Most Western and academic translators and many other Indian translators as well, view this hymn as a proto-scientific, cosmological inquiry into the origin of the universe.
However, according to my understanding, this Sukta is all about esoteric presentation of journey of a spiritual seeker.
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The basic premise of the spiritual journey is
- Every Human has within oneself a DIVINITY, concealed by layers of ignorance or evil thinking/habits.
- These layers of ignorance or evil thinking/habits, which are deep rooted, will keep on creating obstacles or divert the attention of the spiritual practitioner from realising the concealed DIVINITY within oneself, unless the DIVINE help/assistance is assured.
- Mind is the one which attaches to or detaches from the emotional attachments/feelings.
- Hence, as the Mind gets detached from emotional attachments/feelings due to spiritual practices, the strength of the MIND increases. In Rig Veda, the strengthened Mind is called strengthening of INDRA.
- And, the elimination of attachments is called killing of Vr̥tra, in esoteric sense.
- When the spiritual practice reaches its culminating point, the power of discernment - Daksha, aided by the strength of Mind (Indra) allows the individual to dive deep into one’s own consciousness and experience/attain the BLISS or SELF REALISATION.
The Śatapatha brāhmaṇa, which came into existence after Rig Veda, presented this spiritual narrative in an allegory, narrating Prajapati diving deep into the ocean bringing out the concealed Earth and the same was carried out by Ramayana and finally in Bhagavata Purana, as the actual stories of Brahma/Vishnu in the form Varaha, dived into the ocean and brought out the hidden Earth.
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The verses 3 and 4 are crucial in Nāsadīya Sūkta. Hence, I am providing translations of the verses 1,2, 5,6,7 and explaining the verses 3 &4 in detail. The translations are of Jamison and Brereton.
Verse-1
The nonexistent did not exist, nor did the existent exist at that time. here existed neither the airy space nor heaven beyond. What moved back and forth? From where and in whose protection? Did water exist, a deep depth?
Verse-2
Death did not exist nor deathlessness then. There existed no sign of night nor of day. That One breathed without wind by its independent will. There existed nothing else beyond that.
(The formless ENERGY or BRAHMAN or Atman EXISTS all alone).
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तम आसीत्तमसा गूळ्हमग्रेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम् । तुच्छ्येनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिनाजायतैकम् ॥
tama āsīt tamasā gūḻham agre 'praketaṃ salilaṃ sarvam ā idam | tucchyenābhv
apihitaṃ yad āsīt tapasas tan mahinājāyataikam ||
English translation:
Darkness existed, hidden by darkness, in the beginning. All this was a signless ocean. What existed as a thing coming into being, concealed by emptiness—that One was born by the power of penance.
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कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः प्रथमं यदासीत् । सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयो मनीषा ॥
kāmas tad agre sam avartatādhi manaso retaḥ prathamaṃ yad āsīt |
sato bandhum asati nir avindan hṛdi pratīṣyā kavayo manīṣā ||
English translation:
Then, in the beginning, from thought there evolved desire (kāmas), which existed as the primal DIVINITY (retaḥ). Through deep spiritual contemplation (Searching in their hearts through inspired thought), rishis (poets) experienced the the concealed (in the unmanifested) Illumination (connection of the existent)
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-0o0-
Many translators took meaning of Tapas to be heat, linking the concept in this Rik to be as the creation of universe. However, I preferred the meaning of Penance.
Salilam not only indicates Ocean of water, but also indicates the forgotten meaning of all pervading ENERGY or Illumination.
tama āsīt tamasā gūḻham agre 'praketaṃ - indicates esoterically the unmanifested and inexperienced thing. Esoterically, "darkness" does not imply evil or a simple absence of light, but indicates the concealed DIVINITY or Illumination within oneself, waiting for manifestation provided the spiritual seeker performs practices in a proper way.
Kama is the intense spiritual longing of the seeker. It is the initial spark of desire to find the "concealed Illumination" within, which breaks through the darkness of ignorance through disciplined meditation
tapasas tan mahinājāyataikam indicates something that arose through penance. If understood esoterially, it implies the manifestation of concealed Illumination or experiencing BLISS.
-0o0-
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Verse-5
Their cord was stretched across: Did something exist below it? Did something exist above? There existed placers of DIVINITY and there existed greatnesses. There was independent will below, offering above.
Verse-6
Who really knows? Who shall here proclaim it?—from where was this DIVINE BLISS born, from where this creation? The gods are on this side of the creation of this (world). So then who does know from where it came to be?
Verse-7
This manifested DIVINE BLISS—from where it came to be, if it was produced or if not—he who is the overseer of this (world) in the furthest heaven, he surely knows. Or if he does not know . . . ?
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Hence, Nāsadīya Sūkta indicates esoterically the spiritual practitioner diving deep into oneself and experiencing BLISS or finding the concealed and unmanifested Illumination.
This was mentioned in Śatapatha brāhmaṇa 14.1.2.11 that Prajapati took the form of varāha , dived deep into the ocean and lifting the Earth from the Water.
The Nāsadīya Sūkta ends with profound skepticism about whether anyone truly knows how creation happened, noting that even the gods came later. If it were a rigid dogmatic text about physical creation, this doubt wouldn't make sense. But if it describes the inexplicable, subjective experience of divine Bliss arising from the unmanifest, the mystery fits perfectly.
