Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 59 to 61

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 –
The hymn wise, purported explanations –
As the God upholds the entire world, the heads of the institutions, parents and teachers should properly protect and maintain people, children and pupils and do good. Learned and righteous persons should always be admired and all should renounce the evils. By associating with the learned, men can attain much knowledge.
 
Persons should acquire knowledge under learned persons and easily accomplish Dharma (righteousness) Artha (Wealth) Kama (fulfilment of noble desires) and Moksha (emancipation). Heads of the institutions should gladden all people by his knowledge, humility and other virtues. They should make the righteous people happy by freeing them from the bonds of sorrow by protecting justice and disintegrating the enemies. A foolish person has no value before a highly learned man, possessing perfect knowledge.
 
All human beings should be made scholars through good education and donation of knowledge through philanthropic scholars' daily efforts.
 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 59

1. As the tree, branches and pillars cause delight by upholding the house, so God causes bliss to all by upholding or sustaining them.
2. Men should know and adore the lord who has revealed the Vedas-repositories of all sciences for giving that perfect knowledge to noble persons, who is the most exalted and the Support of all.
3. Men should know that as in the light of the Sun, all works are well-accomplished, in the same way, all acts are accomplished well when God is earnestly and sincerely worshipped. Those who thus adore the Lord in right earnest, never lose happiness and wealth. They never feel misery and poverty.
4. As the earth and the light of the sun make all happy by upholding them, as the parents or teachers always try to bring about the welfare of their children or pupils, as God is always engaged in doing good to His subjects, in the same way, the President of the Assembly should endeavor to do good to all is what the Vedas teach.
5. The members of the council of ministers or assemblies should adore God as the Lord of all, on account of His Omnipotence. The President of the Assembly should be resorted to on account of his extra-ordinary virtues. He should conquer his enemies in battles, please righteous persons, protect his subjects, serve the learned and keep company with them.
6. God alone should be adored by all persons whose great glory is manifested by this whole world.
7. God who is present like electricity in innumerable substances and is the cause of numberless acts and movements, upholds the entire world. He who knows the Science of God, is worshipped of respected by all.

 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 60

1. As air upholds fire and electricity etc. and thus sustains the worlds, in the same manner, the officers of the State should keep the subjects in justice with knowledge and righteousness.
2. Those persons should be served as parents who are admired by learned, righteous and just men and by whose humility all are pleased.
3. Men should honor those persons who cause people to renounce all evil and tread upon the path of righteousness.
4. Men should never appoint an unrighteous and un-educated person in charge of the administration.
5. As, men reach the destination quickly by yoking speedy horses in the carriages, in the same way, by associating with the learned, men can attain much knowledge.

 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 61

1. Men should appoint praise worthy officers of the State, should pay to them taxes etc. and respect them by inviting them and they also should show proper respect to their subjects.
2. Men should not accept another President of the Assembly having given up one who has been well-tested, highly learned, benevolent, righteous and aged or experienced. They should honor him well and always please him.
3. As learned people try their best to bring about the welfare of men, in the same manner, men should also endeavor to honor them.
4. As a Carpenter constructs a strong chariot or car for going to distant places and uses all necessary implements to accomplish his purpose, enjoys happiness by travelling comfortably, in the same manner, a man should, constantly attain joy sitting at the feet of a highly learned person acquiring knowledge under him and easily accomplishing Dharma (righteousness) Artha (Wealth) Kama (fulfilment of noble desires) and Moksha (emancipation).
5. As men accomplish their works by harnessing speedy horses in the chariots and going to distant places to achieve their objects, in the same manner, men should accomplish all their purposes by associating themselves with highly learned and brave persons.
6. As the sun dissipates the cloud with his splendor, makes it fall down on earth and causing rain gives happiness to all, in the same manner, the President of the Assembly, should gladden all people by his knowledge, humility and other virtues, by getting trained his army well in battles and by conquering his foes.
7. As the sun gets victory over the cloud destroying it with his rays and preserving food materials, water and sap etc. in the same manner, brave persons under the commander of an army should be victorious over their foes.
8. As before the power and majesty of the sun, the vastness of the earth etc. is insignificant, in the same manner, a foolish person has no value before a highly learned man, possessing perfect knowledge.
9. Men should accomplish all works having chosen a kind man as President of the Assembly who is most virtuous like the sun that surpasses the earth and other worlds in his glory, attributes and measurement.
10. As, with the help of lightning, the Sun rises and with the help of the Sun, lightning illuminates the world and disintegrates the clouds and makes them fall to the ground. Just as a herder of cows makes the cows happy by freeing them from bondage, similarly the members of the Assembly and the soldiers of the army should make the righteous people happy by freeing them from the bonds of sorrow by protecting justice and disintegrating the enemies.
11. The man, who becomes happy and glorious by serving the kingdom of the earth with the help of the Chairman of the Assembly etc. or by conquering the enemy, is capable of churning out all the enemies and provoking them.
12. Just as you divide different letters and syllables by piercing the palate etc. with the life-breath, similarly, you should be victorious by disintegrating the enemy's strength and dividing its body parts.
13. People should always respect the Chairmen of the Assemblies etc. by praising and encouraging them for their knowledge, humility, defeating enemies et cetera. Through these royal men like the Chairman of the Assembly, the education of weapons and scriptures and the skilful art of craft, the warriors in the army should be gathered and the people should be continuously protected by defeating the enemies.
14. Certainly, without God having created the world with the best qualities like knowledge etc., the people can’t obey the President of the Assembly etc. and just as the Sun cannot be capable of illuminating and sustaining all the worlds, hence by acquiring the best qualities like knowledge etc., the best is the work of praising God.
15. The one who gives a lot of happiness to humans, who knows horse knowledge etc. and is an incomparable effort-making learned person, should be appointed for protection and should also collect the knowledge of electricity.
16. All human beings should be made scholars through good education and donation of knowledge through philanthropic scholars' daily efforts. These scholars should serve them daily with delicious food prepared with hospitality in mind and speech. No righteousness is better than donating and receiving knowledge, hence one should always progress knowledge by loving each other.