Bigbang in Rigveda

This was published in TIMES OF INDIA newspaper.... Life and style section .... Februvary 16 2011

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-16/vintage-wisdom/28376823_1_darkness-universe-lord

Creation stories abound in all cultural and religious traditions, worldwide. Hinduism is rich in the mythology of beginnings, and stories range from the philosophical to the material. One of the earliest stories of how the universe came into being is found in the Rig Veda. It is very similar to the Scientific Big Bang Theory.

The Hiranyagarbha Sukta in the Rig Veda, the Vayu Purana, Bhagavata Purana and Brahmanda Purana mention the golden womb, the Hiranyagarbha or Brahmanda, the Cosmic Egg - that is sometimes interpreted as the golden foetus or embryo - that, floating in a dark void, contracted and gave birth to the universe and all that's part of it - containing both male and female principles in union.

A verse in the Atharva Veda describes the beginning thus: "In the beginning was Hiranyagarbha, The seed of elemental existence, The only Lord of all that was born, He upheld the heaven and earth together, To what God other than Him, could we dedicate our life?"

The Hiranyagarbha is also equated with the life-giving Sun, an important agent of generation. In this context the Sun is referred to as the soul or Atman of all Creation, the Lord of all that moves and stands. As the Lord of all created beings, the Sun or Savitr is also called Prajapati.

Creation has been described as Existence or 'Sat' and it is born of Non-existence or 'Asat' , possibly the dark void in which the Hiranyagarbha floated before releasing the Universe.

A verse in the Rig Veda describes the concept thus: "In the beginning, there was neither sky nor atmosphere above. What then enshrouded all this universe? In the receptacle of what was it contained? Then there was neither death nor immortality, Then there was neither day, nor night, nor light, nor darkness. Only the Existent One breathed calmly, self-contained ."

Once the golden womb yielded to the Creation process, heat or energy was generated. Molecules formed, and they interplayed with atoms and elements, giving rise to more heat in the form of self-luminous vapour.

Prajapati symbolised creative radiance, and then there was light where earlier, only darkness prevailed.

The Rig Veda says: "In the beginning there was darkness, Intensified darkness, indistinguishable darkness, All the visible world was reduced to its primordial nature. This primordial world, enveloped by the All-pervading power of One Before whom the world of matter is a trifle became One (that is, came into existence).