THE HIRANYAGARBHA SUKTAM ( Rig Ved 10.121) : Hiranyagarbha literally means 'Golden Womb' in Sanskrit. The word 'brah' means “bursting out or bringing forth” and 'ahm' means ego. Brahman is therefore he who brings forth many 'ahms' or egos or beings into this world using his divine power and matter and pouring life (breath) into them. Karya Brahman or Hiranyagarbha is the dynamic or the active principle (kriyabhutam or karyabhutam) of creation, while Iswara is the causative principle (karanabhutam). Hiranyagarbha is not an eternal being, but comes into existence at the beginning of creation and becomes dissolved in Iswara at the end of creation. He is the World Soul (Mahan Atma), the Cosmic Egg, that engages Himself in the creation of forms and beings. He is the First Born (prathamaja), who manifests forms that are already contained in Him. He is the Sutratman (the soul of a necklace) the thread on which all beings and all the worlds are strung like beads in a necklace. According to Manu (1:9) Brahma, who was born from a golden egg formed out of the seed deposited in the waters when they were produced as the first vikaras of the Self-existent; this seed became a golden egg, resplendent as the sun, in which the self-existent Brahman while remaining transcendent in its higher parts, evolved into Brahma the Creator, who is therefore regarded as a manifestation of the Self-existent. Having continued a year in the egg, Brahma divided it into two parts by his mere thought, and with these two he formed the heavens and the earth; and in the middle he placed the sky, the eight regions, and the eternal abode of the waters. Iswar and Hiranyagarbha : When macrocosmic evolution begins Nirguna/Avyakta Brahman first manifests himself as Iswar. This is the universal soul of the macrocosm having the causal body of Maya. It is the efficient as well as the material cause of the universe. Then it assumes the form of Hiranyagarbha having the subtle body binding the universe with its subtle threads. Finally it emerges as Virat with the gross celestial form encompassing the entire universe. This is the gross body of the universe. Iswar is the manifestation of the cosmic Lord or God. It is the great spirit that is the source of all conscious souls as well as ever productive nature. It projects the universe from itself and again withdraws it. It is the source as well as the end of all manifestations. It includes the totality of consciousness. As such, it is the universal consciousness. It is the great cause of creation and it is associated with the aggregate of all the causal bodies in the universe. It effects everything through Maya and remains the sovereign witness to everything. It is the omniscient controller of Maya as well as all beings. Hiranyagarbha or Sutratma : Iswar is the cosmic Lord while Hiranyagarbha is the cosmic self. The former is the higher nature of the great spirit, while the latter is its lower nature. The former includes all conscious souls, while the latter includes the totality of unconscious nature. The former is the great cause of creation, while the latter is the presiding Deity of the Cosmos, like Brahma. As such the whole universe with all its becomings is projected through the universal energy or cosmic force of Hiranyagarbha, which permeates the entire creation. The whole universe is held as shining pearls are strung on a golden thread. This luminous thread power permeates everything in and out, weaving a shining fabric of subtle the stuff, the face of God remains hidden. Hiranyagarbha loses its omniscience due to false identification with the universal ego-sense. As the cosmic ego it assumes the subtle and luminous cosmic body and become associated with all the subtle bodies in the universe collectively. हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे भूतस्य जातः पतिरेकासीत | स दाधार पर्थिवीं दयामुतेमां कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम || In the beginning was the Divinity in his splendour,manifested as the sole Lord of land, skies, water, space and that beneath and he upheld the earth and the sky. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings? य आत्मदा बलदा यस्य विश्व उपासते परशिषं यस्यदेवाः | यस्य छायाम्र्तं यस्य मर्त्युः कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम || It is he who bestows soul-force and vigour,whose guidance all men invoke,the Devas invoke whose shadow is immortal life-and death. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings? यः पराणतो निमिषतो महित्वैक इद राजा जगतो बभूव | य ईशे अस्य दविपदश्चतुष्पदः कस्मै देवाय हविषाविधेम || It is he who by his greatness became the one King of the breathing and the seeing, who is the Lord of man and bird and beast. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings? यस्येमे हिमवन्तो महित्वा यस्य समुद्रं रसया सहाहुः | यस्येमाः परदिशो यस्य बाहू कस्मै देवाय हविषाविधेम || It is he through whose glory the snow-clad mountains rose, and the ocean spread with the river, they say. His arms are the quarters of the sky.Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings ? येन दयौरुग्रा पर्थिवी च दर्ळ्हा येन सव सतभितं येननाकः | यो अन्तरिक्षे रजसो विमानः कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम || It is he through whom the heaven is strong and the earth firm, who has steadied the light and the sky’s vault, and measured out the sphere of clouds in the mid-region. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offering? यं करन्दसी अवसा तस्तभाने अभ्यैक्षेतां मनसारेजमाने | यत्राधि सूर उदितो विभाति कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम || It is he to whom heaven and earth, placed in the lightby his grace, look up, radiant with the mind while over them the sun, rising, brightly shines. Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings? आपो ह यद बर्हतीर्विश्वमायन गर्भं दधानाजनयन्तीरग्निम | ततो देवानां समवर्ततासुरेकःकस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम || When the mighty waters came, carrying the universal germ, producing the flame of life, then dwelt there in harmony the One Spirit of the Devas. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings? यश्चिदापो महिना पर्यपश्यद दक्षं दधानाजनयन्तीर्यज्ञम | यो देवेष्वधि देव एक आसीत कस्मैदेवाय हविषा विधेम || It is he who in his might surveyed the waters, conferring skill and creating worship-he, the God of Gods, the One and only One. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings? मा नो हिंसीज्जनिता यः पर्थिव्या यो वा दिवंसत्यधर्मा जजान | यश्चापश्चन्द्रा बर्हतीर्जजानकस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम || Father of the world - may he not destroy us who with Truth as his Law made the sky and produced waters, vast and beautiful. Who is the Deity we shall worship with our offerings? परजापते न तवदेतान्यन्यो विश्वा जातानि परि ताबभूव | यत्कामास्ते जुहुमस्तन नो अस्तु वयं सयाम पतयोरयीणाम || Lord of creation ! no one other than thee pervades all these that have come into being. May that be ours, for which our prayers rise, may we be masters of many treasures! -- (RV 10:121) [Ralph T.H Griffith] 1. HIRANYAGARBHA was present at the beginning ; when born, he was the sole lord of created beings; he upheld this earth and heaven, -let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 2. (To him) who is the giver of soul, the giver of strength, Whose commands all (beings), even the gods obey, Whose shadow is immortality, whose (shadow) is death, -let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 3. (To him) who, by his greatness, has verily become the sole king of the breathing and seeing world, who rules over this aggregate of two-footed and four-footed beings,- let us offer Worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 4. Through whose greatness these snow-clad (moun- tains exist), whose property men call the ocean with the rivers, whose are these quarters of space, whose are the two arms, --let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 5. By whom the sky was made profound and the earth solid, by Whom heaven and the solar sphere were fixed, who was the measure of the water in the firmament,- let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 6. Whom heaven and earth established by his pro- tection, and, shining brightly, regarded with their mind, in whom the risen sun shines forth, -let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 7. When the vast waters overspread the universe containing the germ and giving birth to AGNI, then was produced the one breath of the gods, -let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 8. He who by his might beheld the waters all around containing the creative power and giving birth to sacrifice, he who among the gods was the one supreme god,- let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 9. May he do us no harm who is the parent of the -earth, or who the unerring support (of the world) begat the heaven, and who generated the vast and delightful waters, -let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA. 10. No other than thou, PRAJAPATI, hast given existence to all these beings ; may that object of our desires for which we sacrifice to thee be ours, may we be the possessors of riches.