Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 26 to 29

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 -
Righteous and learned, cause happiness by doing agreeable noble deeds. Learned persons are worshipped and they tell the means of attaining long life. The learned man acquires the knowledge or all sciences. In this world, there are three kinds of enjoyments, worlds and men which may be classified as the high, medium and low. A wise man should impart knowledge to all according to the level of their understanding and intellect.
 
Men should accomplish the works for happiness of self and others with the assistance of learned persons. He should learn attributes & properties of all the objects to accomplish the works. For attaining happiness, men should give up attachment and jealousy.
 
The officers of the state, should have two kinds of army, one mounted on cars and carriages and the other on foot. The armies should be trained well and made healthy and strong by proper use of the herbs and drugs (when necessary).
 
Men should keep away or remove the laziness of the body and the soul and should always endeavour to do noble deeds. The persons in power or who occupies the seat of justice should give due punish to the persons of stupid, adulterous and those who submit false and unjust evidence.
 
The hymn wise, purported explanations –
 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 26

1. The Yajaman (performer of the Yajna) should select many learned persons and under their guidance, he should perform many works and thus attain happiness and give it to others. No one can accomplish any secular or spiritual work without the assistance of good and wise persons.
2. Men should accomplish all their good desires with the assistance of noble persons. Without association with such noble wise persons, none can enjoy happiness.
3. As a kind and loving father who causes happiness to his sons, as a friend causing happiness to his friends and a learned teacher to his students, all men should love one another and always put forth their united efforts for bringing about the welfare of all. This is the teaching given by God.
4. All men should behave in meetings as cultured and civilized men, experts in conducting assemblies do.
5. Men should have friendship with all other men and should become enlightened by receiving proper education and wisdom.
6. Men should have association with learned persons and know that whatever visible or invisible things exist in this world, are the products of the vast eternal cause-Mattoir.
7. As we deal with all in a friendly manner and others deal with us in the same way, so you should also do.
8. Men should try to know the properties or attributes of all the objects created by God in this world and accomplish their works.
9. Men cannot enjoy happiness unless they give up all attachment and jealousy and engage themselves in the performance of admirable acts with knowledge, education and industriousness. Then all men should obey the commands of God and bring about the welfare of all.
10. Men should tell their children that there is an eternal subtle causal force (Agni) from which electricity and other effects are produced and from them digestive fire and various other forms of fire are generated. All these forms of fire are upheld or sustained by the causal force. All the acts of fire are done with the help of the wind. Without fire and air, no substance in the world can be sustained.

 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 27

1. Just as a learned man is manifested in his kingdom by the virtues of his knowledge etc., in the same way the God is manifested everywhere by the virtues of omniscience et cetera.
2. As sons when well-trained, are righteous and learned, cause happiness to their parents by doing agreeable noble deeds, so this beneficial fire when utilized properly and methodically according to the scientific knowledge, accomplishes many pleasing tasks for us.
3. When God is worshipped, He protects us from our foes in battles and gives us long life. In the same way, a learned person when respectfully treated or worshipped, protects our aero planes etc. and tells us the means of attaining long life.
4. As you gave great delight to the great righteous and enlightened seers like Brahma and others by revealing in their souls Perfect Truth, reveal the same in our souls, so that being enlightened, we may always be engaged in doing the best righteous deeds.
5. Served by righteous and industrious persons, a learned man having acquired the knowledge or all sciences, should make them happy. In this world, there are three kinds of enjoyments, worlds and men which may be classified as the high, medium and low. A wise man should impart knowledge to all these persons according to the level of their understanding and intellect.

1. As the separate particles of the water of the sea become one or united when they reach the sky and as a learned wise person classifies all objects and reveals their knowledge in the souls of all men, why should we not do likewise?”
2. As God is the Protector, Creator and Supreme Director of His subjects from times immemorial, in the same manner, the man who worships Him-the Lord who is Omnipresent Protector from all sides and protects people, can never suffer and be defeated.
3. As not even a highly learned person can ever measure the power of the Infinite, Immeasurable and Inviolable God Whose Wisdom is Infallible, so only that man should be appointed as a ruler, who follows the Lord and obeys His commands.
4. He alone should be appointed as the commander of an army who takes people away from miseries, leads them to victory and is expert in the military science, being at the same time a righteous person.
5. No one can get knowledge of the science of archery, unless one hears the praise of such an expert archer. 'He alone can be the protector of the people who trains well those persons for the welfare of the subject who are of aggressive nature, destroying the strength of their foes.
6. God who is the Best, Infinite Support of all, Bestower of Bliss to His devotees, Lord of the wealth of wisdom is the Creator of the useful fire possessing many properties. May He prompt us to acquire pure wisdom and perform noble deeds.
7. As a rich learned person pleases all men with the enjoyment of wealth, listens to the requests and complaints of all, in the same manner, when God is pleased with true love, He listens to the glorification and gives happiness to all.
8. God commands that men should be free from all pride and respect all with food and other articles. One should have association with the learned and always respect them to the best of one's ability and power. They should never be censured.

 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 28

1. God preaches- “O men! All you need is a heavy stone to extract the essence and extract the essence of herbal medicines, etc., make such a pit and place it on the ground in such a way that it is slightly higher than the ground. So that the extraction of the essence and sapless husk of the grain is made in a good way, by placing the barley etc. in it, crush it with a pestle, which makes a sound.”
2. As men go about with the help of the things, in the same way, people should place one rock over the stone and the other over it for grinding. With their help, they should grind herbs and should eat them as prescribed. This should be the second means like the mortar and the pestle.
3. This art of the use of mortar which is essential for cooking and other domestic works must be learnt by house wives and be taught to others. Where cooking is done, mortar, pestle etc. should be placed there because without them powdering and grinding etc. is not possible.
4. O learned persons, as the sun binds the earth with gravitation or as a charioteer restrains horses with the reins, in the same manner, you should by the science of using the churning staff methodically take out the substance in the form of butter and juice from Milk and herbs.
5. In all houses, mortar should be properly used. As the heroic conquerors of their enemies sound the drum or trumpet and then fight bravely, in the same manner, the man who desires to extract the juice of herbs like the barley and others, should put them in the mortar, beat them with pestle, take away the husk and partake of the substance and essence.
6. When all plants and herbs are nourished by the wind, then men partake of their substance by putting them in the mortar and sip their juice also. Without it, the growth and nourishment of a substance is not possible.
7. As two horses which oat well draw a chariot, in the same manner. the mortar and pestle accomplish many works like dividing and grinding etc.
8. As mortar and pestle are made of the stone, they can also be made of wood, iron, brass, silver and gold etc. With them nicely made, the juice of the herbs may be extracted.
9. The officers of the state, should have two kinds of army, one mounted on cars and carriages and the other on foot. For them, they should keep ready good extract of nourishing herbs and arms and ammunitions. The armies should be trained well and made healthy and strong by proper use of the herbs and drugs (when necessary. By adopting such means good and vast Government on earth should be established.

 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 29

1. As men become unworthy or ignoble by becoming lazy, in the same way, even we become indolent sometimes make us again noble, industrious and virtuous, So that having acquired many elephants, horses and cows and feeding them well, we may become good by deriving benefit from them.
2. Men should pray to God in the following manner O, God, as you are the Kind Sovereign of the world and Dispenser of justice, in the same manner, make us good rulers of the land, truthful and wise accomplishers the Vedic knowledge, arts, crafts and industries.
3. Men should keep away or remove the laziness of the body and the soul and should always endeavour to do noble deeds.
4. We should always engage brave persons in our armies and they should always be kept satisfied and pleased, so that unrighteous enemies may sleep out of dread. Let them never be alert or awake, so that we may enjoy good and vast Government without any obstruction.
5. The president of the council of ministers who occupies the seat of justice should give due punishment to the person who is of as ass-like nature i.e. stupid and adulterous, speaking in a discordant manner and submitting false and unjust evidence. He should respect truthful and righteous persons. He should punish those who take away others' articles and arrange to give them to their real owners. We should also honour the person who observes the eternal law of these dispensers of justice.
6. Men should know that the wind that blows on all sides is mightier than the fire, having crooked course, the cause of the movement, growth and destruction of beasts and trees and the source of all activities and getting prosperity (which depends on health caused by pure air).
7. Men should pray to God in the following manner. O God, by casting aside all those foes of un-righteous conduct, bestow upon us all kinds of wealth and prosperity.