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Let's start with Agni's vahana or "vehicle of transport." The symbolic animal he rides is not, in fact, a ram or goat in the common sense. It is a URIAL, a species of wild sheep native to India and Pakistan, among other South and Central Asian regions. Significantly, urials inhabit the Himalayas -- a soaring mountain range symbolically equated with enlightenment. Also known as arkars, shapos, or shapu, urials prefer grasslands, open woodlands, and gentle slopes, but also live in cold arid zones with little vegetation.
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| A family of urials at Pretoria Zoo in South Africa. |
Nothing my research uncovered indicates that Agni's vahana has a name (like Vishnu's "Garuda" or Shiva's "Nandi"). But I suspect that his mount's being a urial, rather than a common ram, is a clue to its identity and function.
Am I suggesting that Agni's vahana represents the Archangel Uriel? I am indeed, and here are some of my reasons:
--In Hebrew, Uriel means "God is my light" or "fire of God"
--Uriel is the Archangel of Salvation, Repentance, and /or Atonement
--Uriel is said to stand at the gates of Heaven with a fiery sword, watching over the Middle and Lower Worlds
--Uriel is the angel of Holy Wisdom, Truth, and Light or "Enlightenment"
In the Secret Book of John, an early allegedly "Gnostic" text, Uriel is placed in control over the demons who help Yaldabaoth (the Ego Mind) create Adam (the embodied Soul). In the Apocalypse of Peter, a 2nd-century acrophyll Christian text, Uriel is identified as "the angel of repentance," who is "as pitiless as any demon." In the Life of Adam and Eve, a 1st-century Jewish text, he is identified as one of the Living Beings in the Old Testament Books of Genesis, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. This is pretty important, actually, because it supports something I've long suspected, which is that the vahanas of some Hindu devas mirror the Living Beings or Cherubim described in the Biblical books of Ezekiel and Revelation. And those same "Living Beings" are the Throne-Bearers mentioned twice in the Islamic Qur'an.
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| The Bearers of the Throne of Allah or Hamlat al-Arsh, as depicted in an early illuminated copy of the Qur'an. They are also mentioned in the al-Sahifa al Saijadiyya, a book of prayers attributed to Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin. As in the Bible, these four-winged Beings sport the heads of an eagle or vulture, a lion, a bull or ox, and a man. According to Al-Suyuti, citing a Hadith transmitted by Ibn al-Mubarak, archangel Israfil (Raphael) is one of the bearers of the throne. |
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| In the Rider-Waite Tarot, the four Living Beings described by the Hebrew and Muslim prophets appear on the WHEEL OF FORTUNE (above) and THE WORLD (below). |
Do these four Living Beings, in fact, represent the four stages of restored Self-knowing we talked about two posts ago? Is that why they support the Chariot Throne, Merkabah, or Angirah of the Christ or Purusha Self/Mind? While I strongly suspect as much, the idea is still percolating.
Let's return to Uriel, whom the Ethiopian Homily on the Archangel Uriel depicts as one of the seven great Archangels, as well as the angelus interpres who helped and interpreted prophecies for Ezra the Scribe, among other Biblical figures. According to that sacred text, Uriel dipped his wing in the blood and water flowing from Jesus's wound on the cross. Using what he'd collected to fill a cup, Uriel then rushed into the world with the Archangel Michael to sprinkle the blood and water over Ethiopia. Wherever a drop fell, the Homily explains, a church was built.
Those metaphoric churches are, of course, the Temples of the Holy Spirit -- the inner instruments making possible the celestial reclamation of our ego-bound Souls. The blood and water in the story represent the Blood and Water Rays and/or "anointing oils of the atonement," which Jesus brought into the world. The drops, meanwhile, represent the sparks of the Fire of God, which (according to Course-Jesus) the Holy Spirit placed at the center of the Inner Altar.
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Uriel = the vahana, chariot, atonement vehicle, and/or Light Body through which the Fire of God acts within the dream of separation. |
In Eastern Orthodox images (like the one above), Uriel commonly holds a flame in his right hand and a sword in his left. If, as I suspect, those two objects symbolize the Blood and Water Rays, the flame represents the Logos, Word of God, Blood of Christ, or Red Ray of Creation present inside the Temple, while the sword represents the Living Water which, as Jesus told Sister Faustina, "restores Souls to righteousness."
We see the same concept illustrated on THE CHARIOT card in the Rider-Waite Tarot. Like Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, the charioteer represents the Holy Spirit, while the chariot symbolizes the angirah in which he stands before the walled city or hitam in the background. The eight-pointed star on his crown (like Agni's) represents the Greater Light or Spiritual Sun and its atonement powers or rays, while the stars on the canopy symbolize the scattered sparks or Souls he reunites in Wholeness through the power of his Lamp or Menorah.
I have a sneaking suspicion that, being part of the Christ Self in the form of a sheep, Agni's vahana (Uriel) also represents the seven-eyed, seven-horned Lamb of God described in Revelations 5:6. As has been suggested by others, the Lamb's seven eyes symbolize the Spirits or Lamps of the Menorah, while its horns represent the branches, channels, or sacred rivers through which the two anointing oils flow. Working through the Menorah, the Blood of the Lamb "washes away" or "lustrates" the dream-binding impurities of "sin," "guilt," "fear," "sacrifice," "attack," and "condemnation," among many others. Although stupefied by the Ego Mind's upside-down judgments on ourselves, others, and the world, that Holy Lamb will rise again through the lion-like strength of God's Fire still burning within it.
Rightly understood, our lamb-like innocence and purity IS the lion-like strength of God's Fiery Presence within us, which assures our eventual victory over the Ego Mind. To call on that spiritual strength, we need only 1) identify with the perfect, innocent, holy, and whole Christ Self or Divine Being God created "in the beginning" and 2) deny the reality of the flawed, sinful, and separate "self" the Ego Mind contrived to inhabit the "sin-abode" of earthly existence.
In the following from the Course, Jesus affirms what I've just explained:
I have been correctly referred to in the Bible as "The Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world." Those who represent the lamb as blood-stained (an all too widespread conceptual error) do NOT understand the meaning of the symbol.
Correctly understood, the symbol is a very simple parable, or teaching device, which merely depicts my innocence. The lion and the lamb lying down together refers to the fact that strength and innocence are NOT in conflict, but naturally live in peace. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" is another way of saying the same thing. Only the innocent CAN see God.
There has been some controversy (in human terms) as to whether seeing is an attribute of the eyes, or an expression of the integrative powers of the brain. Correctly understood, the issue revolves around the question of whether the body or the mind can see (or understand). This is not really open to question at all.
A sane mind is NOT out for blood. It does not confuse destruction with innocence, because it associates innocence with strength, NOT with weakness. Innocence is incapable of sacrificing anything, because the innocent mind HAS everything and strives only to PROTECT its Wholeness. This is why it CANNOT mis-project. It can only honor man, because honor is the NATURAL greeting of the truly loved to others who are LIKE them.
The lamb taketh away the sins of the world only in the sense that the state of innocence or Grace is one in which the meaning of the Atonement is perfectly apparent. The innocence of God is the true state of the mind of His Son. In this state, man's mind DOES see God, and because he sees Him as He Is, he knows that the Atonement, NOT sacrifice, is the ONLY appropriate gift to His OWN altar, where nothing except perfection truly belongs. The understanding of the innocent is TRUTH. That is why their altars are truly radiant.
On that note, let me reiterate that the yajnas so frequently mentioned in the Hindu scriptures were NOT meant to be sacrificial rituals performed by priests at the level of bodies and form. Rather, yajnas are "at-one-ment" offerings -- the thought-gifts or "alms" of brotherly love we simultaneously give and receive in accordance with God's Golden Rule. The only "fire" involved is God's Presence in our hearts rekindling our willingness to be of service in this way.
Okay, so ... if Agni's vahana represents Uriel, the archangel of salvation, why is it sometimes black in color? For the same reason Lord Krishna is often depicted with black skin. For reasons I don't fully understand, depicting a deity with black or blue skin merely signifies that they represent an invisible force, rather than an actual material being.
But wait, there's more ... because Agni sometimes drives a chariot pulled by a single red horse. In Hindu iconography, horses symbolize thought-forces, whilst red represents love, strength, power, and purity. So, the red horse drawing Agni's chariot almost certainly represents the Blood Ray.
Which instructive symbol shall we decode next? The two Janus-like faces? The twin axes? The flaming headdress? Let's do the two faces, because there's less to say about this feature than the others. As I read this symbol, Agni's two faces suggest that, being God's representative in the dream-realm, he is the generative power behind everything "divine" in the material universe. He is, in other words, "the One seated on the Ruby Throne" described in the New Testament Book of Revelations. And from that uppermost and innermost seat of Supreme Divine Authority, "Agni" infuses everything below him with the Eternal Fire of God's first Creative Thought.
That Agni's two faces look right and left also signifies that he rules over both sides (east and west) of the Wheel of Karma. The "spokes" of that wheel represent, I'm fairly certain, the branches of the Temple Menorah. Knowing this helps us understand that "Agni" -- the Fire of God's Mind/Will extended as the first Red Ray of Creation -- watches over or supervises the Atonement forces aiding our spiritual evolution on both sides of the Menorah. He is, in other words, "the boss" of the Holy Spirit of the Christ Self, the twin Blood and Water Rays, and the seven spirits or lamps referenced (not by accident) SEVEN times in the Holy Bible. They are mentioned thrice in the Old Testament (Isaiah 11:2-3 and Zechariah 3:19 and 4:10) and another four times in the New Testament Book of Revelation. As reported by the KJV translators, the latter four verses read as follows (with my explanatory notes interspersed):
Rev. 1:4: John to the seven churches [the seven lunar mansions or chakras] which are in Asia [the Temple of Arising]: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come [the Red Ray]; and from the seven Spirits [the tongues of flame, graces, or teachers illuminating the Menorah's Lamps] which are before his throne;
Before we move to the next verse, let me explain that the Greek word translated as "churches" by the KJV crew was ekklesiais, which describes an assembly of citizens gathered inside a citadel for a shared worshipful purpose. So, the "churches" referenced in these passages are akin to the symbolic polis, hitam, or walled city we discussed last time.
Knowing this, those figurative "churches" can't be in the physical continent we call "Asia," can they? The Greek word for "Asia" was, therefore, probably a sound-alike substitution for the Akkadian/Old Aramaic word Asu, which means "to go out" or "rise up" in reference to the sun. To move closer to the Light of God or Fire of God's Presence, in other words, by "rising up" perceptually. And we "rise up" perceptually via the Bridge of the Return or Sushumna -- the central channel of the Temple Menorah. Thus, the seven "churches" represent the seven teaching levels or "grades" all reincarnating Souls pass through on the non-optional journey back to Heaven.
Elsewhere in Revelations, the Great Amen names those seven "churches." He also sends messages to the "members" of each. Biblical scholars and historians have racked their brains for centuries trying to work out where those churches once stood in the ancient world. Those seven churches, of course, never existed on the physical plain because, like the Second Temple of Jerusalem, they are spiritual symbols. The seven churches represent the "ashrams" of the Spirits of the Menorah. As I recently discovered, those "churches" or "ashrams" are also the "mansions" referenced by Jesus in the Gospel of John, as well as the "lunar mansions" much discussed in Vedic astrology and the writings of St. Teresa of Avila.
Although a bit off-topic, discussing these "churches" is relevant because the next Bible-verse referencing the Seven Spirits mentions one of these "ashrams" by name. Plus, Revelations is something of a Burroughs-esque "Naked Lunch" for most people, so any opportunity we have to better apprehend its wild-yet-instructive symbolism should be embraced.
Okay, so ... if the seven "churches," "ashrams," or "mansions" represent the seven teaching-learning levels, and the chakras are the doorways or windows through which we enter or "see into" those ethereal "abodes," then the churches and the chakras should line up, right? And they do -- but not in the same order presented in Revelations. I've made this deduction based on the Greek name given each "church." You'll understand what I mean when you read the name-meanings below. I might not have them all in the right order, but I did my best. I've also briefly noted what our Souls are meant to learn in each "ashram," based on my current understanding.
SARDIS, which means "those escaping," is the seventh ashram of God-Realization, which we enter through the Sahasrara Chakra or thousand-petalled lotus. That "door" takes us back to Heaven, the sphere of Perfect Creation.
PERGAMUM, which means "married" or "citadel," represents the sixth ashram of Christ-Realization or True Perception, which we enter through the Ajna Chakra (the fully open Spiritual Eye). In this ashram, we learn to harness the power of the Great Rays to perform Christ-directed miracles for the benefit of our embodied fellow Souls.
THYATIRA, which means "giving" or "charity," represents the fifth ashram of Vishvedeva-Realization, whose door is the Vishuddha Chakra. At this level, we learn to perceive the Light of God in everyone through the collective impersonal miracles we exchange in our Golden Circle meetings.
PHILADELPHIA, which means "brotherly love," represents the fourth ashram of Self-Realization we enter, I believe, through the Anahata Chakra -- the passageway between ego-authored body-self "I-am-ness" and God-authored Soul "I-am-ness."
LAODICEA, which means "people-ruling, judging, and justice," represents the third ashram of will, power, and judgment we enter through the Manipura Chakra. In this center, we learn to choose and trust in the true strength and perfect fairness of God's Will, Power, and Justice over the Ego Mind's guilt-projecting substitutions.
EPHESUS, which means "desirable," represents the second ashram of creative desire, whose entry point is the Svadhishthana Chakra. It is here that we awaken the Buddhi -- the part of the split-mind capable of learning spiritual truth.
SMYRNA, which means "myrrh" (the anointing oil of death), represents the first ashram of earthly or external existence. The Soul enters this "ashram" (the Muladhara Chakra) when it begins reincarnating on the physical plane, but remains inactive or asleep in this "waiting room" or "womb" until the pre-determined moment it chose to awaken when the original dream played out in the Holy Instant. Once the appointed moment arrives, it passes into the Temple, to begin the process of "rebirth" into its purified spiritual identity.
Pretty interesting, right?
Before we continue, let me point out two things with regard to the symbolism associated with Hindu depictions of "Agni." The first is that the flames emanating from the deity's golden helmet are meant to symbolize the seven lamps or spirits working through the Menorah. They should, therefore, be SEVEN in number. The second is that the helmet itself represents the "golden helmet of holiness" the Red Ray of Creation both dons and restores to its scattered "sparks" through the At-one-ment process. That "golden helmet" is mentioned at least once in the Rig Veda -- in Sukta 8.7, which reads as follows in transliterated Sanskrit:
Vidyut-dhastah abhi-dyavah siprah sirsan hira-nyayih subhrah vi anjata sr-iye
Word-for-word, this vitally important sacred teaching translates thusly:
Perception raised toward Heaven helmets the head with the golden judgment of innocence which intensifies direct communication with the Holy Self (or the Great I Am).
Perception raised (vidyut-dhastah) toward Heaven (abhi-dyavah) helmets (siprah) the head (sirsan) with the golden judgment (hira-nyayih) of innocence (subhrah) which intensifies (vi) direct communication (anjata) with the Holy Self or Great I Am (sr-iye).
Let's now return to the Seven Spirits, who are next mentioned in Revelations 3:1:
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: these things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know they works, that thou has a name, that thou livest, and art dead.
It doesn't make much sense overall, probably owing to poor translation. Checking would, however, take more time than it's worth at this juncture, so I won't bother. What's interesting is that the Great Amen instructs John to write to the angel of the church in Sardis and, in his dictation, mentions the Seven Spirits and the Seven Stars, which HE possesses. This tells us two things. The first is that the angels of the ashrams and the seven Spirits and Stars are different entities. The second is that the Great Amen is the progenitor of the seven Spirits and Stars, but not necessarily of the angels of the ashrams.
As I presently understand things vis-a-vis the Temple Menorah, the seven Spirits represent the lamps running across the top, while the seven Stars are the churches, lunar mansions, or chakras running up the central stem in the manner suggested below.
The seven Spirits are next mentioned in Revelation 4:5, which reads:
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
This verse is actually pretty important because it confirms that 1) the seven Spirits are, in fact, the fires burning in the Menorah's lamps. It also tells us those seven lamps are "before the throne" -- i.e., outside or below the Seventh-Plane Throne-Room. The Spirits of God are, in fact, the Holy Powers that prepare us for that elevated plane of "pure-grace" consciousness. And on that highest plane of the dream-realm, we are so close to perfect that God can easily absorb us back into His Whole and Holy Oneness of Being.
The fourth and final verse mentioning the seven Spirits is Revelations 5:6 -- the one describing the Lamb.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts (the Living Beings or Throne-Bearers), and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Before we delve into who Brhaspati is or was, let's briefly explore how the axe came to be. According to the Puranic lore, the axe was fashioned by Tvashta, the artisan god, heavenly builder, and/or maker of divine implements (in the dream-realm). According to the Rig Veda, Tvashta also made Indra's thunderbolt-throwing Vajra, as well as a golden cup or chalice for divine food and drink. That cup or chalice is, of course, the Chalice of the Atonement through which we give and receive the Blood and Water Rays in the Holy Meeting Place.
As an aside, the Sanskrit name or word "Tvashta" is a compound of "tva" (the Higher Self) and "shta" (belonging to, being, or abiding within).
With that out of the way, let's turn to Brhaspati or Brihaspati, because the High Priest so named in the Rig Veda is, in actuality, the manifest sacred-syllable or "Word of God." The Rig Veda doesn't specifically identify Brhaspate, actually, as such, but many things the text DOES say about this "Lord of the Wisdom-Word" (to quote Sri Aurobindo) makes his identity pretty obvious -- to ME anyway. So, let me share a couple of Suktas dedicated to this Waheguru, so his identity will be just as evident to you.
The first of our example verses is Rig Veda 2.23.18, which reads as follows in transliterated Sanskrit:
Tava śriye vy ajihīta parvato gavāṃ gotram udasṛjo | yad aṅgiraḥ indreṇa yujā tamasā parīvṛtam bṛhaspate nir apām aubjo arṇavam
For context, let's start with H. H. Wilson's version, which reads:
When Brhaspati, descendant of Angiras, for your glory, Parvata had concealed the herd of kine, you did set them free, and with thine associate, Indra, did send down the ocean of water which had been enveloped by darkness.
Here's how Sri Aurobindo transcribed the same verse:
For thy hearing of the Truth the mountain was broke, thou hast opened pen of cows, when, O Angiras, O Brihaspati, with Indra-ally, thou hast released flow of Waters, besieged by darknessBoth translations are, in fact, nonsensical, even to my symbol-savvy mind. So, they can't be right -- and they're not, because the verse should read more like this:
Your holiness anoints the instant of realization within the Temple of the sacred syllable to send forth the sheltering water and blood by which the corporal body of souls, strengthened by the Song of Joy, join together in Wholeness around the Pure Truth Bhraspate's water of waters releases into the ocean.
Tava (your) sriye (holiness or grace) vy (anoints) aji-hita (the instant of realization) parvato (within the Temple) ga-vam (of the sacred syllable sending forth) gotram (the protective or sheltering) ud-asrjo (water and blood) yad (by which) angirah (the corporal body of souls) ind-rena (strengthened by the Song of Joy) yuja (join together) tamasa (in Wholeness) pari-vtam (around the pure truth) bhraspate (bhraspate's) nir (water) apam (of waters) aubjo (releases) arnavam (into the ocean)
I wondered about the phrase "water of waters" until I came across the excerpt below from the Masnavi or Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi, an epic mystical poem by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi (a.k.a. Rumi). According to Wikipedia, the Masnavi is regarded by some Muslims as second in scriptural merit only to the Qur'an. Rumi reportedly wrote the Masnavi to teach Sufis how to reach the goal of being truly in love with God -- a commendable goal indeed.
The sea itself is one thing, the foam another; Neglect the foam, and regard the sea with your eyes. Waves of foam rise from the sea night and day. You look at the foam ripples and not at the mighty sea. We, like boats, are tossed hither and thither. We are blind though we are on bright ocean. Ah! You who are asleep in the boat of the body. You see the water; behold the water of waters! Under the water you see there is another water moving it. Within the spirit is a spirit that calls it.Beautiful, isn't it? Not to mention, eerily similar to my translation of Rik 2.23.18. The likeness is so striking, in fact, this excerpt has to be the answer to my prayer for help with these translations. The answer was, in fact, more of an assurance that my translations were already being spiritually guided.When you have accepted the light, O beloved; When you hold what is veiled without a veil; Like a star you will walk upon the heavens.
The water of waters of which both Rumi and the Rig Veda speak is, of course, the ever-present echo of God's Voice -- the pure communications of "Agni" sounding underneath the clamor and noise of earthly existence.
Okay, so ... against my tedium-averse ego's objections, let me go ahead and retranslate two more short verses addressed to "Brhaspate," actually, rather than Brahaspati or Brihspati. The first is Rik 2.23.8, which reads thusly in transliterated Sanskrit: trātāraṃ tvā tanūnāṃ havāmahe 'vaspartar adhivaktāram asmayum | bṛhaspate devanido ni barhaya mā durevā uttaraṃ sumnam un naśan
H. H. Wilson translates these words thusly:
Brahaspati, defender (from calamity), we invoke you, the protector of our persons, the speaker of encouraging words and well disposed towards us; do you destroy the revilers of the gods; let not the malevolent attain supreme felicity.
By Sri Aurobindo's calculations, the same verse reads:
Here's my very different result, followed by my definitions worksheet:Thee, the protector of embodiments-hymns, we call, o deliverer, saviour that loves us, O Brihaspati, do smash haters of gods, let not them attain supreme bliss, malignant ones.
Release in time the radiant Being (or Self) sounding the Red Ray's (or Lord Shiva's) Call to Joy furthering the other world's Eternal Instant that shines away the illusion.Bṛhaspate devotees (or teachers) offering this now-moment as a group support producing the two sacred rivers pouring out in time the Holy Name (or Holy Inheritance) that ends destructive thinking.
Tra-taram (Release in time) ram (the radiant) tva (being or self) tan-uman (extending Lord Shiva's or sounding the Red or Blood Ray's ) hava-mahe (call to joy) 'vaspartar = avas-partar (favoring, furthering, or preserving the other world's = the Real World's) Adhiva-ktaram (Eternal Instant) as (that shines away) mayam (the illusion)
Brahspate (Brahspate) devan-ide (teachers or devotees offering this now-moment) ni (as a group) barhaya (support) ma (producing) du-reva (the two sacred rivers) ut-taram (pouring out in time) sunam (the Holy Name or Holy Inheritance) un (that ends) nasan (destructive thinking).
Our next example is Rik 2.23.10, which reads as follows in transliterated Sanskrit: tvayā vayam uttamaṃ dhīmahe vayo bṛhaspate papriṇā sasninā yujā | mā no duḥśaṃso abhidipsur īśata pra suśaṃsā matibhis tāriṣīmahi
Here's Wilson's translation:
Here's Sri Aurobindo's:Through you, Brhaspati, (who are) the fulfiller of our desires; pure, and associated (with us), we possess excellent food; let not the wicked man who wishes to deceive us be our master; but let us, excelling in (pious) praises, attain (prosperity).
With thee we establish highest growth, O Brihaspati, with giving, with conquering, with friend in expression by thoughts.
And here's mine:
By your holiness, the auspicious twins from the elevated place of joy-mindedness communicate (the) bṛhaspate granting Nara's corrective vision to unite the mind in extracting the ignorance dividing the will of the Christ Self to advance the holy calling producing the reason of the Seven Stars of Mahi.
tvayā (By your holiness) vayam (the auspicious twins) uttamaṃ (from the elevated place of) dhīmahe (joy-mindedness) vayo (communicate) bṛhaspate (brhaspate) papri-ṇā (granting Nara's) sas-ninā (corrective vision) yujā (to unite) māno (the mind, thoughts, or consciousness) duḥ-śaṃso (in extracting the ignorance) abhid-ipsur (dividing the will) īśata (of the Christ Self) pra (to advance) su-śaṃsā (the holy calling or invocation) ma-tibhis (producing the reason) tāriṣī-mahi (of the seven stars of Mahi)
Okay, so ... this has to be said: The moment we assume "brhaspate" is a name, the wheels come off the cart. So, let's ixnay that longstanding fallacious presumption and all the trappings attached to it, and start anew with a blank slate.
The word the rishis use herein is "brhaspate," not Brahspati or Brihaspati. And "brhaspate" is a compound of "brhas" (not "brihas") and "pate" (not "pati") -- or, more accurately, the word combines "brh" (the trumpet of expansion), "as" (penetrating), and "pate" (the top of the head or crown). So, "brhaspate" describes the trumpet-like sound coming into the Temple through the Seventh, Crown, or Sahasrara Chakra. And this explains why this deific voice, song, call, or echo is sometimes described as "the Guru" (of the "ga" -- the guru-word or sacred-syllable), as well as "the Lord of the Sacred Word."
Another thing you should know is that the "Divine Priest" and/or "Chief Guru" the Rig Veda identifies as "brhaspate" is the same divine force identified in other Hindu texts as 1) Bhagirathi, the allegorical king who brought Ganga into the world; 2) Brahmanaspati, who is said to lead us on the divine path, remove the obstacles to peace, and guide our actions; and 3) Ganapati, who is Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed remover of the obstacles to peace. So, Lord Ganesh, the widely worshipped offspring of Shiva and Parvati, personifies "brhaspate" in modern-day Hinduism. And this makes sense, given that Lord Ganesh personifies the celestial trumpet sounding the Om/Aum vibration (hence the trunk).
Ergo, the images below all depict the idea of "brhaspate" in different symbolic costumes (and there are plenty more I could show you besides these):
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Let me close today's post with a related citation from the Course:
I have assured you that the Mind that decided for me is also in you, and that you can let it change you just as it changed me. This Mind is unequivocal, because it hears only one Voice and answers in only one way. You are the light of the world with me. Rest does not come from sleeping but from waking. The Holy Spirit is the Call to awaken and be glad. The world is very tired, because it is the idea of weariness. Our task is the joyous one of waking it to the Call for God. Everyone will answer the Call of the Holy Spirit, or the Sonship cannot be as one. What better vocation could there be for any part of the Kingdom than to restore it to the perfect integration that can make it whole? Hear only this through the Holy Spirit within you, and teach your brothers to listen as I am teaching you.
When you are tempted by the wrong voice, call on me to remind you how to heal by sharing my decision and making it stronger. As we share this goal, we increase its power to attract the whole Sonship, and to bring it back into the oneness in which it was created. Remember that “yoke” means “join together,” and “burden” means “message.” Let us restate “My yoke is easy and my burden light” in this way; “Let us join together, for my message is light.”
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