In this lecture I would like to show how cosmological and epistemological concepts are expressed in the Ṛgveda. I will argue that the Ṛgvedic poets created a coherent vision of the creation of the world and of human cognition. In order to re-construct their thinking I will use the methodology of cognitive linguistics (conceptual metonymy, metaphor and blending). The basis for my analysis will be Ṛgveda 4.1.13-14. In the light of my interpretation, the Ṛgveda turns out to provide the fundamental conceptual basis for later Indian philosophy.
