Nasadiya creation Hymn from Rigveda

 

There was neither non-existence 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, bottlemlessly deep?

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.

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.

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 and non-existence.

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.

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?

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 even He does not know.

The honesty in Vedic rendition of creation amazes me, as it comprehends the theory of creation asserting the limitation of human mind. The negative assertion "Who then knows whence it has arisen?" is an attempt by the seers to penetrate the barrier of being and enter into non-being and God without his creation. I consider it the most mature and objective stance on the nature of existence.  I was also surprised by the strong resemblances of biblical creation theories with Nasadiya hymns, only strengthening my belief of common ancestry.