तो सारे भूत जाति का स्वामी महान,
जो है अस्तित्वमान धरती आसमान धारण कर,
ऐसे किस देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर.

जिस के बल पर तेजोमय है अंबर,
पृथ्वी हरी भरी स्थापित स्थिर,
स्वर्ग और सूरज भी स्थिर,
ऐसे किस देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर.

गर्भ में अपने अग्नि धारण कर पैदा कर,
व्यापा था जल इधर उधर नीचे ऊपर,
जगा चुके व एकमेव प्राण बनकर,
ऐसे किस देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर.

ऊँ!सृष्टि निर्माता,स्वर्ग रचयिता पूर्वज रक्षा कर,
सत्य धर्म पालक अतुल जल नियामक रक्षा कर,
फैली हैं दिशायें बाहु जैसी उसकी सब में सब पर,
ऐसे ही देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर|
ऐसे ही देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर||

The above is also a part translation of the full verse. Here is the full one more formally:

Rigveda 10,121: “What God shall we adore with our oblation?” (English from here)
  1. हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे भूतस्य जातः पतिरेकासीत ।
    स दाधार पर्थिवीं दयामुतेमां कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥

    Hiranyagarbhah samavartatâgre bhûtasya jâtâh patir eka âsît
    sa dâdhâra prthivîm dyâm utemâm kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    IN the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created beings.
    He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  2. य आत्मदा बलदा यस्य विश्व उपासते परशिषं यस्यदेवाः ।
    यस्य छायाम्र्तं यस्य मर्त्युः कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥

    ya âtmadâ baladâ yasya vishva upâsate prashisham yasya devâh
    yasya châyamrtam yasya mrtyuh kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    Giver of vital breath, of power and vigour, he whose commandments all the Gods acknowledge -.
    The Lord of death, whose shade is life immortal. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  3. यः पराणतो निमिषतो महित्वैक इद राजा जगतो बभूव ।
    य ईशे अस्य दविपदश्चतुष्पदः कस्मै देवाय हविषाविधेम ॥

    yah prânato nimishato mahitvâ- eka id râjâ jagato babhûva
    ya îshe asya dvipadash catushpadah kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    Who by his grandeur hath become Sole Ruler of all the moving world that breathes and slumbers;
    He who is Loord of men and Lord of cattle. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  4. यस्येमे हिमवन्तो महित्वा यस्य समुद्रं रसया सहाहुः ।
    यस्येमाः परदिशो यस्य बाहू कस्मै देवाय हविषाविधेम ॥

    yasyeme himavanto mahitvâ yasya samudram rasayâ sahâhuh
    yasyemâh pradisho yasya bâhû kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    His, through his might, are these snow-covered mountains, and men call sea and Rasa his possession:
    His arms are these, his are these heavenly regions. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  5. येन दयौरुग्रा पर्थिवी च दर्ळ्हा येन सव सतभितं येननाकः ।
    यो अन्तरिक्षे रजसो विमानः कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥

    yena dyaur ugrâ prthivî ca drlhâ yena sva stabhitam yena nâkah
    yo antarikshe rajaso vimânah kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    By him the heavens are strong and earth is stedfast, by him light's realm and sky-vault are supported:
    By him the regions in mid-air were measured. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  6. यं करन्दसी अवसा तस्तभाने अभ्यैक्षेतां मनसारेजमाने ।
    यत्राधि सूर उदितो विभाति कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥

    yam krandasî avasâ tastabhane abhy aikshetâm manasâ rejamâne
    yatrâdhi sûra udito vibhâti kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    To him, supported by his help, two armies embattled look while trembling in their spirit,
    When over them the risen Sun is shining. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  7. आपो ह यद बर्हतीर्विश्वमायन गर्भं दधानाजनयन्तीरग्निम ।
    ततो देवानां समवर्ततासुरेकःकस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥

    âpo ha yad brhatîr vishvam âyan garbham dadhânâ janayantîr âgnim
    tato devânâm sam avartatâsur ekah kasmai devâya havisha vidhema

    What time the mighty waters came, containing the universal germ, producing Agni,
    Thence sprang the Gods' one spirit into being. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  8. यश्चिदापो महिना पर्यपश्यद दक्षं दधानाजनयन्तीर्यज्ञम ।
    यो देवेष्वधि देव एक आसीत कस्मैदेवाय हविषा विधेम ॥

    yash cid âpo mahinâ paryapashyad daksham dadhânâ janayantîr yajñam
    yo deveshv adhi deva eka âsit kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    He in his might surveyed the floods containing productive force and generating Worship.
    He is the God of gods, and none beside him. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  9. मा नो हिंसीज्जनिता यः पर्थिव्या यो वा दिवंसत्यधर्मा जजान ।
    यश्चापश्चन्द्रा बर्हतीर्जजानकस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥

    mâ no himsîj janitâ yah prthivyâ yo vâ divam satyadharmâ jajâna
    yash câpash candrâ brhatîr jajâna kasmai devâya havishâ vidhema

    Neer may he harm us who is earth's Begetter, nor he whose laws are sure, the heavens' Creator,
    He who brought forth the great and lucid waters. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
  10. परजापते न तवदेतान्यन्यो विश्वा जातानि परि ताबभूव ।
    यत्कामास्ते जुहुमस्तन नो अस्तु वयं सयाम पतयोरयीणाम ॥

    prajâpate na tvad etâny anyo vishvâ jâtâni pari tâ babhûva
    yatkâmâs te juhumas tan no astu vayam syâma patayo rayînâm

    Prajapati! thou only comprehendest all these created things, and none beside thee.
    Grant us our hearts' desire when we invoke thee: may we have store of riches in possession.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

i was searching for the same thing and through your blog i came to know about this hymn of rig veda. we have great source of knowlede in the womb of our culture in spite we are ignorant after having all degrees in real life. word in this comprises many secrets inside. thanks for your explanation... have a great life ahead,
kind regards,
ashish ambodiya