Beyond Space Beyond Matter: Science in Nasadiya and related Mantras

The Nasadiya Suktam describes the way in which material existence arose from a state of dissolution. The seven Mantras of the Suktam are fascinating for their parallels with the Big Bang theory of the creation of the universe. In them are hints to several ideas in modern cosmology such as the inflation of space, vacuum energy, plasma fluid filling the entire universe initially, and the important role of dark matter in shaping the structures of the universe. This Suktam is a concise introduction to the Vedic model of the creation of the universe. It introduces the ideas about Brahman and Maya which the Sankhya texts elaborate. One needs to understand three other related Suktams to completely understand Vedic cosmology. They are Ambhasya-Paare, Hiranyagarbha and Uttara-Narayana Suktams. From these, one gains a fascinating picture of the birth of the Devas in context of the creation of the material universe. Studying the four Suktams, gives us an understanding of the different names for B