मनन Manana · ReflectStep 6 of 9
Nāsadīya Sūkta · Ṛgveda 10.129.5
Verse 5A cord stretched across
तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः स्विदासीदुपरि स्विदासीत् ।
रेतोधा आसन्महिमान आसन्त्स्वधा अवस्तात्प्रयतिः परस्तात् ॥
tiraścīno vitato raśmir eṣām adhaḥ svid āsīd upari svid āsīt |
retodhā āsan mahimāna āsan svadhā avastāt prayatiḥ parastāt ||
Meaning
Their cord was stretched across. Was there a below? Was there an above? There were seed-placers, there were powers. Impulse below, giving forth above.
Word by word
Words joined in recitation are shown split. Where sounds change at the joins, the dictionary form is given under the word.
Reflection
A cord is stretched across. The word raśmi can mean a cord, a ray of light, or the reins of a chariot. As it stretches, there is suddenly an across, a below and an above: space opens. The drawn-out vowel in the Sanskrit, marked by a small three, is the rishi stretching his own question. Below are the bearers of seed, above the great powers; below is own-power, above is impulse. Creation appears not as one force acting alone, but as a partnership.
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