Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 37 to 39

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Learned persons after studying the Vedas and knowing the attributes of the air should give happiness to all beings by doing glorious mighty deeds.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. As loyal learned persons, keep under their control intoxicated robbers and thieves, and preserve and support righteous people, you should also do like them.
6. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.