ऋत सत्यके सहारे संसारको सजाया।
तेरा महान कौशल है सिन्धुने दिखाया॥

Rita satya ke sahaare sansaar ko sajaayaa
Teraa mahaan kaushal hai sindhu ne dikhaayaa.

By God’s command, His Nature brought to light
The principles and the atoms of this earth.
Then came chaos and heat and motion bright,
And then the waves of the ocean got their birth.

From the blazing intensity of the Divine Will (Tapas), the Eternal Cosmic Laws (Ritam) and the Truth of Existence (Satyam) were made manifest. Following that Order, the state of Dissolution (Ratri) was established, followed by the emergence of the Turbulent Ocean of Primal Matter (Samudra Arnavah).

अभीद्धात् From the blazing / intense / all-illuminating, तपसः Divine Will / Knowledge. (Note: Maharishi Dayanand clarifies this is not physical heat, but the “heat” of intense contemplation or Ikshana—conscious intention). अध्यजायत Was born / manifested, ऋतं The Eternal Cosmic Order / The Laws of Nature (The Blueprint), च And, सत्यं The Eternal Truth / Concrete Existence (The Manifestation), ततः From that (same Divine Will), रात्रि The Night of Dissolution (Pralaya). (The state of dormancy preceding creation), अजायत Was generated, समुद्रो The Ocean (The vast expanse), अर्णवः Fluid / Undulating. (Refers to Prakriti or Primal Matter in its chaotic, fluid state of atoms before organized forms appeared).

पहलेके कल्प जैसे रवि-चन्द्र फिर बनाये।
दिन-रात-पक्ष-संव.तयमें कालक्रम चलाये॥

Pehle ke kalpa jaise ravi chandra phir banaaye
Din raat paksh samvat me kaal kram chalaaye.

And after these the planets moved aright
Along the annual course of heaven blue.
The King of all creates the day and night,
Without effort and their order due.

From that fluid Primal Matter, the Controller (Vashi) generated the concept of Time (Samvatsara). He ordained the cycles of Days and Nights, arranging the rhythm for the entire living, blinking universe (Vishvasya Mishatah).

समुद्रात् अर्णवात् अधि From that fluid Ocean of Primal Matter, संवत्सरः The Year / The Concept of Time. (Logic: Matter + Movement = Time), अजायत Was produced, अहोरात्राणि Days and Nights (The units of time/rhythm), Vidadhat (विदधत्): Ordaining / Arranging / Creating, विश्वस्य Of the Universe, मिषतो Of the blinking / winking. (Refers to the living world that blinks, or the momentary nature of time), वशी The Controller / The Ruler. (God, who has all forces under control).

ध्यौ-अन्तरिक्ष-धरणी नित नेम पर टिकाये।
ती रम रहा सभीमें, तुझमें सभी समाये॥

Dyau antariksha dharṇee nit nem par ṭikaaye.
Too ram rahaa sabhee me, tujhme sabhee samaaya.

And, as before, the Maker made again
The sun, the moon, and bodies dark and bright,
The sky above, the place unknown to pain-
The home of bliss – the Realm of Holy Light.

The Sustainer (Dhata) projected the Sun and the Moon, the Heavens, the Earth, the Atmosphere, and the Blissful Realms. He created them exactly as He did in the previous cycles (Yatha Purvam).

धाता The Sustainer / The Upholder, सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ The Sun and the Moon, अकल्पयत् He created/projected/formed, यथापूर्वम् Exactly as before. (Implies the previous cycles of creation; the laws do not change), दिवं च And the Heavens (The celestial realms), पृथिवीं च And the Earth, अन्तरिक्षम् The Atmosphere / Space between earth and sun, अथो And also, स्वः The Realm of Bliss / The Subtle World.