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Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 37 to 39

3/14/2025

We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

Highlights –
In Suktas 37 to 39, importance of winds and Vedic knowledge are emphasized. Winds move this planetary world, vehicles and life force within body of living beings. So, all persons should know the properties of air to make its good use for happiness of living beings. Monsoon winds carry up clouds and cause rains thereby bringing agricultural production and fruits. Persons who are well-versed in the science of Prana (wind power) and practisers of Yoga, enjoy good health.

As the airs have no enemies and are liked by all, in the same way, people should be endowed with knowledge, righteousness, strength and force and justice, so that they may rule over all with justice, may destroy their opponents and should become so popular as to have no enemy at all.

The hymn wise, purported explanations –
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 37

Force of the winds is working in a vehicle like the aero plane etc. which is without any horse and is very good or useful.
Those men who, like the winds, with liquid thrusts of motion in smooth, refined, chiselled and lubricated language and style, express themselves and their ideas, rise with their own brilliance like the rays of the sun.
If there were no gases, none could do anything. The words that are spoken from a distant place, can be heard with the help of the air as if they were spoken close by. Without the movement of the air, none can speak or hear anything. Whatever mighty acts are done by the heroes in the battle etc. are all done with the association of the air. Without air, one cannot even twinkle the eye. Therefore, everyone should always investigate the properties of the air.
Learned persons after studying the Vedas and knowing the attributes of the air should give happiness to all beings by doing glorious mighty deeds.
Men should always develop the power of the air that exists in their bodies. All knowledge about the sap etc. is acquired with the help of the air. Therefore, all should teach one another, so that all may know the attributes of the air.
O learned persons, shakers of all ignorance, you will shake your enemies to their very end, like the winds that are shakers of heaven and earth, who will not become advanced in knowledge and wisdom among you.
All your dealings are organized and ordained by the proper system of administration. When you go astray from your appointed right path, the President of the Assembly who is powerful like the wind gives you severe punishment. You should treat him as your father.
As an old King trembles on account of some terrible disease or the fear of his enemies; in the same way, this earth upheld from all sides by the air moves in its axis and the same is the case with other worlds. Without this thread-like enveloping air, no world can exist and move.
You should properly use the winds which are born out of the sky and which go here and there. They have their movement in all places where there is recess. All living beings get their strength from them.
The king and the subjects should know that just as, these airs are used for the movement of speech and water and making them listen good words for coming and going, birth, growth and destruction, similarly, the ritual of auspicious and inauspicious deeds is the cause of happiness and sorrow.
As the Monsoon winds carry up much water that causes the production of the cloud, generate lightning by mutual rubbing and make to fall down the long, vast, un-wetting rain retaining cloud, in the same way, they should cause the fall of all unrighteous dealings.
The Officers of the State like the Commanders of the armies should prompt the people to perform their works industriously and justly, as the winds move the clouds.
As these winds pass along here and there, artists and scientists give instructions on the path of (or for acquiring knowledge) knowledge and converse with one another about them. The knowledge of this science of sound is gained by a few and not by all.
It is the duty of the learned rulers and their subjects to accomplish their works by manufacturing vehicles for speedy motion. They should take pleasure in serving righteous persons and in giving suitable punishment to the wicked people.
As persons who are well-versed in the science of Prana and practisers of Yoga; eating what is conducive to health enjoy blissfully the full span of life, others also should learn this science from them and enjoy full life.

Mandala 1 – Sukta – 38

As a father holds his son by both his hands, gives him proper education, brings him up suitably, urges upon him to do noble deeds, and enjoys happiness, in the same manner, those persons who like the air that upholds the worlds, take up Yajnas with knowledge and perform them properly become happy.
As the rays of the Sun illuminate all objects of the world, in the same manner, you should also approach learned people and ask them the proper utilization of the air and then enlighten others about it.
O men going quickly like the air to perform noble deeds, you should approach learned persons and ask them to enlighten you about the acts which enable us to fulfil our noble desires and should endeavor to do the same.
The officers the State and their subjects should also give up indolence and be engaged in discharging their duties like the winds that go on incessantly, so that their protector, the President of the Assembly or the council of Ministers, may not be killed by the enemies of the State.
As the deer becomes happy after eating grass to their fill, in the same manner, the knower of the science of Prana taking proper food and leading a regular life, does not fall in the Jaws of death soon.
The movement of the winds is of two kinds; one that is pleasant and giver of happiness, the second that causes misery and diseases. The former is that which is observed and used regularly thereby destroying diseases and promoting health and happiness for the body and the mind etc. The second is that which is used without the observance of any rules, with negligence and thus causing various terrible diseases and awful misery.
Men should perform all righteous deeds with proper use of winds that are in the firmament, causing rains and possessing some true characteristics. When suitably used, they give happiness, but when used improperly, they become adverse and cause misery, therefore men should perform all righteous acts methodically.
As the mother cows loving and desiring their calves, loudly bellow and run towards them, in the same way, the lightning goes to the clouds, making a great sound.
Learned people should tell all others that it is the winds that solidify the particles of the water and converting them into the cloud, create darkness even in day time and then generating the lightning and dissolving the clouds make them to fall down on earth and wetting it, they produce herbs and corns etc.
All movement of things and beings is on account of the association of the winds. Living beings tremble out of fear from the fierce stumbling on the lightning and the earth rotates every moment.
Yogis should make proper use of wind power for gaining strength through the practice of Yoga- Pranayama etc. and other persons engaged in worldly occupations should also utilize them properly.
O men, you should manufacture many kinds of vehicles endowed with various machines, use fire and water etc. and with their combination and that of the gases you should be able to move quickly everywhere, should get victory over your enemies and accomplish all works.
O learned men, as a dear friend pleases a loving friend who is a preacher of the Vedas and full of splendor by service and praise of his virtues in the same way, you should teach well the science of the manufacture of the aero planes and other vehicles with the Vedic speech for the knowledge of their properties.
O men taught by the learned, you must make your speech refined by the study of the Vedas with labour and thus becoming the masters of the speech, should listen to the attributes of God and air etc. and should teach about them to others.
Human beings should give happiness through learning and their efforts, just as the wind gives happiness by being the means of accomplishing tasks.

Mandala 1 – Sukta – 39

Those learned persons who desire happiness, should accurately know the properties of the air from God, the giver of all Delight (as given in the Vedas) and lucky great scholars or scientists, and then should enjoy happiness.
Righteous persons receive the Grace of God and victory. God also blesses only righteous persons and not others. These righteous persons should manufacture powerful arms, should practice their use well, train their army, defeat, capture or kill (as the case and necessity may be) their unrighteous wicked foes and protect their subjects justly.
As strong winds shatter trees and other things and sustain earth, in the same manner, righteous dispensers of justice, should demolish unrighteous conduct and preserve the people with righteous justice.
As the airs have no enemies and are liked by all, in the same way, people should be endowed with knowledge, righteousness, strength and force and justice, so that they may rule over all with justice, may destroy their opponents and should become so popular as to have no enemy at all.
As loyal learned persons, keep under their control intoxicated robbers and thieves, and preserve and support righteous people, you should also do like them.
If men properly use water, fire and air in the vehicles and thereby travel from one place to another, they can easily go and come everywhere.

As wise men enjoy happiness by casting aside all fear by the proper combination of the air, water and fire etc. so we should also do.
Men should extend happiness which brings about welfare to all, by making them refrain from evil selfish enemies who have no idea of doing good to others, but on the contrary who give them trouble, by imparting them good knowledge and education or conquering them in battles with the help of army and power.
As Monsoon winds, sun and lightning cause the production of fruits and flowers by means of the rains for the happiness of all, in the same manner, learned persons should make all people happy by giving them Vedic knowledge.

As righteous brave people when full of indignation conquer their enemies with powerful weapons and gladden their subjects (people) having attained resistless Government, in the same manner, all persons should conquer with all their might (spiritual as well as physical when necessary), those who are haters of the true knowledge (Vedas) God and Vedic Scholars and should thus make their state full of the light of God and the true Vedic knowledge.

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Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 36

3/7/2025

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With Vedic hymns and holy eulogies, we earnestly request the Supreme Leader and Lord of all His devoted subjects who desire to lead divine lives, whom other benevolent, wise and righteous persons also inflame in their hearts for the fulfilment of noble desires.
Men should remain contented with the Communion with or contemplation upon One God only. Wise learned persons never accept anything else as Adorable in the place of God, therefore they cannot be defeated. Thus, those who are atheists can never overcome them.
All men cause oblations to reach the heavens, attaining happiness thereby and as the flames or splendors of this electricity and the famous material fire go upwards.
None can achieve, preserve and develop or prosper the State without the brave messengers who are well-versed in all Shastras, the best among the knowers of Political Science and History, righteous and clever. Therefore, all should act as stated in these Mantras.
It is only the members of the Assemblies along with good ambassadors and messengers who can preserve the State and none else.
As learned persons give happiness to the people of the world by putting pure oblation in the sacrificial fire, in the same. manner, the officers and workers of the State should put in prison wicked unrighteous persons and give delight to righteous persons.
None can overcome his enemies without the members of the Assembly and servants of the State, who are devoted to the liberal President of the Assembly or the council of ministers) having attained Swarajya.
As lightning, fire and sun, cut into pieces the cloud and causing rain fill all worlds with water that gives happiness to all, in the same manner, the subjects should be gladdened by the President of the Assembly and other workers of the State by destroying enemies like the thorns.
Highly intelligent officers and workers of the state should be full of splendour like the fire and endowed with great virtues. They should create pure and graceful forms, knowing the real nature of the divine virtues and of the earth and other elements and shining on account of their wisdom.
The man whom all learned and other righteous persons. appoint as the ruler of the State, because he is thoughtful, the bringer of all articles that are worth-taking, endowed with noble virtues, possessing the wealth of wisdom and gold etc, who is good mannered and civilized, should protect and preserve all people like their father.
The President of the Assembly and other persons of the State should properly utilize the fire which is kindled by the priests and other learned men for the homa that is meant to purify the air and the rain and whose glows or lusters go upwards, whose properties are mentioned in the Vedic Mantras, for the accomplishment of the work of arts and industries that is helpful for administrative purposes.
The President of the Assembly and other persons of the State should have friendship with the scholars of the Vedas and other highly learned persons. They should fill up continuously the stores of food and wealth and should be able to wage war against thieves and robbers. Thus, they should give much happiness to the people.
A President of the Assembly should be full of splendor like the Sun. He should overcome all unrighteous and wicked enemies by waging war against them and should take his seat on a high pedestal along with the learned priests for the protection of all beings.
The President of the Assembly who is exalted on account of noble virtues and good temperament should keep all men away from sin with the fear, of the punishment for the transgression of the laws of the State. He should burn away all wicked foes, should keep with enlightened persons and make all endowed with noble virtues for the growth of knowledge, happiness and life.

Men should pray for protection to the kind-hearted President of the Assembly who desires the growth of righteousness and is the protector of all from all sides. Men should also keep themselves away from persons of wicked nature and all sins, in body, word and mind. Without doing so, none can remain ever happy.
The Commander of an army and others should smite down the limbs of their enemies as artisans break the stones etc. They should then be engaged day and night in preserving their own subjects, so that enemies may not be able to give them trouble.
As this material fire when properly utilized by the learned, gives them strength and prosperity and protects an expert artist and his friends; in the same manner, the President of the Assembly, when requested by the men of army and others gives them strength and encouragement and wealth should preserve experts in the science of war and their friends.
All righteous persons should challenge for fight, in co-operation with the President of the Assembly those un-righteous people who take a way unjustly others' articles, who are crooked and desire their victory. They should demolish their houses built on the mountains or in the forests and they should put them into prisons.
By the divine grace of the worshippers, by involving the officials of the state for the protection of the subjects, with the fame of true conduct to all men, giving joy to the righteous and chastising the wicked and making wise men imbibe knowledge.
The members of the council, the princes and the subjects should destroy the evil-doing creatures, just as the fire etc. consume the forest etc. The subjects should be protected continuously by such virtuous souls.

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Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 35

3/1/2025

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Men should day and night utilize properly the fire air and sun and then attain happiness. Without this, none can enjoy happiness.
As the earth and other worlds uphold men and other creatures, in the same way, the solar world upholds the earth and other spheres by its attracting power or gravitation. God upholds the sun and other worlds by His power. In this way, all worlds are upheld in proper order. Without this, it is not possible for any world with weight and velocity to stay in its axis. Without the rotation of the worlds, it is not possible to have the parts of time like the seconds, hours, days and nights, fortnights, months, seasons and years etc.
As in this universe, created by God, the air moving upward and downward, brings below those things that are above and takes upwards them that are below and as the sun with his rays dispels all darkness, sometimes casts aside miseries and manifests happiness and at other times drives away happiness and manifests distress, in the same way, the President of the Assembly and others with their armies should move here and there and having conquered their enemies, should safeguard the interests of the people.
As there is the mighty air which is the cause of the sun and other objects and upholder of the solar and other worlds, having the power of gravitation and as there is the sun sustaining all worlds and manifesting all forms with his power and attraction and without them (the air and the sun) not even an atom can be sustained, so a king should maintain kingdom being full of the wealth of virtues.
All these are the attributes of the solar world like the light and attraction which uphold the world and properly manifest all objects. The worlds that are near the sun, are illumined by the light of the sun and the air also sustains the people. On account of this, all worlds remain in their axis. So, you should bear all noble virtues and establish justice, maintaining proper order.
All works are accomplished with the help of three luminaries the sun, fire and electricity born of Agni in the subtle form. When the souls depart from the bodies they go to Yama-it is said. What is that Yama is the question. The answer is that by Yama is meant here the Vayu or air in the firmament. As there are soldiers and servants as a part of the army, in the same manner, all living beings and the dead are dependent upon the air. The earth, moon. stars and other worlds depend upon the light of the sun.
When this earth while rotating around the Sun, covers the light of the sun and creates darkness, then learned persons ask where has the sun gone? The question should be properly answered that he is on the back of the earth. His rotation at his own axis is very subtle, therefore ordinary people cannot know it. Such are also the thoughts of the wise, which all cannot understand.
This Solar world illuminating all objects, disintegrating particles, taking them to the firmament through the air and bringing them down brings about charming happiness to all souls. It upholds or sustains the waters on the earth and up to about 50 miles in the firmament in gross subtle, light or heavy forms known technically as Sapta Sindhus. In the same manner, learned persons should maintain all with knowledge and righteousness and should make them happy and blissful.
As sun is related with many worlds on account of his gravitation, illumines all objects and enables all to distinguish between light and darkness, you should also be like him, spreading the light of knowledge and dispelling all darkness of ignorance.
As air keeps all objects in proper order on account of its attraction and force and as thieves cannot be so powerful in daytime (out of fear) so you should also be. God who has created useful articles like the air, should always be thanked by all.

You, who has created pure paths in the sky or your glorious world for the movement of the Sun and other worlds, in which the Sun-like worlds move according to the rules and all living beings move, preach the paths and qualities of all those things so that we can live here and there.

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Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 37 to 39

Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 36

Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 35

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