Are these Rigvedic hymns talking about equality of all men or equality among a class of gods?

Question

The blog post Equality In Vedas lists these two hymns from the Rigveda in support of its view that all men are equal.

The Vedas teach equality among the people in society. No one is superior or no one is inferior. We find Samaanatha in the Vedas.

Te ajyesthaa akanisthaasa udbhido amadhyamaaso mahasaa vi vavridhuh |
sujaataaso janushaa prishnimataro divo marya aa no achaa jigatana || – Rig: 5-59-6

Among these men there are no superiors or no inferiors, no middle ones either. They become great from small beginnings. They make progress in different ways by dint of their merits. By birth they are all highborn because they are all children of Mother-Earth. O you men of the Lord Refulgent! be available to us in a loveable manner or grow into praise-worthy souls in fair ways.

Ajyesthaaso akanislliaasa ete sam bhraataro vaavridhuh saubhagaaya|
yuva pita swapaa rudra eshaam sudhughaa prishnih sudinaa marudbhayah|| – Rig: 5-60-5

These men are without superiors and without inferiors. They are mutually brothers. They march onwards for prosperity. The eternally youthful, the soul protecting, grief alleviating God is their father. The richly feeding Mother-Earth produces happy days to these mortals.

What does 'these men' here really mean? If these hymns are actually praising a certain class of gods (Maruts?), is 'men' the right word to use?

Are these verses taken out of context by the blog writer and (incorrectly) applied to all men?

Answer 1

''These men'' definitely refers to Maruts, because Marut is term which refers to a group of people/ warrior every where in Rig Veda. Besides at many places in Rig Veda Prishni is referred as mother of Marut and Rudra as father and both are mentioned in these two verses mentioned in the question.

The translation is also incorrect as Prishni does not mean ' Mother-Earth' in Rig Veda, but as a group of women. As Prishis were beautiful and lived in caves (ref.RV.4.5.10), also beautiful Prishnis used to seat on animal skins and gave form to Jabaaru ( ref. RV.4.5.7) [both translations are mine,since no further reference about Jabaaru is available,it may be initial name of Maruts]. Also Rudra is translated as God without qualifying it.

Let us see the word by word translation of the verse RV.5.59.6 -

te ajyesthA akanisthAs udbhido amadhyamAso mahasA vi vAvridhu.

sujAtAso janusA prishnimAtaro divo maryA A no achhA jigAtan.

They no superior no junior developed among twelve greatly then flourished.

having good birth men prishni mother light of mortals come us good approach.

note. - the term mAs is usually translated as 'month' but it has also a symbolic meaning of 'twelve' which symbolises twelve Aditya here and more appropriate than 'month'.(see - www.spokensanskrit.org )

Now this verse in current grammatical form -

They have no superior and no junior, they developed in the midst of twelve Aditya and greatly flourished.

These men having good birth from mother Prishni, the light of mortals, come to us in a good approach.

Thus the Rishi Shyaavashava Aatreya describes equality among Maruts and not about all men. In the mandala 5 the Rishi devotes hymns 52 to 61 exclusively to Maruts.