"pra sa mitra marto astu prayasvān yasta āditya śikṣati vratena.na hanyate na jīyate tvoto nainamaṃho aśnotyantito na dūrāt."
— Rigveda 3.59.2
The above Sanskrit mantra (as I have copied it's Latin transcription from sacred-texts.com) can be interpreted in various ways, three of them that would be commented upon on this post, briefly.
The rough, though somewhat incomplete, translation of the verse would be
"Foremost be he who brings you food, O Mitra, may that person be active and alert in action, blest with ample food and drink and the joy of life who abides by your divine law and learns and makes others learn the ways of divine discipline and action, O Āditya.
He whom you protect, is never slain nor conquered, on him, from near or far, falls no sin."
I called the above translating interpretation as incomplete since I kept the Sanskrit words Mitra and Aditya as it is without providing their English vocabular alternatives. The reason behind this is that these words, like most of the words of the Vedas, are 'Yaugika', that is, figurative in nature as these are meant to be understood by various different, yet related, meanings as explained by the ancient grammarian Maharshi Yaska, who is also considered as an enlightened Sage in the Vedic traditions. Scholars in this field have various viewpoints on the etymology and origin of the word Mitra. The most common understanding scholars agree upon is that the direct and most accurate meaning of the word is 'friend'. There are different proposed roots regarding the formation of the term, some based on traditional ancient Sanskrit grammar and some on modern Proto-Indo-European reconstructionist linguistics, but the post won't be dealing with either of those. Rather I would share my comprehension on how the term has been understood and explained by people of varying worldviews.
Similar to Mitra, the term Aditya also has been kept untranslated above but the major difference between the terms Mitra and Aditya is that apprehending the meaning of the latter isn't as simple as knowing the exact meaning of Mitra. The word Aditya has been used in multiple ways in various different Mantras of the Vedas. In places Aditya is directly related to the word Aditi- a term which itself doesn't have one single meaning. Hindu scholars like Maharshi Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Sri Aurobindo Ghosh have at many places translated or interpreted the word Aditya as the 'child' or product of primordial Nature, on the basis of the etymology of "Aditi" which directly means "she who cannot be cut into pieces" or "she who cannot be destroyed". The word Aditi has also been interpreted as any "ideal mother", and Aditya as an ideal child. Aditya would also be understood to mean 'indestructible' or 'immortal'. The usual Western Indological interpretation, itself based on the commentary of the medieval Hindu scholar Acharya Sayana, is that Mitra is a 'polytheistic deity' who is one of the many Adityas- a group of solar deities. One can't reject this understanding as out-rightly incorrect BUT this is a pretty vague description of the subject Mitra-Aditya as a Deva, since this particular group of scholars had a preconceived idea of 'deity' being "supernatural".
Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, and the other Arya Samajist translators of the Vedas, translate this Mantra in three ways-
1.) As an address to the Supreme Being of the Vedas, Aum a.k.a Brahman, Parabrahman, etc.,
2.) As the Sun,
3.) As any general friend (human or animal).
I. "O Supreme Lord, Friend of all and the self-refulgent One, may that person be active and alert in action, blessed with ample food, drink and the joy of life who abides by your divine Law, learns and makes others learn the ways of divine discipline and action. O Lord, the person under your gracious protection is neither conquered nor killed by any mortal. Sin and evil reach him not either from far or near." (Adhyatmaika bhavartha- interpretation pertaining to spiritual level)
II. "Foremost be he who brings you food, O dear friend Sun, who strives to keep thy sacred Law.
He whom you help is never slain or conquered, on him, from near or far, falls no affliction!" (Adhidaivika bhavartha- interpretation pertaining to the level of forces of nature)
III. "O Friend, may that person be industrious, blessed and enjoy abundance who, O Immortal, by your vow of truthfulness receives good education and imparts it to others. Protected by you neither is he or she harmed, nor is he or she overcome by anyone. No sin or any immoral act touches him either from far or from near." (Adhibhautika bhavartha- interpretation pertaining to social level)
I personally agree with all the 3 meanings of the Mantra and in my humble opinion this also shows the beauty of the Mantras of the Vedas of having more than one meaning. Atheists may disagree with finding the first meaning useful but I think everybody, irrespective of beliefs or disbelief, would find the latter two meanings of some value. The first meaning is indicated to be a meditative experience of an individual who has achieved the Yogic state of Samadhi or Moksha (while being present in the body), which in simple words can be understood as the realization of the Oneness of the Supreme Being or ultimate state of consciousness (super-consciousness), who wishes good for all souls that live righteously. The second meaning shows that its a poetic way of describing the Sun as a friend of all living things (on Earth), since all living beings on Earth survive and grow due to the Sun and its rays being the essential nutrient. The third meaning is that on a social level where any true friend, be it human or animal, is being addressed and whose ideal qualities are described. The ideal friend as described by the Mantra and its third meaning is one who is a positive influence over others and who protects others from harm caused by himself or herself or someone else.
So I end this post with the hope that every person (including myself and the reader), irrespective of their identity and opinions, cultivates the qualities of friendliness and goodwill towards everyone by being righteous themselves and hence setting an example.
Have a good day! :)
References:-
1. Rigveda, Vol. 1, English translation by Dr. Tulsi Ram M.A., Ph.D. (London, U.K.) (Professor, Administrator, Researcher and Writer)
2. The Rigveda, Volume- IV, Translated into English with Etymological Notes etc. by Acharya Dharmadeva Vidyamartandya
3. Rigveda Bhashya, Sanskrit Commentary and Hindi translation by Swami Dayanand Saraswati
4. Rigveda Samhita, Volume IV, with English translation by Svami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Satyakam Vidyalankar
5. The Rig Veda, translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, and the other Arya Samajist translators of the Vedas, translate this Mantra in three ways-
1.) As an address to the Supreme Being of the Vedas, Aum a.k.a Brahman, Parabrahman, etc.,
2.) As the Sun,
3.) As any general friend (human or animal).
So the three ways to directly translate and interpret this Mantra pertaining to the above three meanings mentioned would be:-
II. "Foremost be he who brings you food, O dear friend Sun, who strives to keep thy sacred Law.
He whom you help is never slain or conquered, on him, from near or far, falls no affliction!" (Adhidaivika bhavartha- interpretation pertaining to the level of forces of nature)
III. "O Friend, may that person be industrious, blessed and enjoy abundance who, O Immortal, by your vow of truthfulness receives good education and imparts it to others. Protected by you neither is he or she harmed, nor is he or she overcome by anyone. No sin or any immoral act touches him either from far or from near." (Adhibhautika bhavartha- interpretation pertaining to social level)
I personally agree with all the 3 meanings of the Mantra and in my humble opinion this also shows the beauty of the Mantras of the Vedas of having more than one meaning. Atheists may disagree with finding the first meaning useful but I think everybody, irrespective of beliefs or disbelief, would find the latter two meanings of some value. The first meaning is indicated to be a meditative experience of an individual who has achieved the Yogic state of Samadhi or Moksha (while being present in the body), which in simple words can be understood as the realization of the Oneness of the Supreme Being or ultimate state of consciousness (super-consciousness), who wishes good for all souls that live righteously. The second meaning shows that its a poetic way of describing the Sun as a friend of all living things (on Earth), since all living beings on Earth survive and grow due to the Sun and its rays being the essential nutrient. The third meaning is that on a social level where any true friend, be it human or animal, is being addressed and whose ideal qualities are described. The ideal friend as described by the Mantra and its third meaning is one who is a positive influence over others and who protects others from harm caused by himself or herself or someone else.
So I end this post with the hope that every person (including myself and the reader), irrespective of their identity and opinions, cultivates the qualities of friendliness and goodwill towards everyone by being righteous themselves and hence setting an example.
Have a good day! :)
References:-
1. Rigveda, Vol. 1, English translation by Dr. Tulsi Ram M.A., Ph.D. (London, U.K.) (Professor, Administrator, Researcher and Writer)
2. The Rigveda, Volume- IV, Translated into English with Etymological Notes etc. by Acharya Dharmadeva Vidyamartandya
3. Rigveda Bhashya, Sanskrit Commentary and Hindi translation by Swami Dayanand Saraswati
4. Rigveda Samhita, Volume IV, with English translation by Svami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Satyakam Vidyalankar
5. The Rig Veda, translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
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