Rigveda – Mandala 1, Sukta – 9 to 12

 
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 hymns inform that the God is present in every atom and give protection to one and all. Like Sun, it is duty of learned persons to propagate knowledge and spread happiness to others. All men should engage themselves in learning art and industry after studying various sciences. Vedas being revealed by almighty, are the greatest source of knowledge about God, soul, matter etc. Everyone should work hard to acquire this knowledge from Vedas. He, who pervades excellent virtues, surrenders his grand most power and delights, becomes fortunate.
 
The sun breaks into pieces the solid cloud by his rays and makes it fall down upon the earth. It is by the gravitation of the sun that the earth and other worlds regularly rotate in their circumference by which are made the season and day and night etc.
Fire transports the atomized objects done in the yajna to space and is the reason for the attainment of the best. The fire, which is thus combined with substances having fragrance, etc., removes all the bad odours and is pleasing to all, should be put to good use. The fire in the form of electricity which is present in all articles, illumines the sun and this material fire and they disappear in it, at the end in subtle form. If men know the properties of these two fires (the material and the sun) and utilize them properly, many works, may be accomplished and much happiness may be derived from them. Persons should utilise the fire (visible and invisible in the form of electricity) for the accomplishment of various arts and industries and enjoy desirable happiness yourselves and help others also to do so.
Those men, who with love to listen the praises of God, the promulgator of the truth for living beings, the preachers of knowledge, they become enlightened after attaining complete happiness. God commands that the men should take shelter in the righteous person, give charity of fearlessness or harmlessness, overthrow the enemies by using all legitimate means and producing excellent things to the living beings.
 
The hymn wise, purported explanations –
 
Mandala 1 – Sukta - 9

1. As God is present in every atom of this Universe and protects all the worlds constantly, so the sun also being the greatest, draws the objects in his front towards himself, gives them light and keeps them in order under the Eternal laws of the Lord.
2. It is the duty of learned persons to propagate knowledge of all objects from God to earth to the people and thus make them active through the acquisition of knowledge and to attain happiness of all kinds.
3. Those persons who glorify the Lord, are devoted to Him, are righteous and industrious, knowing God as Omniscient Supreme Being, bestow happiness on all, are worthy of receiving all the happiness.
4. We souls possess finite knowledge; therefore, we should believe in what God Himself has revealed about His nature, attributes and acts. It is not possible for us to comprehend them fully. It is not possible for anyone to know fully God's nature, attributes and acts. Therefore, it is through the Vedas that learned persons should know industriously, all objects like God, soul, matter etc. All objects should also be properly utilized. God alone should be considered as Adorable and Protector.
5. For the happiness of soul and body by the grace of God and by their efforts, human beings should always use knowledge and majesty for their protection and progress and the right path or the best charity, which destroys the sorrows arising out of poverty and laziness.
6. All men should exert themselves in this world for the acquisition of knowledge, good kingdom and prosperity, obeying the commandments of God and being industrious and renowned on account of virtues. None can get these things without exertion and labour, because God gives all kinds of happiness only to the industrious persons.
7. Human beings should adopt celibacy, relinquish the dissipation of objects, study by the best rules of food, etc., make a desire to add the aforesaid wealth to enjoy the whole life, through their efforts, so that this worlds or next world (Spiritual knowledge), firm and vast i.e. superlative happiness always remains there, but this said happiness cannot be attained only by the prayer of God, but for its attainment, it is necessary to make full efforts.
8. O God! By your grace, the wealth with which you earn, by which you get an army that fulfils many pleasures, should be established in us regularly.
9. All persons should glorify God only, as the Lord of the world, Revealer of the Vedas and All-pervading Supreme Being. They should also imitate God's Justice and other attributes and by exerting themselves they should attain the best knowledge, kingdom and wealth and then preserve and develop them at all times.
10. One who obtains delights through injustice or is a scoundrel person, he also pervades excellent virtues through created things for that Great God, surrenders his grand most power and delights and becomes fortunate. Those devotees of God who are righteous, industrious, benefactors of all and learned alone enjoy the happiness of knowledge and the bliss of the Vast.

Mandala 1 – Sukta - 10

1. All men should worship God only i. e. they should always obey His commandments (contained in the Vedas) As those who study the Vedas and acquire their knowledge well, deliver sermons to others and thus make human family virtuous and elevated, so all others should also behave. This result cannot be achieved by anyone else except the true worshipper of God, because according to God's command, there is none else equal to Him, therefore one should worship Him (in his heart) and should sing His Glory.
2. As the sun moves the earth and other world, which are in front along with the airs, draws them and gives them light, so a man who with the help of the knowledge is able to do many deeds continuously, is able to accomplish works with the group of means. It is such a man that can attain happiness in this world made by God. God also shows kindness to him.
3. All men should engage themselves in learning art and industry after studying various sciences. As there is the sun's grand and vast light here in this world, in the same way, learned persons should disseminate the attributes of God and the light of knowledge everywhere.
4. To those who glorify God, pray to Him and have communion with Him according to the true Vedic knowledge, God as the Innermost Spirit of all, reveals the real meaning of the Mantras and constantly gives them true delight. Therefore, their knowledge and exertion never decay.
5. In this world whatever glory and beauty is there, they glorify and manifest God only, because the merits of the created objects praise the creator. In the same manner, God is praised and prayed to for the attainment of various objects, for whatever thing we pray to the Almighty God, can be obtained only through our own labour or exertion.
6. All persons should pray to God only for the attainment of all virtues and to none else, for He alone who is unparalleled. Omnipotent Lord and Friend of all can give all these things.
7. Oh God! Just as you have made your fame and world's happiness famous by creating the Sun-like world, in the same way, by your grace, may we also make our mind and senses pure with the light of knowledge and righteousness and are happily perfected; and by lighting up our fame, wealth and make all human beings constantly happy and glorified.
8. When someone asks how big is the God, the answer is that which cannot be covered by all the heavens etc., He is such, because He is eternal. Keep praying to Him for performing the best deeds and getting the best things. When no one can reckon whose virtues and deeds, then how can one be able to attain one’s end?
9. Being the omniscient God, listening the speech and habits of the living beings as they are, sustaining the whole world and being the friend of all, this (God) alone is always worthy of being known and prayed to by humans.
10. Men should know that God alone is the accomplisher of all our noble desires and giver of victory to us in battles. Taking shelter in God who protects all objects having created them and obeying His commands, with all labor, they should obtain their own happiness and that of others.
11. Those men, who with love listen to the praises of God, the Omniscient, pure, the promulgator of the truth for living beings, the preachers of knowledge, they become enlightened after attaining complete happiness. Having attained life, obtaining seer’s spirit, he treats all learned human beings with love.
12. O God whatever glory and praise is there in the world, it is all Yours. Whatever growth of happiness and bliss is there, all that glorifies Yours. Those who realize the attributes of God and the properties of the objects of His Universe enjoy happiness and always growing in wisdom become venerable, in the whole world.

Mandala 1 – Sukta - 11

1. All Vedic Speeches glorify the lord Who is Omnipresent, Absolutely True, giving victory to righteous persons and Immanent everywhere. They praise a hero who conquers unrighteous persons with righteous strength and who protects the righteous. This is the command of God.
2. Those persons who regard God and heroic persons as their friends, are never afraid of any one, being full of strength.
3. As in God's Universe, there are eternal protections and acts full of perfect justice, in the same manner, men should also give the gifts of fearlessness and knowledge to the people. If there were no God, how could this universe come into being? If God does not give, how can men live? Therefore, we should believe in God as the Creator of all objects of the world and Giver of all happiness.
4. Just as the sun created by God is the destroyer of diseases with his rays and the upholder of the earth by his gravitating force, so should a commander by his power weaken or destroy the force of his enemies, should create disunion among unrighteous persons by the use of peaceful persuasion and charity and other means and by imbibing many virtues, should always preserve Swarajya.
5. The sun breaks into pieces the solid cloud by his rays and makes it fall down upon the earth. It is by the gravitation of the sun that the earth and other worlds regularly rotate in their circumference by which are made the season and day and night etc. in the same way, the commander of an army should behave.
6. God commands all. Men should take shelter in a righteous heroic person and who is therefore praised by all, as sharks and other creatures take shelter in the ocean. They should give the charity of fearlessness or harmlessness and should conduct all the affairs of the State well with knowledge and should try to make all happy by taking away all their misery.
7. God commands that highly intelligent persons should overthrow enemies by using all legitimate means consisting of peaceful persuasion, charity, discord and punishment and should diffuse knowledge and extend righteous Government. They should always exert themselves in such a way that deceitful or cunning persons may not grow.
8. For the happiness of the living beings, in the world, by producing many excellent things and giving them to the living beings, all thanks to that God, all human beings should take His shelter.

 
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 12

1. God commands men to know well the properties of this fire which is like a messenger in taking things above and below, by the means of which different kinds of machines can be made and which gives speed to the various vehicles or conveyances. They should utilize it properly, so that material happiness may be enjoyed.
2.  Persons should utilise the fire (visible and invisible in the form of electricity) for the accomplishment of various arts and industries and enjoy desirable happiness yourselves and help others also to do so. In the case of Agni (fire) the meaning is- This fire which is the giver of health and happiness (by purifying the atmosphere and the water) brings divine articles to us the performers of the Yajna in pure form.
3. The direct fire in which we do the yajna of the substances with fragrance etc., which by purifying the air and cloud waters, stay in the space with those substances creates divine happiness in this world, therefore we have to search for the qualities of this fire, it should be done, this command of God must be obeyed by everyone.
4. God commands- "O men! This fire is your messenger, because it transports the atomized objects done in the yajna to space and is the reason for the attainment of the best. By this the famous qualities of fire which are known to all human beings, they must be revealed to the world for the accomplishment of their works.
5. The fire, which is thus combined with substances having fragrance, etc., removes all the bad odours and is pleasing to all, should be put to good use. It is proper for all human beings to believe this word of God.
6. The fire in the form of electricity which is present in all articles, illumines the sun and this material fire and they disappear in it, at the end in subtle form. If men know the properties of these two fires (the material and the sun) and utilize them properly, many works, may be accomplished and much happiness may be derived from them.
7. Men should reveal God to the people for the acquirement of Dharma (righteousness) with true knowledge and fire for the accomplishment of true art, so that they may enjoy happiness by the removal of all diseases.
8. The meaning of the word messenger should be understood in two aspects, i.e. one in such a way that the transmission of knowledge to all human beings - on the God side, and in the material side - the transport of goods from one country to another has been assumed. Those believers, that is, those who meditate on the Omniscient in their heart, those men who are protected from God, are saved from sins, become righteous and attain great happiness and those who tactfully combine the material fire in the chariots like aircraft, etc., they also get protection in war etc. They are the ones who protect others.
9. Those who serve God by their truthful deeds and special knowledge, they attain transcendental virtues, holy deeds and best-best pleasures and from which this fire has been created to illuminate the divine qualities, from that fire men should take the excellent benevolence.
10. Whatever object a man desires to obtain for that he should pray to God and should exert himself well to obtain it. Whatever attributes of God and other objects are mentioned in the Veda, men should act accordingly, should know the nature of fire and other objects and should utilize them properly.
11. When God is pleased by righteous persons through the proper and methodical study of the Vedas and the performance of the actions sanctioned by them, He grants them wealth in the form of knowledge, heroism and other virtues and noble desires.
12. Being the light of divine knowledge, the Vedas have been taken from the word “Deva”. When human beings with true love praise God with the speech of Vedas, then that God pleases those human beings with knowledge. In the same way, this material fire, which is equipped with knowledge and skill, stays in the fuel etc. and uses all the rituals.