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Adhyatmika metaphors of Rigveda are unsurpassed in profundity and brilliance. Here is one instance. The cultural history of Bharatam Janam is presented on a material plane of metalwork based on 7000 Indus Script मुद्रा and 19 yupa inscriptions. It is a sheer wonder when mere earth and stone get transformed in fire into utilitarian objects, resources of wealth as stepping stones of achieving amaratva, immortality.
There could be many layers of interpretation of the Vedic metaphors. "Who then knows from what material cause it has arisen?" RV, 10:129-6
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
February 5, 2016
10.129.02 Death was not nor at that period immortality, there was no indication of day, of night; That One unbreathed upon breathed of his own strength, other than That there was nothing else whatever. [Breathed: svadha_ = ma_ya_, or prakr.ti (illusion or nature), the source of the world of phenomena; s'a = breathed along with ma_ya_].
10.129.03 There was darkness covered by darkness in the beginning, all this (world) was undistinguishable water; that empty united (world) which was covered by a mere nothing, was produced through the power of austerity. [Austerity: tapas = not penance, but the contemplation of things which were to be created: yah sarvajn~ah sarvavit yasya jn~a_namayam tapah: Mund.a.ka Upanis.ad 1.1.9].
10.129.04 In the beginning there was desire, which was the first seed of mind; sages having meditated in their hearts have discovered by their wisdom the connexion of the existent with te non-existent. [Desire: i.e., in the mind of the Supreme Being].
10.129.05 Their ray was stretched out, whether across, or below, or above; (some) were shedders of seed, (others) were mighty; food was inferior; the eater was superior. [Their ray was stretched out: a reference to the suddenness of creation, which was developed in the twinkling of an eye, like the flash of the sun's ray. It was so quick that it was doubtful whether the things in the central space (across) were created first, or those above or those below; i.e., creation took place simultaneously in all three portions of the universe. This was the order in which things were created, but the development of the world was like a flash of lightning, so that the series could not be distinguished (tatsr.s.t.va_ tadeva_nupra_vis.at: Taittiri_ya A_ran.yaka 8.6). Thus the notion of a series, viz., from a_tma_ came the a_ka_s'a, from the a_ka_s'a the wind, from the wind fire etc., is reconciled: a_tmana a_ka_s'ah sambhu_ta a_ka_s'a_dva_yurva_yoragnih: Taittiri_ya A_ran.yaka 8.1; whether across, or below, or above: tiras'cinah = across, tiryaksrotas, that in which the stream of life is horizontal, i.e., the animal world; among the created objects some were living creatures, others were great, as the sky etc., the former being the enjoyers (bhokta_rah), the latter the things to be enjoyed (bhojyah), so the creation was distinguished as the food and the feeder].
10.129.06 Who really knows? Who in this world may declare it! whence was this creation, whence was it engendered? The gods (were) subsequent to the (world's) creation; so who knows whence it arose? [Whence was it engendered: i.e., from what material cause, and from what creative cause, did it arise?]
10.129.07 He from whom this creation arose, he may uphold it, or he may not (no one else can); he who is its superintendent in the highest heaven, he assuredly knows, or if he knows not (no one else does). [sa bhagavah kasmin pratis.t.hita: Cha_ndogya Upanis.ad 7.24.1].