The Rig Veda

Hymn 1

As a rule followed at the beginning of all the sacred literature, The Rig Veda too commences with Aum, which we have mentioned was used to meditate on the Divine Persons of God, so as to reach the God. Mantra I of Sukta I starts with the mention of the Self, which we know from our study of Vedas, as the Manifested form of God, through which the fourteen devatas originated.
See how this has been translated by ADDVM:
I glorify the Self-effulgent (Devam or my deva) the Supreme Leader, the Eternal Support of the Universe, the Illuminator of all noble activity, the only object of adoration in all seasons and the most Bounteous and the Greatest Bestower of splendid wealth.
In the commentary, RDS writes: “There in the first verse, instruction is imparted by God regarding His own Self and the physical signification of the word agni (fire).”
The Sanskrit text had used the word ‘devam’ which ADDVM has translated as Self-effulgent, which is wrong. Some commentators have translated ‘deva’ as ‘god’ which too is wrong, as on many occasions, more than one deva is being mentioned, which would then mean there are more than one god. Some also say that they are lesser gods, but since our view is that there is only One God, we have also discarded this. Various commentators have tried to clarify the meaning of the term ‘devas’, and few have also concluded that ‘deva’ cannot be reference to God. Yaskacharya says ‘the word deva is derived from the root of the word ‘daan’ i.e. ‘The Giver’; ‘deepan’ or ‘ghotan’ ‘illuminator’.’ It is evident from this that the word deva comes very close to the Quranic ‘noor’ meaning light; ‘deepan’ also meaning light. Deva would therefore mean ‘Divine Light’ or ‘Divine Lord’. It is this meaning that we would use at various places. We know from Upanishads and Puranas that there are fourteen devas or ‘Divine Lords’ or ‘Divine Lights’, created by God as rulers of the fourteen spheres. As per Yaskacharya’s interpretation, devatas would mean ‘the givers of knowledge’ or ‘illuminators of true path’, which too is not far from our interpretation of devatas.
We request you to read RDS’s translation again. If we accept that one devata is being talked about, you will see that one devata has been described as the supreme leader, the eternal support of the universe, the illuminator of all noble activity, the only object of adoration in all seasons and the most bounteous and the greatest bestower of splendid wealth. We do not understand how RDS came to the conclusion that two different subjects, God and the material fire (agni) are being talked about. What word is there in the verse that makes him think that the material fire is mentioned? Fire is clearly ruled out as it is beyond logic to consider material fire as the Supreme Leader and the illuminator of all noble activity. Moreover, the word ‘vipashchitam’ is used with ‘Agni’, which would amount to saying that the material fire is also ‘full of wisdom’. Fire may be an important creation of God but not so important to be called the all-important. Agni surely means something else, a person who is referred to as Agni.
Even in Shatapath 1.1.1.2-5, it is stated that ‘Agni the Self-effulgent Lord (this is the translation given by RDS) is the protector of the enlightened persons.’ Can fire be a protector of the enlightened persons? Has any enlightened person said that fire has protected him or helped him reach the right path?
Therefore, it is clear that Agni is not material fire as RDS has taken. One probability is that Agni could be reference to God. However, if we can give such simple logic to prove that material fire cannot be meant here, why is it that RDS insists that fire and God, both are meant here? Reason is simple. We do agree that that in this verse, the adjectives used for the devata can also be taken to mean God. But RDS and ADDVM knew that if they take only God as the implied meaning, they would face problems in describing some of the later mantras. Therefore, by saying that God and material fire both are meant here, they are preparing ground for the future, lest they get into trouble in explaining. Taking both the meanings here would enable them to conveniently shift from God to material fire and back to God if one or the other does not fit properly. However, it is evident that material fire, taken as meaning here, is totally out of place.
See how, at a later stage, it was only this preparation that helped them. God was not fitting into the meanings of Mantra 3.125.14 of Rig Veda, therefore energy or fire is taken as meaning. However, even this translation is absurd and incorrect. We accept that the word Agni was there so they had every right to translate it as fire or energy. But would they explain what word was there that they translated it as mechanical engineers and also mechanized transport vehicles. Look at their meaning:
When by mechanical engineers, this thermic energy (Agni) is installed and set ablaze in the engines of mechanized transport vehicles, then this carrier of learned passenger like a bull or a horse swiftly conveys the learned people sitting in the conveyances to distant places, wherefore men concerned with mechanized traffic eagerly desire for their business this thermic energy (Agni) quick like a horse to be employed in transport.
Also see how RDS while talking of Shatpath verse 1.3.4.12. says that “thermic energy (Agni) being the plier of conveyances to their destinations and quick in motion is called the quick carrier of transport.”
This has been taken as the meaning despite the Rig Veda saying in 3.5.6 that ‘Agni knows the actions of all beings’ or in 3.55.10, ‘Agni is full of all knowledge. He is the wisest seer.’ Note that seer and not God is used. And in no way can the material fire be the meaning.
But since it was not possible to stick to Agni as God in the aforementioned verse (3.125.14), RDS had no choice but to take fire as the meaning, thereby enhancing the comic nature and incomprehensibility of the translation.
This explains why people today only regard the Vedas as sacred but no longer stick to their reading. Who would read all that we already know in this age. RDS’s translation seems to be talking of elementary Physics, as if this is what we expect God to tell us. In fact, it should be expected that God’s teachings should reveal the right path, following which we attain enlightenment and freedom from continuous cycle of life and death, rather than movement in fast-moving vehicles that we already know of, owing to taking birth in this period.
Our view is that since Sanskrit text has used the word devam, ‘My Lord’, and since it is evident from reading of the mantra that it refers only to one Person, then the Lord with the appellation ‘Agni’ is meant, and not fire or God. Take this meaning as true and it will fit in all the mantras of the Vedas. Also, we won’t have to fall in difficulties of translation as is happening with RDS and ADDVM. Eventually, the Rig Veda would become far more meaningful, far more contemporary for all times, including the ones in which we are living.
For a moment replace Agni with the name of one of the devas in the first verse, who were believed to be living in heaven during those times and people prayed that they would come to earth at sometime in future. See what the translation becomes: “I glorify the illuminator (of my path) Agni deva, the Supreme leader, the eternal support of the universe, the illuminator of all noble activity, the only object of adoration in all seasons and the most bounteous and the Greatest Bestower of splendid wealth.”
Now see what Shatapath 1.1.1.2-5 says:
Agni is the Protector of the vows of the enlightened.
Isn’t it a proof of our view?
Thus, we have seen that the translation of Vedas itself begins with absurdities and contrary to what RDS wishes to prove, devatas enjoy very important position and God is the creator of the devatas. The same is mentioned in Upanishads repeatedly thereby revealing that people knew the true knowledge of the verses of Rig Veda during the past. When people started forgetting their true meaning, sages like Yajnavalkya and others are described in various Upanishads going to places where the rituals were being performed and telling the people including the priests about the true reason why each ritual was performed or who were the people being invoked through each ritual. Despite these attempts, we lost this vital link, either due to some adverse circumstances in the intervening period or due to willful sabotage by some people.
The comic situation is further enhanced in the commentary of verse 2. RDS gives two different meanings to the verses, one in which Agni is taken as god and the other in which it is taken as electricity. See the two meanings yourself:
(1)God the Self-effulgent and Omniscient Supreme Leader should be glorified and sought after by both the experienced sages and preceptors and by the students of the Vedic Lore. May He bestow on us from all sides all divine virtues like learning and wisdom, perfectly healthy limbs, beneficent seasons and appreciable means of legitimate enjoyments.
(2) Fire in the form of electricity etc. is ever fit to be investigated into and harnessed in works of arts and crafts, so that it may be the source of innumerable desirable objects of rightful enjoyment for all.
Can it be true that two meanings are meant by a single sentence? Is the God trying to confuse us, by unnecessarily saying two things in the same sentence, when He could have easily said them in two different sentences? There are already more than 10,000 verses in the Rig Veda and had there been a few hundred more, it would not have made much difference. Fact is that through giving two different meanings, the translator is cleverly hiding his inability to understand the true meaning of the verses. The problem is also compounded by the fact that he perhaps does not wish to accept this fact. Therefore, he is beating around the bush by opening up two paths, which would facilitate him in switching from one to the other, if the need be.
God is the All-Supreme and the material fire is just a small and insignificant part of God’s creation – the two having no parallel at all. Yet he takes two meanings, to avoid any embarrassment. We will see later how these two meanings too did not help him much and he gives other meanings for the word Agni, owing to his inability to understand the true meaning. Here itself, he has added electricity as the meaning of word ‘Agni’.
See how RDS is trying to tread on two ships at a time: “Hence if Omnipotent and Omniscient God is thus worshipped and if the thermic energy or fire in the form of electricity etc. is harnessed in our daily transactions of life, the most excellent merits and enjoyment of bliss shall fall to our lot. Here the ancient is known in contrast with the modern and vice verse. This is how Shri Yaskacharya – the author of ‘Nirukta’ interprets. The well-known culinary fire; however, that is utilized by the general public for the purpose of preparing food is not meant in this Mantra. But here is meaning the all illuminating, self-effulgent and the subliminal thermic force or electricity as the subject of all scientific knowledge and means of all arts, crafts and industry by the term Agni.”
We have no intention of doubting the integrity of Shri Yaskacharya, RDS or ADDVM that they willfully tried to lead us in an opposite direction when all the Upanishads and Puranas were clearly talking about devatas like Indra and Agni as Divine Beings. However, fact is that their translations are misleading. In case we do not doubt their integrity, the only plausible explanation for such translations is that they were done in order to attune the Vedas with modern times. We have pointed out earlier that the Western scholars were ridiculing the Vedas by saying that they talk of mythical personalities of the past and hence have no relevance in the present times. That is why, perhaps, these people decided to make the Vedas more contemporary and brought in electricity, motorcars, airplanes as part of the translations.
If this is the reason why this was done, then it was the most unfortunate thing to be done. Why this inferiority complex, when we are confident that Vedas are revealed scriptures? Does that mean that God said something and we can twist it in any way we want? Who are we to change the meaning implied by God, even if He wishes to talk about certain characters of the past? Who are we to raise a finger of doubt on God’s scriptures; that is if we regard them in their original form? In order to please a few Western scholars, if we displease the God by changing His intended meaning, would we call such translators as sincere?
These great scholars did not accept the meaning as they saw but tried to prove those things that were never intended. Eventually, they ended up giving a translation that several Hindus find incomprehensible. Hindus read these translations and when they find it not fitting with their reason, they stop reading it, yet continue to regard them as divine scriptures. Aren’t these great scholars responsible for all this farce?
If they were really sincere, why didn’t they give the exact meanings of the verses? They had all the opportunity to interpret them, as they liked, while writing the commentary. There may not be any word in the original text which would mean ‘mechanical engineers’ but they used that word in the translation itself, thereby showing that the translations too are not exact and what they ought to have said in the commentary has been said in the translations.
Wilson has translated this verse differently:
May that Agni who is to be celebrated by both ancient and modern sages conduct the Gods (read devas) here. (Wilson’s Translation of the Rig Veda, Pg. 1).
This translation seems closer to reality. The discussion that started with praising the deva Agni in the first verse, continues here in this prayer which confirms that the deva Agni has remained a respected/celebrated figure during all times, who is prayed to come to this earth and bring other devatas too to live in this world. Wilson’s translation also confirms our view that Vedas are prayers where devatas are remembered through actions that would happen in future. Therefore, we should not be puzzled when we find several of the verses in future tense.
Now see how two different translations of Mantra 3 have been given.
(1) By fervent adoration of God who is Self-effulgent Supreme Being, a devotee obtains from Him day by day such excellent possessions as impart happiness through the strengthening of the body, mind and soul possessions which bring great fame and include the strongest, the bravest and the most accomplished children and other relations.
(2) The word Agni used in the Mantra also stands for fire, heat and electricity etc. by properly using which for personal benefit, a man obtains much material wealth and fame by utilizing it for charitable purposes.
If you have read the Gita, you must have seen how materialism has been discounted. Here, all the prayers are being performed with material benefits in sight, thereby revealing the mindset of the commentators. Moreover, it is said that by fervent adoration of God, we would get happiness and excellent possessions, fame and strongest, bravest and the most accomplished children and other relations. How are we to know what is the way to adore God? Who would tell us that? Whether this adoration alone is sufficient, or whether we need to perform certain acts as well to achieve wealth? Whether adoration while intoxicated is permissible? Whether being intoxicated itself is permissible? Whether facing east is better than facing west? A lot many questions could come to mind!
This shows that book alone is insufficient to answer our problems. There has to be Persons with complete knowledge of what God wants from us; who serve as link between God and man. This is precisely what the Vedas are trying to do by identifying these persons. Be patient with the reading and shortly you will yourself realize this.
We have already showed that there were more than 100 schools of thought in existence of Yajur Veda itself, because of differing translations. Though majority of them are now lost, we do not know whether we have lost the one that gave the true interpretation. If you see RDS's commentary, you will find that he is unable to come to one meaning. How are we to know whether fervent adoration of God is to be done or fire is to be properly utilized or whether the adoration of God is to be done by utilizing the fire, something that several people do through rituals? It is difficult to fathom why God would refer only to material fire, as means for obtaining material wealth and fame, in lieu of more apparent means for achieving it like righteousness or good conduct.
Had RDS been in front of us, we would have asked him what is the best way to properly utilize fire, heat and electricity for benefit, and how can a man obtain wealth and more importantly fame by utilizing fire, heat and electricity for charitable purposes. Does this mean that all the Hindus should give free supply of electricity at all jagrans and religious congregations and also to those who are poor and bear the expense on their pocket rather than connecting the cable to the electric wire directly that they do to obtain free supply? Or does it mean that electricity is to be utilized in arts and crafts, as RDS has said, to create modern appliances? Also RDS is silent on how the people of the time, when these Vedas were first revealed, utilized electricity in their arts and crafts. Clearly, the book is not sufficient enough to give answers to all our questions and that is one reason why the devas were created by God. It is evident from reading of Upanishads that people believed that devas are the ones who are to show us the right path to reach God, not only through words, but by practice too, when they would come to live in this word at an appropriate time in future.
Carrying this absurdity further, RDS again talks of two altogether different subjects in Mantra 4. RDS has given two meanings to this verse as well; in one of them he has taken ‘deva’ to mean ‘truthful enlightened persons’ while in the second, the same word has been taken to mean ‘scientists and artists’. Did you see how two more meanings have been added for the word ‘deva’? Likewise, Agni is again taken as God in the first meaning and is described as the protector of all sacrifices and in the next, this verse is taken as material fire, said to be instrumental in the very performing and propagation of all Yajnas (non-violent sacrifices), as well as propagation of arts and crafts by wise scientists and artists. And the words, Agni and deva, which appears once each in this mantra, have been taken with different meanings, contrary to the earlier position.
The two meanings are as follows:
(1) O Omniscient God, being Omnipresent, Thou dost protect from all sides the non-violent Yajna (sacrifice) which consists of the contemplation and adoration of Thy Divine Majesty and respect for the truthful enlightened persons, association with the virtuous and charity to the deserving and the needy. It is ordained by Thee that these righteous works should be in the hands of the enlightened for the good of all. (Such enlightened persons approve of only non-violent, beneficial acts done in the name of Yajnas).
(2) The fire in various forms of heat, electricity etc. is instrumental in performing the Yajnas (non-violent sacrifices) and beneficial acts and the propagation of arts and crafts by wise scientists and artists.
Isn’t it apparent that the same devata and his link with various sacrifices or some particular sacrifice is being talked about? Yet the knowledgeable RDS has taken it to mean ‘truthful enlightened persons’ and ‘scientists and artists’ in the two different meanings that he has given.
The translator of RDS’s commentary adds: “In detailed commentary on this first hymn Rishi Dayananada stated that the commentary of Sayanacharya and Dr. Wilson on this Mantra is not correct, as they think it applicable to material fire which being inanimate cannot protect the Yajna and is not Omnipresent. ‘Thou art all pervading’ is the attribute of God only.”
True, but this writer did not explain why RDS himself has resorted to taking material fire as meaning, time and again. Moreover, we have seen in our study of Upanishads that the devatas have been described to be all pervading.
The following is Dr. Wilson’s English translation of Sayanacharya’s commentary on the Mantra, which has been the subject of criticism:
Agni, the unobstructed sacrifice of which thou art on every side the protector, assuredly reaches the Gods.
We do not intend to justify Sayanacharya’s or Dr. Wilson’s commentary as they both have not understood the true identity of Agni and other devatas. Yet it seems that they are doing a sincere attempt in doing so. Their inability to understand that the the verse is talking of deva Agni who took birth as Husain and gave several great sacrifices, including the sacrifice of his life, and that of his near and dear ones, has led them to wrong conclusions. For instance, Skanda Swami concludes that: “Even the animals that are killed in the Yajna are shown mercy or kindness, as it is said by the learned that they go to heaven etc.” See how the great sacrifice by a devata has been reduced to unreasonable and mundane descriptions.
On the other hand, ADDVM and RDS have tried to invent meanings, and in the process they have contradicted their own statements. They both were unanimous in criticizing Sayanacharya and Dr. Wilson by saying that material fire which being inanimate cannot protect the Yajna and is not Omnipresent. Fact is that material fire is never the intended meaning. If RDS and ADDVM have not got in a similar situation, it is because they have cleverly taken two meanings and dilly-dally between the two. Further, in order to avoid embarrassment, they do not give the literal, exact meanings, but add their own views while giving the meanings. Had they not done so, it would have been even more difficult for them to explain sentences like ‘Agni knows the action of all beings’; ‘Agni is full of all knowledge’; when they have translated Agni as God at some place and at others where they take Agni as material fire, as electricity, as steam or by various other meanings.
You must be expecting to find some harmony and continuity within the various mantras comprising a hymn, particularly so because Vedas are said to be linked with God. However, from the meanings that are given, we have seen that the subject keeps changing so abruptly that it appears it is wrong to place these mantras under one hymn, as there is no apparent consistency in meaning.
Likewise in mantra 5, two different meanings are given; the first is said to be describing God’s attributes while the second is a prayer to comprehend this fire, which possesses divine attributes itself.
Dr. Wilson has translated mantra 5 as follows:
May Agni the presenter of oblations, the attainer of knowledge, he who is true, renowned and divine, come hither with the Gods (word is 'devas' in original text).
Dr. Wilson is surely close to true meaning, but is also groping in the dark, without knowing what is actually meant by Agni. Even then it is clear that the devatas are being invited to come on earth. But RDS has criticized this commentary of Dr. Wilson by saying: “How can the appellation ‘kavikritu’ which even Wilson translates as ‘attainer of knowledge’ be applicable to material fire?” Despite this statement, RDS is silent on why he himself has taken material fire as the meaning at several places. However, it is for the first time that RDS is right in his statement that ‘attainer of knowledge’ cannot be used for material fire. Otherwise, you can see for yourself, that he is far off the mark.
Note that RDS has not criticized Dr. Wilson by saying that ‘attainer of knowledge’ is not the implied meaning. His subject of criticism is that ‘kavikritu’ cannot be used for material fire. Therefore, RDS has not translated the verse with material fire as the meaning but taken ‘electricity’ instead as the meaning of word agni. Through this translation, he hopes to remove the absurdity. We invite you to tell, can the appellation ‘attainer of knowledge’ be applicable to electricity? Note that the translation does not talk of the person who has attained the knowledge of electricity but electricity that is the attainer of knowledge; but RDS has reversed the meanings.
The two meanings given by RDS are as follows:
1. May the Self-effulgent God, the Giver of peace, and happiness, the Omniscient Creator of the world, the Benefactor of the righteous person, whose glory is most wonderful to hear and know about – the Light that illuminates all-be accessible to us – His devotees.
2. May we get the knowledge of this fire which is the principal of arts and crafts and which possesses divine attributes.
Even if we accept for a moment that material fire and God are both meant by the term ‘Agni’, why is it that nobody asked RDS how altogether different meanings can be derived. If there was no such word that talked of ‘art and craft’ in his first translation, what word was there by which he came to this conclusion while giving the second translation. This is why we say that the later day Hindu scholars have ceased to apply their reason while studying religious scriptures.
Now comes Mantra 6, where RDS has given only one meaning. Clearly, this verse had nothing that he could relate it to material fire, and feared that people won’t accept that translation, if he did it. So he gave an altogether new translation:
O God, Friend of all, O Inner Soul of the Universe and the human soul, O life of our life, to the person who gives himself up to Thee – offers to Thee everything that he has surrendering himself to Thee completely, Thou dost confer all good things (including the bliss of emancipation). To grant such great gifts is quite in accordance with Thy Divine Nature – that is Thy vow.
Wilson and Sayanacharya have translated Angirah as ‘The designation of a Rishi, the founder of a family or of a school’, while RDS maintains that ‘God is called Angirah because He is the very Life of the worlds and as Inner Self of all beings is Life of our life.’
Isn’t it clear that a devata and not God or fire are meant? Again Wilson is close yet far away, when he equates it with ‘a Rishi, the founder of a family or of a school.’ We have seen in Upanishads that our soul is regarded as being associated with the Self and Self is an extension of the God. God is not directly inside us. Also Self comprises of fourteen devatas. The devatas were to take birth at a future time. It is one of the devatas who is being described here and it is said that he is the friend of all, the inner soul of the universe and the human soul, the life of our life, the person who gives himself up and offers everything that he has for God, thereby surrendering himself to Him completely.
It is this devata alone who is referred to in Mantra 7 ‘in a spirit of humility and fervent sincere devotion’ for ‘making obeisance’ to him. It is said: “We approach you day and night with our intellects and good actions, so that you will bless us with the light of true knowledge.”
We have mentioned that the purpose of the creation of these devatas was to show us the true path and lead us on the way to emancipation. It is he alone who is addressed in Mantra 8 when it is said:
We approach you in a spirit of sincere humility, you are decay less and in your blissful state there is an end to all miseries. You are the protector of all our sacrifices and righteous persons, the constant illuminator of truth and the true eternal Vedas, and the eternal divine laws operating in the universe.’
Isn’t it been said that the world was commenced from out of these devatas, therefore the entire nature and the divine laws that are part of it, are owing to the devatas? It has also been mentioned in Puranas that they are decay less; Puranas have referred to their presence in various Manvantaras (creations) prior to this one. And who else can be the protector of our sacrifices other than one who has given everything that he possessed, including the lives of his near and dear ones and subsequently his own life as sacrifice to God. He alone is the protector of all righteous persons.
Mantra 9 prays to this Agni deva (who we will prove shortly is Husain) to be easily accessible to or attainable by us by bestowing upon us such beneficent knowledge as will enable us to obtain the excellent objects and means necessary to attain happiness here and hereafter, as a father is to his son. Also it is prayed that he will grant us the grace to be united with him for our happiness and welfare. You have seen both from Upanishads and Islamic texts that the devatas or Ahlebayts were the ones responsible for salvation or nijaat and permanent stay in heaven.
See the translation of RDS now. He was giving two different meanings of Agni till now but has taken God alone as the meaning in mantras 7 to 9 due to his inability to relate these verses with material fire. The second meaning, which talked of the material ‘fire’ has silently been removed. See RDS’s translation of mantra 7 and 8:
O God; in a spirit of humility and fervent sincere devotion making obeisance to Thee, we approach Thee day and night with our intellects and good actions, so that Thou wilt bless us with the light of true knowledge.
O God, we approach Thee in a spirit of sincere humility, as Thou art ever decay less in Thy Blissful State where there is an end of all miseries, Self-effulgent, the Protector of all non-violent acts and righteous persons, the constant Illuminator of Truth, the True Eternal Vedas and the Eternal Divine Laws operating in the universe.
Our view is that Husain or Agni deva is being prayed, who is the constant illuminator of truth, decay less and protector of our non-violent acts and righteousness, due to his being the lord of organs of action and senses. Even the present translation of mantra 9 by RDS confirms this.
O Omniscient God (translated for Agnideva), be easily accessible to or attainable by us by bestowing upon us such beneficent knowledge as will enable us to obtain all excellent objects and means necessary to attain happiness here and hereafter, as a father is to his son. Do thou grant us the grace to be united with Thee for our happiness and welfare.

Hymn II
This hymn will further highlight the inconsistency with RDS’s translations as more devatas are introduced here. Vayu, Indra, Mitra and Varuna are described. We have seen in Upanishads and Puranas that Indra is referred to on several occasions as the Head of the Devatas. The Vishnu Purana has even stated that Indra was the chief of the devatas in other Manvantaras as well, prior to the creation of this world. Vayu or Marut too is highly praised in the Upanishads. And Hanuman, to this day, is called Vayu putra. Yet, RDS has ignored all the great mass of literature in the form of Upanishads and Puranas that clearly defines them as Divine Persons created as Manifest forms of God. Instead, he continues to see them by their material interpretations on one extreme and as God on the other extreme.
O Almighty God! Life Principle of all lives, enlivening the whole animate world, of Grandest Majesty, mayest Thou be ever accessible to us – be manifest in our hearts and hear our supplications. O Lord, all the objects of nature are made by Thee accessible to all Thy creatures. We beseech Thee, protect their properties befitting them for the daily life of Thy creatures.
RDS has also quoted from Yaskacharya who too has taken ‘Vayu’ referred in this verse to mean ‘air’. He praises various virtues of air and says that it is with the help of the air taken in the process of Pranayama that a man can know God, as his intellect becomes sharp to grasp such subtle subjects.
The fact that RDS has played with case, person, grammar etc. while making the translation can be understood by this view of the translator, ADDVM: “In the case of Vayu as air, the commentator (RDS) has changed the cases, persons etc. Vayu-Vayu aayahi-aagacchati just to make the meaning clear, so that ignorant persons may not think that animate objects are being addressed, but it was not necessary to do so for intelligent persons, as is clearly stated in the Nirukta 7.2 achetnanyapi chetanvatstuyante. Even inanimate objects are sometimes mentioned as animate. In poems the mountains, rivers, flowers, etc. are addressed by the poets. It does not mean that they consider these inanimate objects as conscious beings. This is just a way to express one’s ideas in an impressive manner. The same is the case with the Grandest Vedic Poetry of the Master Poet-God. But Rishi Dayananda thought it proper to explain it clearly by changing the case, person etc. according to the Vedic Grammar.”
It is clear from this that the Vedas have actually talked of animate and conscious beings. Not us, but ADDVM - the person who has translated RDS’s commentary - is saying so. He is also confirming that RDS has deliberately tried to change the case, person and grammar and made it appear that inanimate objects are being referred to. Does this not prove our view that RDS has not followed ethics in his eagerness to prove his point? This also confirms our position that the conscious beings – the devatas – who would take birth on earth at a future point in time are being mentioned here.
We notice that two meanings are given again by RDS, one for Vayu as God and other as air and it is said that both the sciences – the science of God and the science of physics should be studied and honoured. It is not explained why this fetish for physics, when physics too, like all other sciences, is the study of the nature of the universe. If Vedas can talk about this subject, why is it that they do not talk on the science of the Self, which is described in Gita as the best of sciences? Fact is that all our so-called sciences are just the study of the Nature of the Divine Self.
We must admit that through these translations, RDS succeeded in depicting the contemporary aspect of Vedas to some extent. So much so that we can find several quotes like those of Mrs. Wheeler Willox – an American lady – who says: “We have all heard and read about the ancient religion of India. It is the land of the great Vedas the most remarkable works containing not only religious ideas for a perfect life, but also facts which all the science has since proved true. Electricity, Radium, Electrons, Airships, all seem to be known to the sires who found the Vedas.”
If this is the case, why is it that nobody has till date succeeded in making an invention on the basis of the teachings of the Vedas. Had RDS been alive today, he might have also found a mobile phone to be existing in those times, from seeing Sanjaya narrate the happenings of the battlefield to Dhritarashtra, just as they have derived the existence of airplanes from the story of Hanuman traveling from Sri Lanka to Himalayas and back within a night. Why has he not found a television or a movie screen when Arjuna was shown the vision of God? Or that of a computer when the detailed accounts were given!
Truth is that none of these material devices existed. A person who has truly cognized the Self gains control over all material forces so much so that the air can take him to the Himalayas, he can make a vision appear on the sky itself, he can cure the mortally sick or even make the dead come to life, and also gain knowledge of past or future happenings.
As the masters of the Universe, the devatas are in position to do all this and a lot more. Truth is that it is even possible for us normal beings to gain control over the material forces around us if we are able to truly cognize the role of devatas inside us. This can be confirmed from Krishna’s talk of Purushottama in Gita, wherein he says that the person who has made his own self one with the Manifest Self of God starts showing the virtues of God.
Mantra 4 heightens the problem of RDS further. Apart from Vayu, it also talks of Indra, who has been described by Upanishads in such great esteem. Naturally, it was not possible to take Vayu for god as RDS had done in the previous mantra because by doing that he would have faced problems as to where to place Indra in the company of Vayu – the god. And if he had taken Indra to be god as well, that would have created a still more awkward situation, where there were two gods. Therefore, he decided to shift to the literal meaning, treating Vayu as air and Indra as sun. Not for a moment did he realize that at most places the material sun is referred to in the Upanishads and Vedas by terms like Surya, and Indra, though also meaning sun, is an appellation for the Head Deva. Even Aditya means sun, but is used for the twelve shining lights (devas) created by Brahma. We wish you to see the translation done by RDS, so as to highlight what kind of silly meanings have been given to Vedas; what’s worse is that they have been accepted as true.
Because Yajnas producing water with various activities and all attainable enjoyments shine on account of the sun and the air and when they come, all beings desire happiness with the food materials and other articles.
Isn’t it the case of degrading the sanctified scriptures from God to suit our own taste and meaning? Next verse (no. 5) still compounds the problem further. Vayu is taken as god again while the sun and air as material objects are still there. Yet there is attempt to give still another meaning when it is said: “By Vayu and Indra may be taken in Adhibhautik or social sense enlightened men who like the sun are dispellers of the darkness of ignorance and strong men like the wind. Such men get wealth (material and spiritual) soon.” The translation given by RDS is as follows:
O Omniscient God, the sun and the air created by Thee uphold and give to all the objects of universe which Thou makest. They soon come to these objects to make them more useful.
Clearly, there was a mention of the devatas coming on earth here, which has been twisted to give the aforementioned translation. Indra, you will know shortly, has been used for Mohammad and Vayu for Ali.
As if the physics being talked about till now was not enough, the verse 7 is even interpreted as telling the chemical composition of water. Unfortunately, this meaning was derived by RDS when the scientists had already found the composition of water. See how the two terms ‘Mitra’ and ‘Varuna’ are described to be meaning hydrogen and oxygen.
I who am desirous of acquiring the knowledge of arts and crafts, accept the sun of pure vigour in the sky which gives us happiness in our daily activities on account of his light and the Prana residing in the body which is the devourer of diseases, as they accomplish the act of composing water. In the same way, I acquire the science of prana and apana (inhalation and exhalation etc.) which is the destroyer of various maladies.
In this regard, RDS has quoted from Nighantu 5.4 to show that the word ‘Mitra’ stands for the sun. Also a passage from Shatapath 8.2.5.6 is cited as per which the word Mitra is used here to denote ‘Prana’ and the word Varuna ‘Apana’. If you have read this book from start, you must be remembering how Prana (Life) is described as comprising the five devatas. Yet, RDS is content giving it altogether different meanings!
RDS further writes: “As on account of the sun and the air, the water goes to the sky from oceans and it causes rain preserving and protecting all, in the same way, the Prana and apana also preserve and protect the body. Therefore people should thoroughly acquire the science of the sun and the air, as well as the Science of the Prana and apana (vital breaths) in order to do good to all.”
ADDVM adds: “The Vedic words have got several meanings from the Adhyatmik (spiritual) Adhibhautik (Social) and Adhidaivik or scientific and cosmic points of view. Pandit Guru Datt MA is a great scientist and a distinguished scholar of the Vedas – the founder and the editor of the ‘Vedic Magazine’ explained the above Mantra in the following manner from the Adhidaivik (Scientific and Cosmic) standpoint. ‘This Mantra Mitran huve pootdaksham describes the process or steps (Dhiyam) whereby the well known of liquids, water, can be formed by the combination of two other substances (ghritachim Sadhanta). The word ‘Sadhanta’ is in the dual number indicating that it is two elementary bodies which combine to form water. The words used to indicate those two substances are Mitra and Varuna. The first liberal meaning of Mitra is measurer. The name is given to a substance that stands as it were, as a measure of density or of value otherwise known as quantivalence. The other meaning of Mitra is ‘associate’. Now, in this Mantra, Mitra is described as an associate of Varuna. It will be shown how Varuna indicates Oxygen Gas. Now it is well known that hydrogen is not only the lightest element known, nor is it only monovalent, but that it has strong affinity for Oxygen, hence it is described as an associate of Varuna. Many other analogies in the properties of Mitra and Hydrogen go to suggest that what is in the Vedic terms styled as Mitra is in fact identical with hydrogen, Mitra for instance occurs as synonymous with Udana, in many parts of the Veda, Udana is well characterized by its power to lift up.
The second element with which we are concerned is Varuna. Varuna is the substance that is acceptable to all. It is the element that every living being needs to live. Its well-known property is rishadas i.e. it eats away or rusts, all the base metals, it burns all the bones etc. and physiologically purifies the blood by oxidizing it, and thereby keeping the frame alive. It is by these properties Varuna is in general distinguished, but it is especially characterized here as rishadas. No one will fail to perceive that the substance thus distinctly characterized is oxygen gas. Another word used in the Mantra is Putadaksha, Puta is pure, free from impurities. Daksha means energy. Putadaksham is a substance pure, possessed of kinetic energy. Who that is acquainted with the Kinetic theory of gases, cannot see in Putadaksha the properties of gas highly heated?
The meaning of the mantra taken as a whole is this – ‘Let one who is desirous to form water by the combination of two substances, take pure hydrogen gas highly heated and Oxygen gas possessed of the property rishadas and let him combine them to form water,” (Pt. Guru Dutt MA in ‘Wisdom of the Rishis’).”
Did you see how wherever there was a mention of the devatas and their activities when they would come to live in this earth, it has been changed by such absurd arguments? And they maintain this absurdity throughout without bringing their intelligence into play. Upanishads have used the names, Mitra and Varuna on several occasions, and included these names in the list of 14 devatas.
Such long interpretations are given when everybody knows that ‘Puta’ means progeny and Daksha is an oft-used term in the Upanishads. Puta Daksha would therefore mean ‘son or progeny of Daksha’. We have already talked of Daksha earlier and equated him with Mohammad, while referring to Dowson’s explanation of Aditi. He says: “Aditi is called Deva-matri, ‘mother of the gods (read devas),’ and is represented as being the mother of Daksha and the daughter of Daksha.” Also, we have shown that the 14 devas had 7 names. Yet, these 14 devas are known by so many names that it sometimes becomes impossible to remember them all. For instance, the Devi herself has been mentioned in the Matsya Purana to be having more than 100 names. As you read further, you will see that Daksha and Indra have both been used for Mohammad in the Vedas.
In next verse, the importance of these devatas in leading us to God and their role in the creation of the universe was discussed. Instead, Hydrogen and Oxygen as augmenters of truth and the cause of establishing contact with God, Veda and water is how it has been described. Nobody has explained how hydrogen and oxygen are the causes of establishing contact with God and Veda. If this has been said because of their role in the very survival of life, then there are other things that are equally necessary for survival of the body.
Mantra 8 is translated in the following manner:
Above mentioned Mitra and Varuna are created by God who is absolute Truth. They are augmenters of truth and water and causes of establishing contact with God, Veda and the water. They pervade this vast Yajna in the form of the universe.
The commentators have not stuck to the same translation here as well so much so that ADDVM has even gone to the extent of calling Mitravaruna to be King and his prime minister. Says he: “the word Mitravaruna has been clearly used for the King and the Prime Minister who sit in a thousand pillared Assembly Hall. Rishi Dayananda also has taken in this sense of teacher and preacher.”
Again we would reiterate what we have already said. The meaning given to a word should remain the same in the succeeding verses, at least when the same word is used in succession. Unable to find a proper explanation, commentators like RDS have given one meaning at one place and another in the very next verse. At times, they have tried to give more than one explanation to a verse. For ex. Mitra and Varuna standing for Prime Minister and King and Hydrogen and Oxygen, as well as teacher and preacher.
Contrary to this view, Sayanacharya has gone to the extent of taking Vayu, Indra, Mitra and Varuna as the names of gods living somewhere in heaven and according to his interpretation, they are being worshipped and prayed to through these hymns. Our view is that since Sayanacharya was not aware of the true identity of these devatas, and he saw through the hymns that neither one God nor oxygen, hydrogen or material fire are being talked about, he had to interpret these verses as prayer to gods. Thus emerged polytheism out of the Vedas, which RDS was not willing to accept. Therefore, when he sat down to write the commentary, he might have in his mind that he would not propagate polytheism in any way. Since he already had created a mental block towards accepting the position of Indra, Agni, Mitra, Varuna, etc. as gods, he even overlooked the entire literature of Puranas and Upanishads that confirmed the high and esteemed position of these devatas. Consequently, he had no choice but to invent meanings, which only added to the non-comprehensibility of the Vedas.
We have said earlier that the problem heightened because of attempt to shape the Vedas in the manner these commentators liked them to be. This was despite the fact that all acknowledged Vedas as sacred literature. Had they not fallen prey to lack of faith in God’s revealed verses and remained sincere in approach, we would have still remained close to the original intended meaning. But when we allowed our own whims and fancies to dictate the translation, the Vedas became way off the mark, a text that is not capable of giving any real guidance in its present form.

Hymn III
Study of the Upanishads and Puranas reveal that Vedas are the most sacred of all literature available to the Indo-Aryans, and it is repeatedly said that one who forgets the Vedas gets lost. It is stated that salvation or freedom from life and birth could be achieved only through adhering to Vedas. And enough hints are given to make us conclude that the fourteen devatas and their life when they would come to live in this earth is the subject of the Vedas.
Yet, what we have found till now in RDS's commentary is the mention of electricity, water, air, fire, arts and crafts, prime minister and his cabinet, yet nothing about devatas. Though we are highlighting the absurdity of the arguments put forward to reveal to you that the translations are wrongly done, and are also showing you how the verses appear to be describing devatas, we are still in search of some conclusive evidence, which would silence few of those who still do not want to accept our derived meaning.
We proceed further with our reading of the translation by RDS with hope that there would surely be more conclusive evidence that we may chance upon.
In the Upanishads, the two Ashvins are highly praised. We had concluded that Hasan and Husain, the two sons of Ali and Fatima are meant by the term Ashvinau, who are together referred to as Hasnain by Muslims. Also, earlier we had claimed that the five elements are the Panjetans or the highest of the five devatas. Akash had been used for Mohammad (also Indra and Daksha), Vayu for Ali, Aditi for Fatima (also Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati, Indrani, Rudrani, etc.), Varuna or water for Hasan and Agni for Husain. Hasan (water) and Husain (fire or agni) are referred to as Hasnain. Interestingly, RDS too translates Ashvinau as fire and water. Let’s see how RDS translates this hymn. See mantra 1:
O learned persons! You should make proper use of Ashvinau (fire and water) like the food, which in the Science of arts and crafts manifest divine qualities, which make people touch sky through aeroplanes and other vehicles, which are instrumental in quickening the movements, which are protectors of arts and crafts and which produce various enjoyable objects. You should perform all such acts which may be useful for the science of arts and crafts.
Instead of showing the way to salvation, something that we had expected from Divine Text like the Vedas, it appears from RDS's translation that they are talking of progress in science. Here, airplanes and other vehicles are the subject of discussion. This makes us wonder how the people of the time when Vedas were revealed interpreted these verses. Was all this knowledge only for our age and had no use for those people? This cannot be the case, as God’s text ought to be applicable for all times, in particular those very times when this was revealed and chanted by the people extensively. If Vedas did actually talked of airplanes, why did mankind have to wait till the Wright brothers flew the first plane. Also, why did the commentators prior to RDS have not taken airplanes or steam engines as the meaning?
The same view is maintained in Mantra 2 and 3 as well. Mantra 3 is translated as follows:
O learned people, well-versed in sciences and taking out the essence of the things, mixing and separating articles properly, expert priests in the sacrifice of arts and crafts, when you will make full and proper use of the Ashvinau (water and fire etc.) which affect the Prana or Vital breath, whose attributes are true and destroyer of miseries, and which are instrumental in quick movement of various conveyances, then you will attain material happiness in this world.
This verse also uses the term Rudra. We know from Upanishads that Rudras are eleven in number and the chief Rudra is Siva, the same devata or noor that was later present in Ali. Our view is that Rudras are reference to the the eleven Imams who were killed, but RDS is altogether silent on commenting on this aspect.
Mantra 4 clearly states:
Indrayahi chitrabhano suta ime tvayavah.
This is a clear prayer for Indra to come. People were praying to Indra, through this hymn, to come to live in this world and relieve them of all suffering. Yet this verse too has been translated otherwise. See RDS's translation, which also seem to be inviting the Lord of Wonderful light to come:
O God of Wonderful light or marvelously Bright Lord, please come i.e. may we attain Thee on all sides as Thou hast made all these objects with subtle causes and they giving various kinds of wealth and being pure are in Thee. They are dependent on Thee for nourishment and support. Enable us to get benefit by their proper use. The second meaning of the word Indra which is the devata or subject matter of this Mantra is the sun. This sun with his rays comes to all objects. It is the sun who gives light to all these objects of the world and purifies them with his rays.
RDS has not stuck to his earlier view of Ashvinau (water and fire) through which one can make airplanes etc. and says that the senses have been compared to the horses, so ashvinau means men and women of self-control. See how his view has changed again because water and fire were not fitting with the meaning that he wanted to give, just as men and women of self-control were not fitting in the earlier mantra.
Mantra 5 again is a prayer to Indra in clear words, but RDS has translated Indra as God, saying that realization of God is meant. However, our view is that Indra, the chief of the devas, is being beckoned to come (by taking birth) in this world, so as to show us all the clear path and guide us on the true path to God.
O God (Indra)! Thou art to be attained through intellect full of wisdom and noble deeds. Thou art known only by the wise. Come therefore O Lord to the enlightened persons who have acquired knowledge of science, are the knowers of the Vedas and priests who bring happiness to all by the performance of the Yajnas and spreading of knowledge.
Isn’t it a prayer beckoning Indra to come soon? But Indra is taken as god here, which is wrong. Fortunately, though, sun has been taken as the meaning for Indra before, RDS was wise enough not to use that here or else it would have been a prayer to the material sun to come and show the light on this earth. This is how, as we have said earlier, RDS has ceaselessly confused the readers.
Mantra 6 mentions Indra (Mohammad) and Vayu (Ali) again, yet the meaning that is given is too absurd to be expected from God. See, despite the fact that the verse commences with the word Indra, Indra is altogether missing from the translation. Moreover, RDS even says that Indra is used for Vayu (air and Prana or vital energy), thus making the text even more misleading. He says:
Vayu (air or vital energy) is one of the wonderful creations of God, so its properties are described. Indrahood is common to God and air or Prana.
Now see how he has translated Mantra 6.
The Vayu (air) which is of quick motion, causes us to hear the Vedic hymns on the occasion of the dealings of the tongue. It also upholds eating the food etc. (without the air, it becomes very difficult to take food conveniently).
Mantra 7 mentions the coming of Vishvadevas, who has been described in the Upanishads as all the devas together. Jesus was referring to the same event when he foretold of the spirit of God. Indra we are aware has a direct link to Brahma and was created as the first two devas, who later became five and then fourteen. This mantra can directly be taken as the prayer to the deva Indra and rest, without bringing about any change in the meanings given by RDS.
O protectors, wise men desirous of acquiring knowledge, lovers of delivering sermons, taking great delight in wisdom, possessing right knowledge, entering into noble virtues, listening to all sciences, active, eager to do good to all, of admirable wisdom, truthful in thought, word and deed, embracing all noble qualities, destroying all vices, givers of good virtues, lucky, advanced in knowledge, come and impart knowledge to all, you who are upholders of happiness by giving true instructions, O ye enlightened person, giving fearlessness to all.
Isn’t the prayer being made in clear words? Moreover, all these also hold true for the Ahlebayts, who have been called as Pure, the Truthful Ones, the Sinless Ones, the Most Knowledgeable even in Quran. Wilson has translated Vishvadevas as ‘Universal Gods’, while Griffith has translated it as ‘all the Gods (translated for devatas) collectively’. Thereby showing that they both, and also Sayanacharya, had concluded that some very important persons, whom they had translated as gods, were being beckoned to come. On the other hand RDS has taken them as enlightened persons. Even if this is true, this verse cannot be for people like you and me. They are those who are perfectly enlightened without an iota of darkness (evil, lack of knowledge, etc.) inside. They would be the people who are absolute enlightenment and whose soul is free from all impurities or prone to get affected by the organs of senses or modalities of nature, as this would signify darkness. RDS is silent on the identity of these enlightened persons. We do not know whether he had included himself in the list?
Moreover, RDS says that God commands all learned people to go place to place to impart knowledge to all. This cannot be correct if we see the tone of the Vedas till here and afterwards. Whether they are revealed texts from God or not, we do not know, but God is clearly not speaking in the Vedas. In all the hymns, it is the common man who is praying either to God or to those important personalities described by us. By taking the RDS’s explanation, it will mean that God has started giving instructions all of a sudden. This is another point that proves RDS’s translation is wrong as we find somewhere it is the God who is doing the talking, somewhere the common man, somewhere else the learned sages and so on.
Mantra 8 also continues with the prayer, which would further highlight that these verses are not for common men but some very important persons who would enlighten the mankind and lead them away from darkness. See:
O Swift-moving and acting rapidly to diffuse light (of knowledge) in all directions, O enlightened persons, come to give us knowledge as the solar rays come diligently to the days or as milch kine hasten to their stalls. Come to enlighten us regarding various sciences.
Note that on a previous occasion (Mantra 5), when the word ‘come’ had been used, RDS had said that “by coming of God is meant the realization of God’s presence in the heart and everywhere else. It is a metaphorical expression.” It is not possible for RDS to maintain the same view in mantras 7 and 8 in the light of clear words that beckon a person to arrive. Therefore, he deviates from the earlier meaning and says that “God commands all learned people whether they are in one place like a school or going from place to place to make ignorant people learned, so that all may always enjoy happiness, possessing knowledge, righteousness, good education and good deeds.” However, despite two contradictory meanings used by RDS, both are wrong, as this is the prayer to Devatas, urging them to come fast on this earth.
Mantra 10 talks of Saraswati, who in our view is the one devi along with thirteen devatas, who form fourteen rulers of the fourteen spheres. She is the daughter of Indra (Mohammad) and was married to Vayu (Ali) and gave birth to Hasan and Husain (the two Ashvins), to make five, who later became fourteen mentioned above. The Matsya Purana has given more than hundred names by which this devi was known in India. Even RDS has said that the word Saraswati also means a learned lady. Yet, despite all this information available, RDS has translated her as speech. We will find later that RDS won’t stick to this meaning as well and would give more meanings to the word Saraswati, but never concede her as devi, because of his preconceived notion of discarding the presence of deities, so as to give monotheistic look to the Vedas. Contrary to his view Sayanacharya, Prof. Wilson and others have translated it in the form of a goddess and another in the form of a river. See the following translations of verses 10-12 given by RDS:
10. May our speech giver of pure food which enable us to acquire knowledge, possessing practical wisdom born of all sciences, be purifier. May it desire and manifest the glory of arts and crafts and noble actions, helping us to associate ourselves with pure and righteous deeds.
11. Saraswati-speech which is inspirer of acquiring noble virtues and is the instructress of the right minded, refined by the knowledge of the Vedas upholds the Yajna.
12. The Vedic Speech which along with noble actions and intellect enlightens that great ocean of the words like the great ocean of water, gives intellectual brightness.
Clearly, both RDS and Sayanacharya are wrong in understanding the meaning of Saraswati. It is evident that the earlier writers, till the period of Western scholars like Prof. Wilson and Griffith had translated the Vedic devas as gods residing somewhere in the heavens. The Western scholars criticized the archaic nature of the Vedas and said that they were no longer valuable. Faced with this dilemma, RDS and others sat down to reinterpret the Vedas. By the time they noticed the presence of airplanes or steam engines in Vedas, they had already been invented. Likewise, the composition of water from hydrogen and oxygen was known and it was nothing new that they had said. Cars were plying on roads, though not so frequently. Electricity too had been produced. This explains how they found all these in the translation of Vedas, while the previous translators didn’t. After all, they had nothing else to substitute for Indra, Agni, Vayu, etc. when they didn't want to call them as gods.
Therefore, if anybody sat down with pre-conceived theory, it was RDS and Shri Aurobindo, who had already decided to shut their eyes to accepting Indra, Vayu, etc. as some pre-historic personalities. Of course, they didn’t know that the devatas are the masters of the entire universe and also of the creatures that live and breath. And they are not pre-historic personalities as they are still governing the matters of the world, made an appearance in this world as human beings, only to be killed by the people, and the last of them is supposed to come again as the Kalki avtar or Mahdi towards the end of this age.

Hymn IV
In Hymn IV, Indra is talked about again. We know from Upanishads that Indra is the name of the chief deva but RDS has taken Indra to be God and sun, here as well. He doesn’t explain how God or the material sun can be “the doer of noble deeds” as said in Mantra I.
God is taken as the meaning of Indra in Mantra I but in Mantra 2 again material sun is taken. It is said that the sun with its rays is the protector of all objects in this world and it is the means of the use of eyes and other senses. The fact that this Indra is neither God nor material sun can be seen by Mantra 3, which has been translated by RDS as follows:
O Lord (referring to Indra), let us know thee through the sermons delivered by those noble learned intelligent persons who are nearest to thee. Come to us and be manifest in our souls. Being our innermost spirit, inspire us with the knowledge of the True Path and never make us deprived of this boon.
This is the translation done by RDS and not us. It is evident from this translation that Indra as the chief deva and his remaining associates are being mentioned here, which truly refers to Mohammad and his Ahlebayts.
We had said earlier that since the science of the Self has been described as the highest knowledge, the Vedas should be dealing on that subject. Fact of the matter is that all through Vedas, people are just doing that when they are praying to the devas as it is they who have been described in the Upanishads as the ones who comprise the Self, which is directly related to the souls of all beings.
Neither God nor material sun gives sermons. Yet, prayer is being made to Indra for enlightenment on the basis of the sermons given by the devas nearest to him. Indra is being beckoned to come and manifest himself in the soul. This state has been described in the Gita as the state of salvation or freedom from cycle of life and death. Inspiration and consciousness, we have seen in our study of the Upanishads, is to come from devas alone. And the purpose of the creation of devas is to show us the true path to reach God. Prayer too is for inspiration with the knowledge of the True Path, called Siraat-e-Mustaqeem or the eternal straight path in the Quran.
As regards to Muslim traditions, there are several narrations in Usool-e-Kafi, that explicitly tell the relationship between Mohammad and Imams with the Divine Spirit. We recount only a few here.
Hadees no. 718 states: ‘A man from Hit (a town in Iraq) asked him (the Imam) about the words of Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty: Even so We have revealed to thee a Spirit of Our bidding. He said: ‘Since Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, sent this Spirit down on Mohammad, it has not ascended to Heaven; and it is in us.
In 719, Abu Basir says that he asked Jafar Sadiq about the words of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty: They will question thee concerning the Spirit. Say: ‘The Spirit is of the bidding of my Lord’ (al-Isra’, 17:85). He said: ‘(It is) a created thing greater than Gabriel and Mikail; it was with the Messenger of Allah, it is with the Imams, and it is from the Kingdom (al-Malakut).’
Hadees no. 721 relates to the subject of Knowledge and Spirit. Abu Hamzah asked Jafar Sadiq, the sixth Imam about knowledge: ‘Is it knowledge which the knower gets to know from the mouths of men, or (is it) in the book which is with you which you recite and learn from?’ He said: ‘The matter is greater than that and more essential. Have you not heard the words of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty: Even so We have revealed to thee a Spirit of Our Bidding. Thou knowest not what the Book was, nor faith?’ Then he said: ‘What do your companions say about this verse? Do they accept that he (the Messenger) was in a state in which he did not know what the book was, nor faith?’ I said: ‘May I be made your ransom, I don’t know what they say.’ He said (to me): ‘Indeed, he was in a state in which he did not know what the Book was, nor faith, until Allah Most High sent forth Spirit which is mentioned in the Book; and because He revealed it to him, He taught knowledge and understanding through it. This is the Spirit which Allah Most High gives to whom He wishes; and when He gives it to a slave, He teaches him understanding.’
Another misconception that is present among the Muslims who regard Gabriel as the spirit is discounted in Hadees no. 722: “A man came to Amir al-muminin (Ali) and asked him about the Spirit: ‘Is it not Gabriel?’ Amir al-muminin said to him: ‘Jibril (Gabriel) is one of the angels, and the Spirit is not Jibril.’ – and he repeated this to the man – then he (the man) said to him: ‘You have said something very important, no-one claims that the Spirit is not Jibril. Amir al-muminin said to him: ‘You are wrongly guided, and you recount from the people of misguidance. Allah Most High has said to His Prophet: Allah’s command comes; see not to hasten it. Glory be to Him! High be the exalted above that they associate with Him! He sends down the angels with the Spirit (Q. an-Nahl, 16:1-2), and the Spirit is not the angels, may the blessings of Allah be upon them.’”
Is it not clear that the same spirit is being talked time and again, in the Upanishads and the Vedas?
Coming back to Hymn IV, we see that in mantra 4, RDS has taken Indra as a learned man possessing the great wealth of wisdom, contrary to his earlier view where Indra was God in Mantra 1 and material sun in Mantra 2. This is against the view of Sayanacharya, Prof. Wilson, Griffith and others, who have interpreted it as a deity who is to be worshipped. Says the translator: “The adjectives used in Mantra 4 ‘vigram’, ‘artratam’, ‘vishchitam’ clearly denote that here a learned man is meant and his duties are expressly stated.”
Isn’t it clear that RDS came to translating Indra as a ‘learned man possessing the great wealth of wisdom’ only when his earlier translations of the word Indra were not fitting here? Yet he is just happy calling Indra a learned man, and has ignored words like ‘vishchitam’ meaning the ‘soul of the universe’. Who else can be the soul of Mohammad but Brahma (Indra or Ali).
In Mantra 4, God is said to be talking to man, whereas in Mantra 3, man was praying to God. One who is talking and the one being addressed has altogether reversed. Even an aspiring poet knows that the subject is not to change so abruptly. This is not a dialogue but a prayer to the devatas. Perhaps RDS wishes to convey that God, who is said to be the creator of Vedas, didn’t know this. See Mantra 3 and 4 together which talk of larned and intellient people. Knowledge and true path has been identified with them, very muc like in Quran.
3. O Lord: Let us know Thee through the sermons delivered by those noble learned intelligent person who are nearest to Thee. Come to us – be manifest in our souls. Being our innermost Spirit, inspire us with the Knowledge of the True Path and never make us deprived of this boon.
4. O man desirous of acquiring knowledge: approach a learned and wise person who is truthful in mind, word and deed, who observes non-violence and who gives good knowledge to all men of friendly nature. Approach him and get your doubts cleared. After getting correct answers for your questions and doubts from him preach to others also. Keep yourself far away from him who is not learned, is jealous, deceitful and selfish.
The same learned intelligent persons are described in both the Mantras. And it is man who is praying in both. Lord is Indra (Mohammad), who is being addressed. Mantra 5 again describes the devas when they would come to live in this earth.
Let those persons who are devoted to God and who are established (well-versed) in all sciences and firm in the performance of righteous acts and labour, deliver discourses to us. But let those persons who are devoid of knowledge, who are in the habit of censuring others unjustly and who are wicked hypocrites, go away from our residence an also from all places i.e. let not un-righteous persons remain anywhere.
Mantra 6 too is addressed to these devatas, which has wrongly been addressed to God by RDS:
O Decayless Immortal God (read deva), may we be always in Thy eternal happiness which consists in the obedience of Thy commands. Let all learned persons teach all good sciences to all of us, so that even our opponents may call us as full of the wealth of happiness.
Mantra 8 is very significant to prove our point. One brave righteous person is being described, who is engaged in waging war against unrighteous foes. It is truly an indication to Husain’s fight against forces of evil in Karbala as this describes. See the verse as translated by RDS:
O lion among men engaged in doing many works, as the solid sun takes the juice of the water (rivers, seas etc) destroys the clouds and protects the herbs and plants (through rain), and illuminates all with his light, so you should also destroy all diseases and wicked enemies and should protect a brave righteous person, who is engaged in waging war against unrighteous foes.
Not only the war of this brave righteous person against unrighteous foes is being described but people too are being asked to destroy all the evil and wicked enemies and protect this person. In the Upanishads, there is a mention how righteous persons, when dying, used to call their sons and tell them to be on their (deva’s) side when they would come. Clearly people were waiting for these devas to take birth and some events of their life history were known to them. If you see, the weather conditions of Karbala too are described when it is said that the heat would be such that the juice of water would be gone, the clouds would be destroyed that protect the herbs and plants, at that moment, this O lion among men would be fighting the war. If you read description of Karbala, you will be left with no doubt that the same weather conditions of Karbala, on the day when Husain was killed by the armies loyal to Yazid, are being described here.
Eventually this deva (Husain) would be sacrificed, which has been described by the word ‘Yajna’ in previous Mantra. Unfortunately, RDS has interpreted the word Yajna as Rashtra, Kingdom, Country or Nation and its glory while Sayanacharya and others have taken it as sacrificial act.
The last Mantra of this Hymn (Mantra 10) again refers to Indra, which has been translated as God again.
O learned people, always worship that Great God (word used is Indra) who being merciful is the Protector, Accomplisher and Giver of wealth (both material in the form of gold etc. and spiritual in the form of Wisdom), who is Mighty, the Fulfiller of all noble desires, the friend of the person who is full of knowledge and righteousness.

Hymn V
This Hymn is also dedicated to Indra. The first mantra clearly asks all who desire to become praiseworthy to sit together and sing the glory of Indra and enjoy happiness. Needless to say, RDS again is found sticking to his digressed view where it is said that all should sit together in the attempt for emancipation, arts and crafts and sing the glory of God, master the Knowledge of electricity and Vayu and enjoy happiness. RDS feels no need to point out why seemingly out of place terms like emancipation and arts and crafts have been used together and how is emancipation related to mastering the art of electricity and air. How sorry indeed that he translates Indra with air though the literal meaning of Indra is sun. Perhaps this was fitting with his scheme of things, so he never bothered to check the apparent absurdity. It is said: “In this Mantra, Indra has been put with Vayu (air), so it means Vayu here, besides God.” In this regard, he cites Shatapath Brahmana 4.1.3.19 which says:
One who is Vayu is Indra and Indra is Vayu.
What he doesn’t realize is the fact that this was intended to portray the equal status of both of them. Both originated from the One Self and are inevitable constituent of the universe and our souls. Even Mohammad is reported to have said: First is Mohammad, middle is Mohammad, last is Mohammad, all are Mohammad. Also, he said: Ali and I have been created from the same noor.
In Mantra 2, RDS repeats the same illogical treatment as earlier, by giving two different translations to the mantra, one with Indra as God and other with Indra as air. He even asks the scientists to utilize the properties of air properly for the benefit of all. He has not described what words were there that the one who is described as dispenser of justice and who gives punishment to unrighteous persons, who is the Lord of all things from earth to heaven, the best and therefore the most acceptable, the giver of all kinds of wealth to righteous persons is also taken to mean air which is means of sustenance, which is most acceptable of all elements and which is used for construction of airplanes etc. to benefit all people. The word ‘soma’ is taken as anything that is created or manufactured, which, we will prove later, too is far from truth.
Later in Mantra 4, word Indra, which had been taken to mean air till mantra 3, is taken to mean the sun and also God and two different meanings with altogether different wordings are given. See them yourself
(1) O men, glorify and know the nature of that God (Indra) whose power and force are working in this universe and whose help, wicked enemies cannot withstand us – the righteous heroes in the battles.
(2) Praise or describe the properties of the sun whose light and attraction are operating in the universe and whom none can resist.
As per RDS’s view, God is praising an insignificant part of the God’s creation, the material sun, repeatedly. We do not see any reason why the sacred book would talk of all this rather than pointing us the way or showing us the direction where to find that true path.
Rather, if we relate this Mantra with verse 8 of Hymn IV, which said that we should protect a brave righteous person who is engaged in waging a war against unrighteous foes, we will find that people are praying for steadfastness in providing help to that brave warrior and his associates against whom wicked enemies cannot stand and who are truly the righteous heroes.
Subsequently, Mantra 6 to 9 tell us that despite the fact that these persons are so mighty that their power and force are working in the Universe, their knowledge is only for the wise. Before that, it is desired that the person becomes the best by acquiring knowledge and other virtues, and do noble deeds.
See RDS’s translation of Mantra 6, where only one meaning is given; perhaps either because RDS could not coin another meaning where Indra would stand for sun or air or because he considered one meaning as sufficient.
O learned person endowed with good intellect and noble actions, you should become the best by acquiring knowledge and other virtues, in order to drink the juice of all things of the world, and to do very noble deeds.
Sayanacharya has taken Indra to mean a particular god, the Lord of other deities in heaven, who drinks Soma Juice. This drinking of the Soma juice is described in the sixth, seventh and the ninth mantras. Wilson and Griffith too have followed Sayanacharya’s line. See the translation of Sayanacharya for these three verses:
(6) “Thou grown at once to perfect strength, wast born to drink the Soma Juice, Strong Indra, for pre-eminence.
(7) “O Indra, lover of the song, may these quick somas enter thee, may they bring bliss to thee – the sage.
(9) Indra, whose succour never fails, accept these viands thousand fold, wherein all manly powers abide.
ADDVM has criticized this view saying that ‘they are obsessed with the idea of the worship of some Gods and Goddesses in the Vedas’. Further, he supports RDS’s view by saying, ‘Rishi Dayananda was therefore quite justified in criticizing their interpretation, misunderstanding the very fundamental Vedic teaching of the worship of One God.” Yes, the fundamental teachings of Vedas are of One God indeed, but Sayanacharya is also right when he does not interpret Indra, Vayu, etc. as material things. Though he is wrong to call them gods, as there is only one God and the devas are the Divine Persons created by the God as His Manifest Form.

Hymn VI
The subject of this Hymn revolves around Indra and Maruts. From our knowledge of Upanishad, we know that Marut too is reference to Vayu (Ali). Sometimes, all the 12 Imams are referred to as Maruts, who were designated as Imams by none other than Indra (Mohammad). Therefore we should expect life of Mohammad and Imams being described in this Hymn.
Contrary to this, what we find is that RDS has translated Indra not only as god but also as sun, Prana or vital breaths or fire (Agni). See the two translations of Mantra 1.
(1) Those person 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.
(2) The Mantra is equally applicable to the sun, the Prana or vital breaths or fire (Agni). Those who know the real nature of the sun and the prana, shine. They become glorious.
Mantra 2 also has been described talking of conveyances for traveling on earth, in water and the sky. Note that no other commentator prior to the time when these modes of transport had been invented has talked about them. This implies that in his attempt to make the Vedas contemporary, RDS has falsely brought in those things that were never intended. See his translation:
O learned persons, harness the two attributes of the Sun or the fire in the form of attraction and speed, or the bright and the dark half of the month, making proper use of them in various kinds of conveyances for traveling on earth, in water and the sky, which are means of motion, carrying people far away and are firm.
This was the verse where the two Ashvins – Hasan and Husain – were being described. Unfortunately, owing to the fact that RDS has not done the exact translation, we are still in dark about their identity. Prof. Maxmuller’s translation is closer to reality, wherein it is said:
They harness to the chariot on each side his (Indra’s) two favourite boys, the brown the bold, who can carry the hero. (Vedic Hymns Part I.P.14).
See how many words are used by RDS to translate this small Mantra, which has been translated by Prof. Maxmuller in only a few words. Those who have read the life of Hasan and Husain would know how Prophet Mohammad, when Hasan and Husain were young, would make them sit on his two shoulders, while walking through the street. Once a man commented from behind by saying how good was the chariot. The Prophet retorted by saying: ‘why don’t you say, how good are the riders’. Our view is that the same incident is referred to here. However, since you are yet to realize to what extent Vedas have been exact in regard to foretelling the small incidents of the future, you may not believe so. Wait till we come to our translation of the Vedic mantras.
Likewise RDS translates Mantra 3 in this manner:
O men! You must know that God who gives the Light of knowledge in order to dispel the darkness of ignorance and Who gives wealth in the form of gold and other articles for the removal of poverty. Know that Merciful God and acquire the knowledge of various sciences by keeping company with the learned who desire to get the knowledge of God and all other objects. O man eager to learn, you should also become famous by keeping company with such wise learned persons.
This has been translated by Prof. Maxmuller in the following manner:
Thou who createst light where there was no light and form. O men! Where there was no form, hast been born together with the dawns.
Griffith has translated this in the following manner:
Thou making light where no light was, and form O men, where form was not, wast born together with the Dawn.
In the footnote he (Griffith) says: “thou i.e. the sun, O men is perhaps an exclamation expressive of admiration. If Maryah (Men), be taken to mean the Maruts the words thou making, wast born, although in the singular number, may apply to these Gods regarded as one host or Company and born at one birth.”
See how they are close yet still groping in the dark. The Upanishads and the Puranas in particular have described at length the process of creation. The Vishnu Purana tells how He (God) creates at the beginning of each Divine Day and then the world converges into Him towards the close of each Day. Then, God rests for the night, and this period is equal to the period of the Divine Day, and then creates again. Each such creation is called Manvantara. The names of the devas who were created prior to each Manvantara are described in The Vishnu Purana, who all converge in God’s Manifest Self at the end of 1000 life-cycles of earth. The Vishnu Purana has given the names of devas in this Manvantara as Indra and Maruts, and Indra is necessarily present in most of the Manvantaras.
It is this subject that this verse is mentioning. Indra and the Maruts were created at the beginning of this Divine Day, even prior to the time when all the objects of the world – animate and non-animate – were created. Brhad-aranyaka Upanishad tells explicitly that they worshipped the God, pleased with which the rest of the objects and beings were created. Even Hasan and Husain said on different occasions that all things owe their origin to them. They were made the rulers of the fourteen spheres. Therefore, it is these people who are responsible for our creation, and the creation of the material sun, moon, stars and all the rest of the things.
The very fact that these Maruts would take birth in this world as human beings is described in Mantra 4 which is translated by Prof. Maxmuller as follows:
The Maruts according to their want assumed again the form of new born babes. (V.H. Page 141)
Is there any doubt left from the existing translations that the Vedas are talking of the birth of Maruts as humans. The word ‘again’ is important since the previous verse had talked of their birth at the time of the ‘Dawn’ of this Divine Day. In the succeeding verse, ‘again’ is used, signifying that this birth would be as children.
This simple translation is criticized by RDS who translates it in the following manner: “After the heat of the sun, the winds bear the water-carrying form. Before the rain, the winds (monsoons) are full of watery vapours.”
Since it has been stated that the Maruts would again take birth in the form of newborn babes, and it has been described in the Puranas and Upanishads that they would take birth at a secret place, this Mantra describes the region where they would take place. RDS himself agrees that the word ‘guha’ used here means the middle region. Instead, Maxmuller has translated ‘guha’ as a hiding place, who has also wrongly translated Maruts as Storm Gods. See Maxmuller’s translation:
Thou O Indra, with the Swift Maruts who break through the even strong hold, hast found even in their hiding place the bright ones. (V.H.P.14).
Now see how RDS has used the word ‘middle region’ in his translation.
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.
Not comprehensible at all! Truth is that the middle region is the ‘secret’ place where these Maruts would take birth as newborn babes. Even after the discovery of American Continents the place where Mohammad was born is known as Middle East; prior to its discovery it was perfectly situated at the middle of the strongholds of various civilizations.
Not only this, the book The History of Makkah Mukkarramah by Dr. Mohammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani says clearly that Makkah is called "Ummul Qura" and those regions around it have been described as the rest of the world. Giving reason why it is called Ummul Qura, the book says: "This was the very first outcrop of land from which the remainder of the earth spread out. According to past and modern research, this area is located at the very centre of all dry land, making the Kaaba the focal point of the earth."
Mantra 6 again describes these who would take birth. In the words of Griffith:
Worshipping even as they list, singers laud him who findeth wealth. The far-renowned, the mighty one.
Now comes the great surprise. This was the conclusive proof that we were waiting for. After talking about the secret place, situated in the Middle Region where this deva Indra, who was created at the dawn of this Divine Day, would again take birth in human form, Mantra 8 explicitly gives the name of the place as Makhah. However, neither RDS nor Prof. Maxmuller or Giffith have equated this Makhah with the Makkah (pronounced and written in Arabic as Makkah but written as Mecca in English) in present day Saudi Arabia, where Prophet Mohammad was born.
RDS says: “Prof. Maxmuller takes Makhah to mean the sacrificer and translates ‘The sacrificer cries aloud’. But Makhah means Yajna which brings about the happiness to and welfare of all beings through the purification of the air and the water. Prof. Maxmuller’s statement that there are two passages where Makhah refers to an enemy of the gods is also erroneous because it is a simile there,.”
The proof that Indra’s coming to take birth in this world, which he was to do at a Middle Region called Makhah, can be inferred form Maxmuller’s translation of Mantra 9, which clearly invites the light (noor) him to come down from heaven:
From Yonder, O traveler (Indra) come hither, or from the light of heaven, the singers all yearn for it.
Does this not prove that the people of Vedic age were aware that Indra and the Maruts would take birth as humans and were beckoning them to come? This also proves that the birth had not taken till that period but was to take place at a future time.
Mantra 9 has been erroneously translated by RDS as follows:
The air which is the cause of all dealings of the speech, going every where 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 out side.
In Mantra 10, the prayer is made to Indra, irrespective of where he is. He could be in heavens as he was in those times, or could take birth on earth; yet, it is to him that we ask for help.
Maxmuller writes:
We ask Indra for help from here, or from heaven, or from above the earth, or from the “Great sky.”
No doubt, two states of the devata Indra, in heaven and when he will take birth on earth, are mentioned. Here again, RDS is far off the mark when he translates this Mantra in the following manner:
We know this (sun) which divides various things i.e. helps as to distinguish them by his light to be greater than the earth, the moon, the stars, the heaven and other worlds.

Hymn VII
Hymn VII further tells the importance of Indra, who is Mohammad as per our view. Though fact is that RDS or others couldn’t reach this conclusion.
While describing this hymn, RDS says that three meanings of ‘Indra’ are used in this hymn. And he goes on to give three meanings of the first mantra, which is even more ridiculous than giving two translations.
(1) The learned chanters (of Sama Veda) glorify the Great Lord (Indra) only, with their songs of the Mantras and with the observance of truth etc. The reciters of the (Rigvedic) Mantras also praise the same Great God. Let all the Vedas and the speeches of the wise, glorify the Lord of the Universe (Indra).
(2) Let the learned scholars and scientists describe the attributes of the sun with the acts which develop arts and industries.
(3) Let the learned scientists describe the attributes of the air and how to utilize it properly, for the benefit of the people.
The two subsequent meanings are just a product of RDS’s imagination. The first meaning is true for Indra the lord of universe, which has been wrongly translated as god by RDS.
Mantra 2 has been translated by RDS in the following manner:
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.
ADDVM has criticized Sayanacharya’s view, who has interpreted the word ‘hiranyayah’ as ‘hiranmayah-sarvahbaran bhupita ityarth’. ADDVM says that this ‘is not correct in connection with Indra which is to be taken here for the sun or the air. Neither God nor the sun nor the air put on ornaments.” If you accept that Indra is neither god nor the sun and air, but a Divine Being who would take birth in human form, there will remain no doubt that Sayanacharya’s translation is correct. Moreover, you have seen how Tibetan myths have described this devata with ornaments.
ADDVM goes on to give the spiritual interpretation of the Mantra as follows: “God (Indra) is the combiner of kindness and love when sincerely prayed to by earnest true devotees. He is the Creator and Lord of the world, the Holder of the thunderbolt of justice or the Light of lights or Absolute Truth.” God has been wrongly taken for Indra, otherwise the translation seems correct.
Now see RDS’s translation of Mantra 3:
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. He makes the clouds move hither and thither, so that it may rain.
Did you notice that, as per RDS’s translation, again and again the same subject is being repeated about the sun and the air in differing words? It seems that there is nothing else to talk about. Use air properly, sun gives light, leads to rain, air takes water to the clouds, and nothing else – all said again and again several times over. Is this subject so important that God does not wish to talk of anything else?
It seems Indra was also being invoked for help during the battles that people used to fight in those days. Vishnu Purana confirms this when it tells how priests and kings had even started using Indra’s name, sometimes falsely, to terrorize the opponents. Mantra 5 tells the same.
In mighty great battles we invoke the Lord, Him do we invoke in minor strifes. He is the friend who destroys evils and evil-minded wicked persons.
Mantra 6 invokes Indra and cites his role in emancipation in clear words:
O Giver of all gifts, Rainer of happiness and peace! Open the door of emancipation to us who are obedient to Thee and engaged in doing noble deeds. Thou art irresistible O Lord.
In Mantra 7, it is said that on the receipt of every gift from the Lord of the Universe (Indra), praises rise in me. I go on singing the glory of Indra. But I don’t find an end to it. I find no laud worthy of him. Mantra 9 tells that Indra rules over all men, all riches and all worlds of five kinds where creatures dwell. Since there is no account that substantiates the presence of five kinds of worlds, our view is that this is reference to five devas together, termed as Prana or Life in the Upanishads and commentators, unaware of the true subject of discussion, have devised their own meanings.
Last verse is translated by Sayanacharya as follows:
Let Indra show extra-ordinary favour which is more than that upon others.
Prof Wilson translates it as:
May he (Indra) be exclusively our own
Griffith’s translation is as follows:
For your sake from each side we call Indra away from other men; Our’s and none other’s may he be.

Hymn VIII
We wish to give another proof of the fact that these hymns talk of devatas and not God or material fire or sun. Before the commencement of each hymn, a few introductory words are given which tell about the devata that is described in each hymn as well as the Rishi to whom that hymn is ascribed.
For instance, the introduction to Hymn I tells the seer to be sage Madhu-Chhanda and the devata described is Agni. It also tells that the metre is Gayatri and the tune is Shadja. Likewise, Hymn II is also ascribed to sage Madhu-Chhanda, and tells that devata described is Vayu (1-3), IndraVayu (4-6), Mitra Varuna (7-9) and the Metre is Gayatri. Further, Hymn III tells Devata as Indra, Ashvinau, Saraswati and Visvedevah; Indra is the devata talked about in Hymn IV and Hymn V and Indra and Maruts are devatas of Hymn VI. Indra is again the devata mentioned in Hymn VII and the same devata is also mentioned in Mantras 1,5 and 8 of Hymn VIII. All these hymns are ascribed to sage Madhu-Chhanda.
This detail is given at the beginning of each Hymn in Sanskrit in the same book carrying RDS’s translation refuting the position of devas. Evidently, the original source that RDS used for his study confirmed these persons as devatas. This confirms our view that earlier translations carried the same meanings and never talked about airplanes, cars, steam engines, electricity, etc. All these are product of RDS’s imagination and nothing else.
Hymn VIII too is said to be talking about Indra devata. However, it will also mention Agni’s (Husain’s) sacrifice at Karbala, who was the son of Devi (having more than 100 names, including Saraswati, as per Matsya Purana), who is the daughter of Indra.
The first mantra is addressed to Indra deva but RDS translates it as addressed to God. If you have read Gita, you must have seen how Krishna emphasizes on karma and talks of non-attachment with worldly things. The entire Gita dwells on this topic. Krishna is regarded as an avatar of Vishnu (God), while Vedas are said to be words of God. Can there be so much discrepancy in two texts related to God? Fact is that RDS’s translation is on wrong lines and we can see attachment to material things, as well as description of material objects all through. This cannot be expected of text that is regarded as sacred. See RDS’s translation of Mantra 1.
O God Giver of great wealth, grant to us from all sides wealth that gives delight, that is distributed among the needy, is enjoyable source of victory, the humbler of foes, abundant, most excellent and giver of power of putting up with all troubles.
This translation seems to be confirming the materialism that has become the bane of our society. Wealth gives delight, it is this that is distributed among the people, is the enjoyable source of victory, it is through this that one humbles his foes, it is most excellent and giver of power of putting up with all troubles: if materialism and material benefits are described so positively, who would put an end to corruption? Doesn’t this tell the mindset of the writer? No wonder, sincerity and ethicality are not visible in the translation!
RDS continues with the same meaning in Mantra 2.
O Lord of the world, grant us that wealth by which protected by Thee we may repel our enemies who obstruct happiness like the clouds (whether encountering them hand to hand or with the help of the horses and other components of the army.) (We may maintain a strong army with the help of the wealth that we get) so that se may check or destroy unrighteous people.
Our view is that Vayu’s (Ali’s) valiant fights in the battlefields are being described in this verse as well as the verses 4-6. When you reach the stage where we have given our translation of these verses, you will realize that it is true.
Ali was the greatest and bravest of warriors when it came to fighting in the battlefield He was the hero of all the battles that were fought in self-defense by Mohammad and his followers. We are confident that Mantra 3 and the entire Vedas need to be retranslated so as to understand them better. RDS has translated mantra 4 as follows.
O Almighty God (Indra), protected and strengthened by Thee, may we lift up for our victory ponderous weapons which destroy the power of our opponents and canons, guns, swords and other arms wherewith we may entirely conquer our foes in fight.
Mantra 7 seems to be talking about Husain’s (Agni’s) fight in the desert of Karbala. The heat was such that it was said that a grain that fell got roasted. What’s worse, water was denied to Husain and his handful of companions, by the mighty army of Yazid, the then ruler of Muslim world. This has been mentioned in this mantra. Not knowing this, RDS has translated it otherwise.
The sun takes the sap of all plants, and protects all objects with his rays. He fills all earths as the waters fill the ocean, the Pranas or vital breaths fill different parts of the body and the operations of the tongue pronounce words.
Mantra 10, the last verse of this hymn confirms that Vedas talk of these devas alone and nothing else. See RDS’s translation:
Verily the chanted and recited praises of all the four Vedas are meant for thanking the Lord who is the Protector of all objects.
RDS would perhaps wish to believe that the four Vedas talk of God, but the fact is that they are a text from God and talk only of the devas (Masooms) when they would come to live in this earth. So that we get to know their importance and recognize them when they would come. We will prove this fact, shortly afterwards.

Hymn IX
Devata talked about in Hymn IX is Indra again in Mantras 1, 3, 7 and 10. Verse 1 has been translated by RDS replacing Indra with God:
As this sun with his force and light gladdens (so to speak) the earth and crops etc. with all the objects, being the greatest in measure and extension, so O Omnipresent God (read Indra) Thou art the Greatest and the Best, being present with all the objects of the world and perfectly knowing them all as Omniscient Supreme Being, enablest us to get food and thereby gladdenest us by Thy wonderful Power.
From taking God as being meant for the word Indra in mantra 1, RDS has taken fire and water and again brought the subject of scientists in Mantra 2. We have seen how Ashvinau had been translated as fire and water by RDS.
O learned persons or scientists, in order to accomplish many works, utilize the fire and the water which are prominent among the means of quick transportation for the soul that gladdens all and being industrious desires to get prosperity in this world consistency of various groups of articles.
ADDVM comes close to our view, for a brief moment, wherein he says that by Indra, soul is meant. This is interesting as we know that even our senses are called Indriyas. Indra and other devas are described in the Upanishads as rulers of the organs of action and senses, therefore the senses became Indriyas; the implied meaning being that we should allow only Indra to govern them.
In this regard, ADDVM has quoted from Ashtadhyayi 5.2.13 and says: “In this aphorism of the most prominent Sanskrit Grammatical work named Ashtadhyayi, the etymology of Indriyas or senses is given which clearly shows that by Indra, soul is meant. Therefore it is clearly stated in Kashika, ‘Indra atma i.e. by Indra-soul is meant and these senses are called Indriyas for, they point out the existence of a conscious soul.” Didn’t we see in the Upanishads that consciousness inside us is due to the presence of the Self, which comprises of the self of the five devas; Indra being the highest.
Mantra 3 reveals that the yajnas were initiated as a remembrance for these devatas, who were supposed to take birth in human form, somewhere in future, and were being awaited. It mentions the word ‘sushipra’, which has been translated by RDS as one ‘whose knowledge or attainment is auspicious’ whereas Sayanacharya has translated it as ‘good-cheeked or good-nose’ and Prof. Wilson as ‘Indra with the handsome chin.’ Thus most commentators other than RDS have ascribed a physical form to Indra, taking him to be some Deity either in heaven or earth.
Mantra 3 says that Indra who is to be attained with right knowledge, being praised by us with gladdening Vedic lauds, delight us – who have come together in these Yajnas or non-violent sacrifices.
Mantra 4 further confirms that Vedic speeches talk of Indra and none else. Who is Indra is a matter that remains to be decided. As per RDS, Mantra 4 addresses Indra and says:
The Vedic Speeches revealed by Thee manifest or reveal Thee well who art our protector - showerer of peace and bliss. Thou art full of all knowledge, therefore I also glorify thee who art our protector and rainer of blessings.
What does one gain by Indra’s contemplation is taught in the next mantra.
O Indra the giver of all means of true happiness, please grant us all precious and manifold wonderful riches in the form of knowledge, gold, horses and elephants, etc. that are there in thy universe, for power supreme is only Thine.
In his translation, RDS has translated Indra with God but we have replaced it with Indra, for better understanding.
And Mantra 6 is as follows:
O Indra innermost soul of our soul, O most splendid Lord of the manifold wealth of infinite wisdom, stimulate us who are industrious and glorious, for the acquirement of sublime wealth (internal as well external, spiritual and material).
Our feeling is that Mantra 8 too must be talking about the situation during Indra’s period, but we are giving the translation given by RDS, replacing God with the original word Indra, as this is something that is matter of dispute between us. If you have still not concluded that Indra is the chief devata who took birth as Mohammad, you are free to consider him as God, but we are sure you will have to accept our view soon. See Mantra 8 by RDS:
O Indra, grant us brilliant knowledge and great renown, grant riches which bring happiness in a thousand ways and grant that we may have strong armies and many chariots and other conveyances for them.
Now see Mantra 9:
We invoke for our protection and Lordship, Indra, who is the upholder of wealth in the form of wisdom, Lord of the earth, the fire, the sun, the moon and planets etc. which inhabit creatures and who is the Revealer of the Vedic Mantras, who is Omnipresent and Omniscient, praising Him with the refined Vedic Speech.
Clearly ‘Omniscient and Omnipresent’ are additions by RDS perhaps to prove that Indra is God, but there is no such word in the Sanskrit mantra, from which this meaning can be derived.