While studying Rig Vedic Riks/mantras, I have come across the following Rik in 10th Mandala.
The Rig Vedic Riks/mantras were composed in such a way that they can be understood in spiritual terms as well as gross physical terms.
Ṛṣi (sage/seer): prajāpatiḥ parameṣṭhī ;
Devatā (deity): bhāvavṛttam ;
Chandas (meter): nicṛttriṣṭup ;
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:
In the beginning Darkness (तमः) existed, hidden (गू॒ळ्हम् - gūḻham) by darkness. All this was an unrecognisable(अप्रकेतम्) ENERGY (salilaṃ - सलिलं). What existed as a thing coming into being, concealed by emptiness—that One appeared by the power of austerity.
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It is about an unrecognisable ENERGY, which exists alone.
If we consider in SPIRITUAL terms, it indicates the formless, nameless ENERGY/BRAHMAN/GOD.
At that point of time, I got a doubt as to whether this unrecognisable ENERGY is what the present-day scientists are referring to, in scientific terms, as DARK ENERGY/Dark matter.
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I am quoting the definition of Dark Matter & Dark Energy, as stated by the official website of NASA.
Dark matter is the invisible glue that holds the universe together. This mysterious material is all around us, making up most of the matter in the universe. But what exactly is dark matter? That's a question that scientists have been trying to solve for almost 100 years.
Dark matter makes up most of the mass in galaxies and galaxy clusters. In fact, scientists estimate that ordinary matter makes up only about 5% of the universe, while dark matter makes up about 27%. (The rest is thought to be dark energy, which is its own mystery). It's thought that dark matter shapes the cosmos, organizing galaxies and cosmic objects on a large scale.
Dark matter often causes confusion because of its name. Dark matter is not a dark color. Rather, it's called “dark” because it's invisible to us since it doesn't absorb, reflect, or emit any light.
Another misconception about dark matter relates to dark energy. While the two are both cosmic mysteries with "dark" in their name, they are not the same thing.
Dark matter is a mysterious type of matter that holds galaxies together. Dark energy is the name scientists have given to whatever is causing our universe to expand at an accelerating rate over time — another cosmic mystery.
Dark energy isn't concentrated in galaxies or galaxy clusters, instead scientists think it’s spread throughout the universe.
Both dark matter and dark energy pose deep, unanswered questions about the universe. Although they are distinct phenomena, scientists map the distribution of dark matter to help us understand the universe's accelerated expansion which is caused by dark energy.
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Consider another Rik/mantra from the Rig Veda, which states that after appearance of the SEED energy, it spread the entire universe, as being stated by the scientists in respect of DARK ENERGY.
Ṛṣi (seer): hiraṇyagarbhaḥ prājāpatyaḥ;
Devatā (deity): kaḥ;
Chandas (meter): svarāṭtriṣṭup ;
आपो ह यद्बृहतीर्विश्वमायन्गर्भं दधाना जनयन्तीरग्निम् ।
ततो देवानां समवर्ततासुरेकः कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥
āpo ha yad bṛhatīr viśvam āyan garbhaṃ dadhānā janayantīr agnim |
tato devānāṃ sam avartatāsur ekaḥ kasmai devāya haviṣā vidhema ||
“When the vast ENERGY overspread the universe containing the SEED and appearing of Agni (ENERGY), then was produced the one breath of the gods -- let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine Ka.”
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We have to remember that
- Salilaṃ - सलिलं does not indicate Water alone, in which meaning the later day scholars used in Puranas/literature, but indicates the old and forgotten meaning of SPACE/ENERGY, also.
- Similarly, āpaḥ - आपः has the old and forgotten meaning of SPACE/ENERGY, apart from later date meaning of Water.
Hence, according to my understanding, the darkness covered by darkness (tama āsīt tamasā gūḻham agre), as mentioned in Rig Veda 10.129.3, might be referring to the dark matter, being advocated by present day scientists.

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