Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 5 to 8

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 –
These mandalas stress on importance of Vedic Chants, singing glory of God and actions needed for happiness.
 
Vedic Chants of praise and hymns magnify the power, speech full of wisdom and truth. When the men exert themselves diligently & optimistically and do good to others, it increases wealth and happiness. Men should rise up early in the morning, try to acquire knowledge and perform yajna with the pure articles. This brings about happiness & vitality, purify air and eradicate diseases.
Truthfulness, knowledge and observance of Vedic guidelines dispel all the darkness of his ignorance and nourishes both body & soul.
The hymn wise, purported explanations –
 
Mandala 1 – Sukta - 5

1. One who desire to become praise worthy, they all should sit together & meditate (on life, divinity, humanity, science and spirituality, and freedom), and sing the glory of God, master the Knowledge of electricity and Vayu (Air) and enjoy happiness.
2. The word Indra denotes here both God as Lord of the Universe and Dispenser of justice according to the good or bad actions of the people and air. God is to be glorified and the air which is the cause of the sustenance of all creatures and should be properly utilized for the benefit of all.
3. God helps those who are industrious and not lazy fellows. The air also is made useful for various purposes by industriousness. No one can increase his wealth without exerting himself. No one can attain true happiness without God and air. Therefore, all men should become diligent and optimistic.

1. So long as men are not devoted to the Almighty God and do not become mighty themselves, they do not get the power of weakening un-righteous enemies.
2. It is God who out of Kindness, creates this world for giving fruits of the actions performed by the souls. It is that absolutely Pure God Who purifies the world and the souls through the sun and the air. But only those persons who make proper use of them and are industrious in acquiring virtues themselves and prompt others also to do so, become pure and happy.
3. Unless you engage yourself in doing good to others having become old in knowledge (erudite) and experienced, you will not be a true man and will not attain the best happiness. Therefore, you should be industrious and righteous.
4. God blesses a righteous soul. He who becomes learned and engages himself in doing good to others, is always industrious. It is only then, that taking advantage of those objects he makes others happy, none else can enjoy true happiness.
5. Vedic Chants of praise and hymns magnify the power, speech full of wisdom and truth.
6. God gives power to all to work. Having attained strength, may we exert ourselves for bringing about the welfare of and happiness to all.
7. The only object of our devotion is that our fellow-brothers bear no malice towards us. May mortal men never hurt us. Keep us away from all adversaries.

Mandala 1 – Sukta - 6

1. Those persons who are in communion with Omnipresent God, who is Great are kind and non-violent in their hearts knowing all animate and inanimate objects, shine in Resplendent God. Those who know the real nature of the sun and the prana, shine. They become glorious.
2. Harness the two attributes of the sun or the fire in the form of attraction and speed, making proper use of them in various kinds of conveyances for travelling on earth, in water and the sky, which are means of motion, carrying people far away.
3. Men should get up early in the morning (before the dawn) by giving up all idleness, should exert themselves for dispelling ignorance and poverty, should acquire the knowledge of God & Science and get the proper benefit out of all objects.

1. After the heat of the sun, the winds bear the water-carrying form. Before the rain, the winds (monsoons) are full of watery vapours.
2. As men carry things and put them in proper places, so the sun scatters his rays with his force and attains (touches) all objects. Then he pierces them and with the winds that break down things, he places them in the middle region.
3. As learned persons who desire to become enlightened truthful people, make their great intellect full of the knowledge of all objects which bring about happiness. The ears which listen to the teachings of the Vedas, in the same manner, the winds possessing great speed and other qualities, accomplish well the proper use of all powers of the sciences and arts enabling them in every way.
4. God has created and sustained the sun, the air and other objects of the universe by His immanence and Power. Among these various objects, all shine with the sustaining power, attraction and light of the sun and the air.
5. Yajna, which brings about happiness and protection, performed with the oblation of the pure articles put in the fire through the purification of the air and the rays drives away diseases and makes all beings vigorous and happy.
6. The air which is the cause of all dealings of the speech, going everywhere taking things from this place to that, raises the drops of water from the earth, carries them upwards and then along with the light of the sun or the clouds, it rains down water on earth. All objects are based upon this air which dwells within and outside.
7. The rays of the sun pierce the objects like water etc. on the earth and make them subtle, so that they go upwards along with the air but solar world is the greatest among the worlds.
   

 Mandala 1 – Sukta - 7

1. Men should ponder over the meanings of the Vedic Mantras, should understand the real nature & attributes of God, the sun and the air and then should exert themselves for the welfare of all, by utilizing all objects properly.
2. As this air which is mixed up with all objects, unites its properties of removing and taking which are instrumental in all dealings of the speech, in the same way, the shining sun which possesses heat and is the cause of making the year, unites its property of taking and removing with all things. (The sun dispels darkness and spreads light).
3. Indra (the solar energy or wind energy), the bond of unity and sustenance in things, co-existent synthesis of equal and opposite complementarities of positive and negative, activate speech and the light of the day and the year. Just as by the combination of air, speech, hearing, etc., and all things move, arrive, hold and touch, so also the combination of the Sun causes light and piercing of objects. The Sun is the cause of periods like seconds, minutes, hour, days, months and years.
4. God Who is the Creator and Lord of the world has placed the sun on high in the sky, so that people may see well all objects with his rays. The sun draws the water of the oceans up, keeps it there through the air and then takes it below. That is the cause of the rain.

1. It is the nature of God to bestow His favour on the godly men and not on the lazy ones. Therefore, those men who protect the kingdom by winning great wars with the help of virtuous bodies and souls, free from partiality and sacrificing laziness, they are happy having attained great fortune.
2. By means of Sun and wind, rain etc. accomplishes the utmost happiness of the world. In the same way, men also should properly utilize sun-light and pure air in order to get strength and victory.
3. The man who firmly sticks to truth, knowledge and the command of God, that Inner Most Spirit dispels all the darkness of his ignorance, so that he never goes astray from the path of righteousness and exertion.
4. Human Beings are not capable of knowing the end of the qualities of God. Because God is of infinite qualities and infinite powers, but as much as one is capable of taking favour from those things, one should take it in every way.
5. Only human beings can attain God, because they are in the nature of increasing knowledge. And righteousness is the nature of men of knowledge to attain God. And the Sun which God has created and established in the orbit. The sun also is able to attract the worlds nearby. He revolves on his own axis.
6. God alone Who is the Supreme Ruler of all, the Inner most Omnipresent Spirit, Giver of all wealth (internal and external) un-paralleled, only One, the Creator of the world attracting all towards Himself, should be worshipped by all as Adorable. That unfortunate person who regards anyone else as Adorable in the place of one God, always suffers and becomes miserable.
7. One should not regard anyone else as Adorable instead of God because there is none else who is the Lord of the Universe. Anyone who regards many Gods is to be considered as ignorant.

  
Mandala 1 – Sukta - 8

1. All human beings should take shelter of the Almighty Inner-dweller God and with all their efforts should keep the progress of knowledge, wealth and army etc., which increase the joy in every way, so that they themselves and all living beings may be happy.
2. Those who are devoted to God should always be protected by the righteous and they should crush the ignoble wicked persons by developing their physical and spiritual power, so that unrighteous enemies may disappear.
3. Men should take shelter in God and Dharma (righteousness), should be strong in body and develop their soul force through wisdom, possessing full war-materials, mutual friendship and unity, zeal and other good qualities, should enjoy happiness by defeating the un-righteous enemies.
4. There are two types of braveries, one is the nourishment of the body and the other is the nourishment of the soul combined with knowledge and righteousness. Knowing the works of God's creation from these two, having justice, patience, good nature and best qualities by concerted efforts etc., one should always maintain the kingdom with management and keep the evil enemies at bay.
5. One should thank the eternal powerful God for the victory over the wicked enemies affected by Him, by men, warriors and warriors of the nature of righteous warfare. Therefore, human beings should always progress and develop the state without being proud.
6. The heroes should engage themselves in battles with unrighteous foes and persons endowed with genius and desirous of acquiring and spreading special or scientific knowledge, should train children.
7. As God has created the ocean which is the cause of storing the water and rain, so the Prana is the cause of speech. In the same manner, God has made the sun cause of the earth's light and gravitation as well as of taking the juice of herbs, plants etc. By these i. e. the ocean, Prana and the sun, many purposes are accomplished.
8. As trees like the mangoes, Jack fruit etc. with their flowers and fruits are very beneficial, in the same manner, the Vedas revealed by God are givers of great knowledge of various sciences, of delight and bliss. It is only great scholars who can reveal their truths to others for their benefit.
9. Those righteous persons who are industrious and benefactors of others, having fully protected riches of all kinds are respected everywhere.

Just as the Creator is praised after seeing the special creation of good things in this world, similarly thanks are given to God after seeing the most famous and not-so-best materials and special creations of the world.