Doubt, Dissent, and Nonconformity in Indian Tradition: The Case of Early Bihar (Magadha)

The tradition of doubt and dissent harks back in India to her earliest literature, to the celebrated Hymn of Creation, the Nāsadīya Sūkta of the Ṛigveda (10.129), a brilliant expression of the enigma of creation and existence. Instead of providing a definite answer, the Ṛigveda presents the mystery and leaves it at that, unanswered. Dogma is not a characteristic of the Rigvedic period. It does not know the Brahman in the sense reflected in the Upanishads dwell on.