Hymns on Unknown God

The hymns on Unknown God from Rig Veda pose questions about the One who had absolute control over the universe. While unfolding the identity of the Supreme Being the hymns on Unknown God recognise Him as Prajapati. The Creator in this hymn is called Hiranyagarbha. It is a compound noun, whose first element refers to `gold` and whose second element means `womb, leed, embryo, or child` in the Rig Veda and later comes to mean `egg`.

The hymn on Unknown God says that once the Golden Embryo or the Hiranyagarbha arose as the Lord of Creation. He held in place the earth and sky. He was the one who gave life, who gave strength and who commanded all the gods. It is He who by his greatness became the only king of the world that breathes and blinks, who rules over his two-footed and four-footed creatures. He is also hailed as one who should be worshipped with oblation in the Rig Vedic hymns. It was the unknown god who through his power owns these snowy mountains, and the ocean together with the river Rasa. It is He by whom the awesome sky and the earth were made firm, by whom the dome of the sky was propped up, and the sun, who measured out the middle realm of space.

It is the unknown God to whom the two opposed masses looked with trembling hearts was supported by his help and on whom the rising sun shines down. The hymn says that it is the unknown God He who in his greatness looked over the waters, which were pregnant with Daksha, bringing forth the sacrifice, he who was the one god among all the gods.

It has been said in the hymns on Unknown God that it is he who has fathered the earth and has created the sky. All laws prescribed by him are absolutely true. It is he who has created the high, shining waters. The hymn has addressed the unknown God as Prajapati and has said that no one but he embraces all these creatures. The hymn has also asked blessings from the Unknown God to be showered with riches.

In the hymn to the Unknown God there is a lack of the abstract tone on the other hand the tone which is more pronounced in the verse is a typical Vedic fear which is the fear of a personified, malevolent God.