Shashi Tharoor Quote
Then there was neither non-existence nor existence,Then there was neither space, nor the sky beyond.What covered it? Where was it? What sheltered it?Was there water, in depths unfathomed? Then there was neither death nor immortalityNor was there then the division between night and day.That One breathed, breathlessly and self-sustaining.There was that One then, and there was no other. In the beginning there was only darkness, veiled in darkness,In profound darkness, a water without light.All that existed then was void and formless.That One arose at last, born of the power of heat. In the beginning arose desire,That primal seed, born of the mind.The sages who searched their hearts with wisdom,Discovered the link of the existent to the non-existent. And they stretched their cord of vision across the void,What was above? What was below?Then seeds were sown and mighty power arose,Below was strength, Above was impulse. Who really knows? And who can say?Whence did it all come? And how did creation happen?The gods themselves are later than creation,So who knows truly whence this great creation sprang? Who knows whence this creation had its origin?He, whether He fashioned it or whether He did not,He, who surveys it all from the highest heaven,He knows—or maybe even He does not know. —Rig Veda, X.129
Then there was neither non-existence nor existence,Then there was neither space, nor the sky beyond.What covered it? Where was it? What sheltered it?Was there water, in depths unfathomed? Then there was neither death nor immortalityNor was there then the division between night and day.That One breathed, breathlessly and self-sustaining.There was that One then, and there was no other. In the beginning there was only darkness, veiled in darkness,In profound darkness, a water without light.All that existed then was void and formless.That One arose at last, born of the power of heat. In the beginning arose desire,That primal seed, born of the mind.The sages who searched their hearts with wisdom,Discovered the link of the existent to the non-existent. And they stretched their cord of vision across the void,What was above? What was below?Then seeds were sown and mighty power arose,Below was strength, Above was impulse. Who really knows? And who can say?Whence did it all come? And how did creation happen?The gods themselves are later than creation,So who knows truly whence this great creation sprang? Who knows whence this creation had its origin?He, whether He fashioned it or whether He did not,He, who surveys it all from the highest heaven,He knows—or maybe even He does not know. —Rig Veda, X.129
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About Shashi Tharoor
Born in London and raised in India, Tharoor graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, in 1975 and culminated his studies in 1978 with a doctorate in International Relations and Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. At the age of 22, he was the youngest person at the time to receive such an honour from the Fletcher School. From 1978 to 2007, Tharoor was a career official at the United Nations, rising to the rank of Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information in 2001. He announced his retirement after finishing second in the 2006 selection for U.N. Secretary-General to Ban Ki-moon.
In 2009, Tharoor began his political career by joining the Indian National Congress and successfully represented the party from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala by winning in the Lok Sabha elections and becoming a member of parliament thrice. During the Congress-led UPA government, Tharoor served as Minister of State for External Affairs. A non-loyalist of the Gandhis, Tharoor was defeated by Mallikarjun Kharge to be elected as party president in 2022. He is currently a member of the Congress Working Committee, which is highest decision making body of the Indian National Congress.
A Sahitya Akademi Award winner, Tharoor has authored many works of fiction and non-fiction since 1981. Popular for his command of the English language, Tharoor was the most followed Indian on Twitter before being overtaken by Narendra Modi.