What is the brief narration of the formless ENERGY/BRAHMAN (ब्रह्मन्) that governs the Universe?

 

Rig Veda is the source of all types of spiritual concepts, which can be found and elaborated in Brahmanas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, all Puranas, etc.

The problem with the Rig Veda is that the rishis of Rig Veda, who realised the formless ENERGY/BRAHMAN (ब्रह्मन्), communicated their experiences in a cryptic, unintelligible and esoteric manner. And, many a time even great scholars like Sāyaṇācārya and other writers (eastern and western) got misled/confused by those cryptic verses or Riks of Rig Veda and gave commentaries based on their limited understanding.

Puranas were composed with this limited understanding of Rig Vedic ideas. Hence, in majority of the cases, the cryptic Rig vedic Riks were misunderstood and retold in a altogether different manner.

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I will quote 2 such examples:

1) In Puranas, it was described that Mitra and Varuna ejaculated semen upon sighting beautiful damsel Urvaśī and kept their semen in a pot and Sages Agastya and Vasistha born out of that pot.

If one studies the issue properly, it will be understood that how a wrong interpretation gives a bad presentation of the issue.

2) As per Puranas, Tara was the wife of Brihaspati, the preceptor of Gods. Moon/Chandra entices her and she goes with Chandra and begets a son. After a prolonged argument/war, Chandra returns Tara to Brihaspati.

However, the right understanding of the issue will provide different perspective.

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Coming to the question prosper, we have remember that Rig Veda states the formless ENERGY/BRAHMAN (ब्रह्मन्) with different epithets. There are no different physical gods.

Rig Veda 2.1.2 states AGNI as the he formless ENERGY/BRAHMAN (ब्रह्मन्). And, in the subsequent Riks of the same Hymn 2.1, ie., Rig Veda 2.1.3 to Rig Veda 2.1.11, the rishi equates AGNI with INDRA,VISHNU, RUDRA, ADITI, SARASWATI, etc.

(please note that Shiva is not mentioned as the epithet of AGNI, ie., BRAHMAN).

Shiva indicates auspiciousness.

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The following Rik (Rig Veda 8.16.8), addressed to Indra, clarifies that there is only ONE formless BRAHMAN (ब्रह्मन्).

स स्तोम्यः स हव्यः सत्यः सत्वा तुविकूर्मिः । एकश्चित्सन्नभिभूतिः ॥
sa stomyaḥ sa havyaḥ satyaḥ satvā tuvikūrmiḥ | ekaś cit sann abhibhūtiḥ ||

He is to be praised, he is to be invoked, he is embodiment of TRUTH, powerful the doer of many deeds; he, being single, is the overcomer (of foes).

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Another question may arise, as to where the BRAHMAN exists. Rig Veda 6.16.35 says, AGNI or BRAHMAN lies at the place, from where everything in the UNIVERSE emanates.

गर्भे मातुः पितुष्पिता विदिद्युतानो अक्षरे । सीदन्नृतस्य योनिमा ॥
garbhe mātuḥ pituṣ pitā vididyutāno akṣare | sīdann ṛtasya yonim ā ||

English translation:

Sitting on the birthplace of TRUTH (ṛtam), in the womb of all creations, as the father of fathers (or the Guru of the Gurus), (AGNI) having illumined forth at the imperishable (akṣara) PLACE.