The Rig Veda's Sixth Sukta (Part 1): Anu, Guha, Shiva & the Endless Circle

A few weeks back, my husband and I were shopping at our favorite Indian market -- something we do once a month or so to restock the larder. While we were perusing the frozen-food cases on the final aisle, an elderly Indian gentleman stopped his cart behind us. "Do you like Indian food?" he asked in a friendly, lightly accented voice. "Do you not find it too spicy?"

"I don't like it too spicy." I turned round to face him. "And, to be honest, my mouth likes it more than my stomach."

He laughed, revealing a gap of missing teeth. "I have the same problem, now that I'm older."

I'm not sure how the conversation steered its way from indigestion to God, but it did -- and very quickly. The gentleman and I chatted for several minutes, while my saintly spouse herded other customers around us. We were well into our intense discussion before I got the feeling my new friend didn't understand some of my references to Hinduism.

"Are you not Hindu?" I inquired, brow furrowed.

"I'm Muslim," he sheepishly replied. "But I was raised Catholic, and I'm very open-minded."

"Oh," I said. "I don't know much about Islam -- and I haven't read the Qu'ran ... yet. But I do believe in my heart it was divinely revealed to Muhammed."

"I happen to have a copy of the Qur'an in my car -- in English," he said, brightening. "If you'd like to read it, I would be happy to go out and get it."

"I'd like that." I was truly interested, but also concerned about the frozen food thawing in my cart. "But maybe we ought to finish our shopping. And, if we chance to meet again before we leave, I'll take you up on your very kind offer."

We did meet again -- in the checkout line. He made sure of it. And he gave me not one, but two copies of the Holy Qur'an. One abridged and the other more complete. Aware our meeting was no accident, I started the abridged version that night. As I read the introduction by Wahiduddin Khan, one of the translators, two things stood out. The first is that (according to Mr. Khan) the Divine Reality explained in the Quran pre-exists in man at the subconscious level. And, as explained in my last post, the storage container for those subconscious memories is the Golden Egg or Hiranyagarbha -- the water-palanquin bearing Vishnu/Ishvara through the black waters or Kala Paani of the split-off Ego Mind.

Wahihudden Khan, an honorific "Maulana" who dropped his body in 2021, was an Indian Islamic scholar, peace activist, and prolific author. Listed in "the 500 Most Influential Muslims" in the world, he founded the Centre for Peace and Spirituality. 

"The message of the Quran is not, therefore, something which is alien to man," Mr. Khan wrote. "It is in fact a verbal expression of that same Divine Reality which is in consonance with man's own nature and with which he is already familiar. The Quran explains this by saying that those born in later times were all initially born at the time of the creation of Adam and, at that time, God had directly addressed all these human souls."

As explained in my much-earlier post on Genesis, Adam originally meant "red" in Hebrew. So, the opening chapters of the Qur'an and Bible are allegorical accounts of God implementing His Great Plan to bring the scattered sparks of the Red Ray back to their original state of "at-one-ment."

Rightly understood, the level of Self-knowing from which we perceptually descended into material unreality IS the Golden Egg housing the Soul's memories of God and Heaven.

The second thing that stood out was this astute observation by the late Mr. Khan: "The Quran does not follow the pattern of the traditional didactic book. In fact, when the average reader picks up the Quran, it appears to him to be a collection of fragmentary statements. Apparently this feeling is not unreal. But this arrangement of the Quran is not due to any shortcoming, but is rather in conformance with the Quranic plan of retaining its original form in order to fulfill its purpose of conveying the message of truth to the reader who may, in his forays into the scriptures, read only one page, one verse or one line at a time."

This statement hooked my interest because I've noticed the same "repetitive pattern" in both the Course and the Rig Veda. Mr. Khan is right. The repetitions ARE intentional. Rightly perceived, they are "foils" for the Ego Mind, which employs various sneaky tactics to prevent us from learning the At-one-ment curriculum. And one of those tricks is convincing us that spot-reading the theoretical teachings of our chosen spiritual path is as good as reading and studying those teachings, chapter and verse.

Reason would tell us otherwise, but the Voice of Reason and the Voice of Deception never occupy the same mental space simultaneously. The presence of one invariably keeps the other at bay.

On that clanging note, let's turn to the true subject of today's discussion: the Rig Veda's sixth Sukta -- another allegedly addressed to King Indra and the (non-existent) Maruts (as per Ralph T. H. Griffith). It is, in fact, more about Shiva, "the auspicious one" who goes by many names. As usual, we'll tackle the narrative teaching (not hymn or poem) line by line, word by word, and/or syllable by syllable, as necessary.

In transliterated Sanskrit, the opening line of Rv 1.6 reads: yuñjanti bradhnam aruṣaṃ carantam pari tasthuṣaḥ rocante rocanā divi. According to my external research and internal guidance, those words translate approximately as follows:

Yoke together in the presence of the Holy Treasures of the Red Ray to obtain knowledge of the endless circle of True Forgiveness shining within the luminous sphere of celestial order.

My word-for-word definitions:

yunj-anti = yoke together in the presence of
bra-dhnam = the Holy Treasures
arusam = of the red ray
car-antam = to obtain knowledge of the endless
pari = circle
tasthu-sah = of True Forgiveness
rocante = shining within
rocana = the luminous sphere
divi = of celestial order

Quite the opening salvo, wouldn't you say? And uncannily like the Course in language. "Holy Treasures," "the endless circle," and "the Sphere of Celestial Order" are all phrases used by Jesus. Let's start with the "endless circle," which Course-Jesus also calls the Golden Circle, the Holy Circle, the Circle of Purity, the Circle of Atonement, and the Circle of Creation. He also says, at one point, that the circle to which he refers is the Real World we perceive through Christ's Vision. Twice in the Text, he uses the particular phrase "endless circle" -- but only once in reference to the circle mentioned herein. Because it sets the tone for what this Vedic teaching actually communicates, I've quoted his explanation below:

Beyond the body that you interposed between you and your brother, and shining in the golden light that reaches it from the bright, endless circle that extends forever, is your holy relationship, beloved of God Himself. How still it rests, in time and yet beyond, immortal yet on earth. How great the power that lies in it. Time waits upon its will, and earth will be as it would have it be. Here is no separate will, nor the desire that anything be separate. ⁶Its will has no exceptions, and what it wills is true. Every illusion brought to its forgiveness is gently overlooked and disappears. For at its center Christ has been reborn, to light His home with vision that overlooks the world. Would you not have this holy home be yours as well? No misery is here, but only joy.

All you need do to dwell in quiet here with Christ is share His vision. Quickly and gladly is His vision given anyone who is but willing to see his brother sinless. And no one can remain beyond this willingness, if you would be released entirely from all effects of sin. Would you have partial forgiveness for yourself? Can you reach Heaven while a single sin still tempts you to remain in misery? Heaven is the home of perfect purity, and God created it for you. Look on your holy brother, sinless as yourself, and let him lead you there.

(ACIM, T-22.II.12:1–13:7)

Jesus also uses the specific phrase "sphere of celestial order" only once. With regard to this mysterious "sphere," he says:

I inspire all miracles, which are really intercessions. They intercede for your holiness and make your perceptions holy. By placing you beyond the physical laws they raise you into the sphere of celestial order. In this order you ARE perfect. (ACIM, T-1.I.32:1-4)  

As I understand it, the "sphere of celestial order" refers to the right-hand side of the Dharmachakra or Wheel of Earthly Existence, rather than Heaven-proper. The Upper World governed by the Trinity powers, that two-part "sphere" houses the endless circle and the Golden Egg or Hiranyagarbha -- the storehouse of the Holy Treasures of the Red Ray. Those treasures constitute the Soul's unconscious memories of Divine Reality. And those memories are the "miracles" the Holy Spirit holds in trust for us. Elsewhere in the Course, Jesus explains that miracles reverse the order of our unconscious "storehouses." By this, he means that the miracle moves the ego's "chitta storehouse," which is usually on top, to the rear, and the Soul's "miracle storehouse," which is usually underneath, to the fore for a few moments. This helpful little shuffle allow us to glimpse the spiritual purpose behind what's happening -- rather than the insane and upsetting way the Ego Mind would have us interpret the situation.

In Chapter 14 of the Text, Jesus discusses the Circle of Atonement at length. I suggest you click through and give it a read, because it provides very useful information to sincere truth-seekers.

Let's move on to the Sukta's second line, which reads: yuñjanty asya kāmyā harī vipakṣasā rathe śoṇā dhṛṣṇū nṛvāhasā ketum. For those keeping track, the word "ketum" belongs here, rather than at the start of the next line (as per Max Muller). When correctly configured, the line translates as follows:

Yoke together in the ultimate resting place rendering Hari (the sound of the Greater Light), coming from the Holy Instant -- the chariot of the bay horse supporting the strength arising from the peace and joy of the Great Rays (or Lamps of God). 

My word-for-word definitions and syllable breaks (for the skeptical linguists out there):

yunj-anty = yoke together in the ultimate
asya = resting place
kamya = rendering
hari = Hari, the one who removes obstacles
iti = arising from
vipa-ksasa = the instant of insight (the Holy Instant)
rathe = the vehicle or chariot
sona = of the bay horses
dhrsnu = supporting or maintaining the strength
iti = arising from
nrva-hasa = the peace and joy
ketum = of the lamps of God

Let's start with the word-name "Hari," which is generally associated with Lord Vishnu in modern-day Hinduism. And that's correct, for the most part. But Hari -- the "remover of obstacles" -- also refers to the Voice for God or Om vibration, the tonal frequency of universal holiness the Holy Spirit (Vishnu-Krishna) transmits to dissolve the unreal thoughts and beliefs blocking our awareness of God's indwelling presence. That "Hari" translates literally as "the sound of the Greater Light" supports this contention. And so does this Vedic teaching, which says Hari arises from the Holy Instant when we yoke our minds together in the Holy Resting Place. Even more interestingly, this verse equates the Holy Instant with the (fourth) chariot of the bay horse(s) seen by the prophet Zechariah -- the horse or horses "that go everywhere," according to the Angel of the Presence.

And, here again, the Rig Veda helps us solve another longstanding Biblical mystery. The bay horses "that go everywhere" convey the holiness Jesus speaks of so frequently in the Course. That holiness can only be perceived through Christ's Vision, as he tells us below:

Yet while you wish to stay in hell, how could you be the savior of the Son of God? How would you know his holiness while you see him apart from yours? For holiness is seen through holy eyes that look upon the innocence within, and thus expect to see it everywhere. And so they call it forth in everyone they look upon, that he may be what they expect of him. This is the savior’s vision; that he see his innocence in all he looks upon, and see his own salvation everywhere. He holds no concept of himself between his calm and open eyes and what he sees. He brings the light to what he looks upon, that he may see it as it really is. (ACIM, T-31.VII.11:1-7)

Christ's Vision, he tells us elsewhere in the Course, can only be achieved through God's strength. The two, in fact, go hand-in-hand. And the Sanskrit word "sona," like the Hebrew word "amot" -- the word translated as "bay" in the Old Testament -- can mean "of a strong reddish-brown color" or simply "strong." And that certainly correlates with the description herein of the bay horses "supporting the strength" arising from the peace and joy of the Great Rays -- the mysterious "ketu" mentioned many times in the Vedas.

All of this brings to mind Workbook Lesson 42: God is my strength. Vision is His gift, wherein Course-Jesus says:

The idea for today combines two very powerful thoughts, both of major importance. It also sets forth a cause-and-effect relationship that explains why you cannot fail in your efforts to achieve the goal of the course. You will see because it is the Will of God. It is His strength, not your own, that gives you power. And it is His gift, rather than your own, that offers vision to you.

God is indeed your strength, and what He gives is truly given. This means that you can receive it any time and anywhere, wherever you are, and in whatever circumstance you find yourself [like the bay horses that "go everywhere"]. Your passage through time and space is not at random. You cannot but be in the right place at the right time. Such is the strength of God. Such are His gifts.

(ACIM, W-42.1:1–2:6)

Let's move on to the next verse (Rv. 1.6.3), in which the rishis affirm everything Jesus and I just explained. The line reads: kṛṇvan aketave peśo maryā apeśase sam uṣadbhir ajāyathāḥ anu. Based on my painstaking research, the verse translates approximately as follows:

Act to extend Shiva's Vision to help the Son of God, the beloved of God, to escape Shesha by coming together wholly in the enlightening ocean of the Supreme Self, in accordance with Anu (the three-part Name of God or Trinity of the Name).

My definitions: 

kr-nvan = acting to extend
aket-ave =  Shiva's vision = Christ's Vision or Miraculous Perception (in Course terms) 
peso (pes-sa) = to help the Son of God
marya = the beloved of God
ape-sase = to escape Shesha
sam = together
usadbhir = in the enlightening ocean of
aja-yathah = the Supreme Self, in accordance with
Anu = the three-part Name of God and/or Trinity of the Name

This one was a real beast to work out, mainly because the true definitions of eight of the nine Sanskrit words occurring herein are totally lost on Vedic scholars. "Apesase," for example, is said to mean "shapeless," when it is, in fact, a compound of "ape" (to escape) and "sase" -- a Vedic cipher for Shesha, the multi-headed snake serving as Vishnu's water-palanquin in the image below.

Vishnu, as Narayana, afloat on the "enlightening ocean of the Supreme Self" on a raft or water-palanquin formed by Shesha -- the divine companion and supporter of Vishnu.

We'll talk more about Shesha in a bit, because he rears his many heads again in interesting ways. For now, let me point out that the usual definition of "marya" as "man" or "human beings" is an ego-veiled interpretation of the word's true meaning. Perceived through Shiva's Vision, all human beings are "the beloved of God" -- as Course-Jesus explained so eloquently in the excerpt above. We don't see that, however, while still wearing Brahma's blinders. We only see each other's holiness through "aketave" -- the Vedic equivalent of Christ's Vision, spiritual sight, holy vision, and/or True Perception (in Course lingo). Restoring this vision to us is the Holy Spirit's primary mission, as Course-Jesus explains below:

To open the eyes of the blind is the Holy Spirit’s mission, for He knows that they have not lost their vision, but merely sleep. He would awaken them from the sleep of forgetting to the remembering of God. Christ’s eyes are open, and He will look upon whatever you see with love if you accept His vision as yours. The Holy Spirit keeps the vision of Christ for every Son of God who sleeps. In His sight the Son of God is perfect, and He longs to share His vision with you. He will show you the real world because God gave you Heaven. Through Him your Father calls His Son to remember. The awakening of His Son begins with his investment in the real world, and by this he will learn to re-invest in himself. For reality is one with the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit blesses the real world in Their Name. (ACIM, T-12.VI.4:2-10)

Still unclear about the meaning of "Christ's Vision"? Well, as luck would have it, I'm reviewing Lesson 158 (Today I learn to give as I receive) today. And in that lesson, Jesus spells out precisely what he means in the following two passages:

Christ’s vision has one law. It does not look upon a body, and mistake it for the Son whom God created. It beholds a light beyond the body; an idea beyond what can be touched, a purity undimmed by errors, pitiful mistakes, and fearful thoughts of guilt from dreams of sin. It sees no separation. And it looks on everyone, on every circumstance, all happenings and all events, without the slightest fading of the light it sees.

This can be taught; and must be taught by all who would achieve it. It requires but the recognition that the world can not give anything that faintly can compare with this in value; nor set up a goal that does not merely disappear when this has been perceived. And this you give today: See no one as a body. Greet him as the Son of God he is, acknowledging that he is one with you in holiness.

(ACIM, W-158.7:1–8:4)

Working out the intended meaning of "peso" (or "pesah" in some versions of this Rik) also proved challenging. According to the Sanskrit dictionaries, "peso" isn't a word, while "pesa(h)" means form, decoration, or ornament. Those definitions didn't work, so I kept searching. Eventually, I discovered that "peso" was actually Vedic shorthand for "pessa," which can mean "to serve" or "to help."

Another elusive word was "ajayatha," which could have been "ajaya-tha" or "ajay-atha." Since "aja" is an oft-used Sanskrit term for the Supreme Self, I figured "ajayatha" was probably a marriage of "aja" and "yatha," meaning "the Supreme Self in accordance with." And that felt right, given that the Supreme Spirit does indeed restore us to rightmindedness in accordance with or through the agency of "Anu" -- the Trinity of the Name (as this verse explains).

The ego-educated "experts" tell us "anu" has many meanings, including "atom," "molecule," "subordinate," "the individual soul," and "spiritual union." None of those definitions are, in fact, even remotely accurate. An Akkadian word meaning "sky" or "heaven," Anu is described in Rv 8.7 as "tri-tasya" -- the three-part Name of God. (Not that anyone would know that without reading this blog.) In my earlier series on Rv. 8.7, I speculated about the meaning of the three letters, A-N-U. I now better understand that those letters represent the "Trinity of the Name" -- the three "aspect powers" of the Name of God working in unison in the celestial sphere (the Upper World or top three planes of consciousness) to restore the Truth of our Being.

A is for Agni, the Fire of God's presence within the Temple (the Father aspect)

N is for Narayana, the presence of the Christ Self and/or the Vishwapurusha (the Son aspect)

U is for the Om, the illusion-dissolving call, song, or Cosmic Breath preserving and protecting the wholeness and holiness of God's eternal and perfect Creation (the Holy Spirit aspect)

Those three "aspect" powers dwell together inside the sphere of celestial order -- the firmament forming the "body" of Anu, the Holy Trinity of the Atonement or Second Covenant.
 

Let's move on to the next verse, which should read: ād aha svadhām anu punar garbhatvam erire dadhānā nāma yajñiyam vīḻu cid ārujatnubhir guhā cid indra vahnibhiḥ avinda usriyā. Max Muller split this verse into two metered lines, when it's actually one long stanza, broken by a semi-colon. By my calculations, Rv 1.6.4 should read as follows:

Strive to awaken the soul-wind of Anu to return to the womb (or egg) of the Higher Self, the cistern of love bestowing the treasures of the Name sustaining the knowledge firmly fixed in the thoughts not diseased by fear; Heart-Cave thoughts King Indra conveys in the likeness of the One full of life-giving light.

My definitions:

ad = Strive
aha = to awaken
svadham = the soul-wind of
anu = Anu
punar = to return to
garbha-tvam = the womb (or egg) of the Christ Self
eri-re = the cistern of love
dadhana = bestowing the treasures of
nama = the Name
ya-jniyam = sustaining the knowledge or wisdom
vilu = firmly fixed in
cid = the thoughts
arujatnu-bhir = not diseased by fear 
guha = heart-cave
cid = thoughts
indra = King Indra
vah-nibhih = conveys in the likeness of
avin-da = the One full of life-giving
usriya = light

There's a lot to unpack in this lengthy verse, so bear with me. Let's start with the word "svadham," which can have various meanings. The whole word is commonly used in Hinduism to describe ritual offerings made to departed ancestors. In the Puranic lore, Swadha is one of Agni's two wives. The word can also mean "soul wind," a reference to Vayu, the Cosmic Breath or Ruach of God -- the "U" aspect of the ANU Trinity. So, the rishis affirm herein what Course-Jesus also says (in slightly different language): We must hear (and be sufficiently healed by) the Om before we can return to the Golden Egg that is both the womb of the Christ Self and the "cistern of love." If I understand all this correctly, that "egg," "womb," and/or "cistern" also is the golden storehouse or "bank" containing the Soul's unconscious memories -- the miracles we "withdraw" to correct our perceptual errors. 

It took awhile to work out that "erire" meant "cistern of love." But I'm glad I took the time, because that "erire" is the very same "cistern" mentioned in the Old Testament books of Proverbs (5:15), Jeremiah (2:13 and 36:16), and Ecclesiastes (12:6).

In Proverbs 5, we are told:

Drink water from your own cistern,

flowing water from your own well.

Should your springs be scattered abroad,

streams of water in the streets?

Let them be for yourself alone,

and not for strangers with you.

Let your fountain be blessed,

and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

a lovely deer, a graceful doe.

Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;

be intoxicated, always in her love.

The words "wife," "doe," and "breasts" in this verse felt wrong to me, so I did a little back-to-the-source etymological research. Here's what I learned: The Hebrew word translated herein as "wife" was ishshah, a compound of "ish" and "shah." "Ish" has come to mean "man" or "husband," but originally meant "strength," while "shah" initially referred to seeing, beholding, mental focus, or vision. The word ishshah first appears in Genesis, in reference to Eve, who (as I've explained) wasn't an actual woman or wife any more than Adam was an actual man. Eve represented the Spirit or Breath of God (the soul-wind or Ruach) within Adam, the Divine Spark of the Red Ray within human beings.

The word translated as "youth" actually means "earlier or previous state," and the line rendered as "lovely deer, a graceful doe" is a complete Anglican botch-job. The Hebrew word changed to "lovely" was ahab, which describes not loveliness, but divine or brotherly love; the word translated as "deer" was ayeleth, which (like re'em) probably means gazelle -- the "grace-full" vahana or vehicle of Vayu; and the words rendered as "graceful doe" more accurately translate as "the grace to ascend or spiritually profit."

This brings us to the word translated by the Anglican priests as "breasts." According to Strong's, the word was dad (in transliterated Hebrew), which translates as "breast" or "bosom" in the symbolic sense of providing nourishment; or -- in this case -- the Soul-sustaining "milk" of Higher Knowledge. The Hebrew word for the physical female breast is shad, not dad. And, according to some speculators, the vowel-less word transliterated as dad should have been dod, meaning "love" or "beloved." I'm inclined to agree, given how corrupted the KJV translation of these two lines proved to be.

So, the section of Proverbs 5 reading "Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love" (which makes no sense spiritually) should read more along these lines:

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the strength and vision of your previous state of divine brotherly love gently conveying the grace to ascend; love to slake the thirst in the season of error [our time on earth], perpetually in the covenant of love.

Let's move on, because we still need to talk about "Guha," the "Heart-Cave" or "Cave of the Heart" -- a phrase unknown to me hitherto. Curious to know if Heart-Cave was "a thing," I looked it up and was elated to learn it's not only "a thing" -- it's a vital concept in Hindu philosophy discussed not only in the Rig Veda (as we now know), but also in the Puranas, the Upanishads, and the Anu Gita. Like the better-known Bhagavad Gita (the Song of God), the lesser-known Anu Gita (the Song of Anu) is part of the Mahabharata epic.

The Wikipedia article discussing the Anu Gita erroneously defines "anu" as "subordinate to," implying the Anu Gita is less important than the Bhagavad Gita. A quick read of the Wikipedia overview suggests that the Anu Gita is to the Bhagavad Gita what the Course's Workbook and Manual for Teachers is to the theoretical Text. Yes, they are "secondary" or "supplemental" to the main body of the teachings, but no less important. As I understand it, the Anu Gita explains how to apply, day to day, the philosophical ideas presented by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.

Okay, so ... what exactly is the Heart-Cave or Cave of the Heart? Based on my research and experience, "Guha" refers to the innermost-uppermost dwelling-place of the "Aja" -- the true, divine, and eternal "Living Being," "Universal Soul," or "unembodied Holy Self" facilitating remembrance of our Oneness and Sameness with God. In meditation, it is inside this Heart-Cave that we experience the radiant presence of God and Christ, eternally united in the cause-and-effect relationship King Indra -- God's regent in the dream -- preserves and protects. And by the miracle-power of that all-inclusive Presence and/or "covenant," we are guided back "home" to Heaven.

Because this concept is so incredibly important, let's look again at what the Vedic scribes say in this verse regarding the Heart-Cave.

Endeavor to awaken the soul-wind of Anu to return to the womb (or egg) of the Christ Self, the cistern of love bestowing the treasures of the Name sustaining the knowledge firmly fixed in the thoughts not diseased by fear; Heart-Cave thoughts King Indra conveys in the likeness of the One full of life-giving light.

Stated in slightly plainer language, we must hear the Living Water before we can return to the Hiranyagarbha, the bridge or passageway back to the Heart-Cave. That spiritual "egg" or "womb" also is the symbolic "cistern" discussed in the Bible -- the storage tank or wellspring of Divine Love bestowing the Holy Treasures of "the Name." And that three-part Name (Anu) "sustains the knowledge firmly fixed in the thoughts not diseased by fear." The pure thoughts of the God Mind, they mean, uncontaminated by the Ego Mind's insanity. And the vehicle for those thoughts in the dream is King Indra, God's "regent" on earth.

In this beautiful illustration, Jesus points to the Guha or Heart-Cave, and also shows us how it feels "energetically" to enter that sacred space.

Before we move on, let me point out that Course-Jesus never uses the phrase "Heart-Cave" (or even the word "cave"); he does, however, use the expression "Heart of God" several times in a remarkably similar context. Below are several examples:

On this side of the bridge to timelessness you understand nothing. But as you step lightly across it, upheld BY timelessness, you are directed straight to the Heart of God. At its center, and only there, you are safe forever, because you are complete forever. There is no veil the Love of God in us together cannot lift. The way to truth is open. Follow it with me. (ACIM, T-16.IV.13:6-11)

Perhaps you think that different kinds of love are possible. Perhaps you think there is a kind of love for this, a kind for that; a way of loving one, another way of loving still another. Love is one. It has no separate parts and no degrees; no kinds nor levels, no divergencies and no distinctions. It is like itself, unchanged throughout. It never alters with a person or a circumstance. It is the Heart of God, and also of His Son. (ACIM, W-127.1:1-7)

Thanks be to you, the holy Son of God. For as you were created, you contain all things within your Self. And you are still as God created you. Nor can you dim the light of your perfection. In your heart the Heart of God is laid. He holds you dear, because you are Himself. All gratitude belongs to you, because of what you are. (ACIM, W-197.8:1-7)

We are the holy messengers of God who speak for Him, and carrying His Word to everyone whom He has sent to us, we learn that it is written on our hearts. And thus our minds are changed about the aim for which we came, and which we seek to serve. We bring glad tidings to the Son of God, who thought he suffered. Now is he redeemed. And as he sees the gate of Heaven stand open before him, he will enter in and disappear into the Heart of God. (ACIM, W-pII.14.5:1-5)

Holy are you, eternal, free and whole, at peace forever in the Heart of God. Where is the world, and where is sorrow now?

Is this your judgment on yourself, teacher of God? Do you believe that this is wholly true? No; not yet, not yet. But this is still your goal; why you are here. It is your function to prepare yourself to hear this Judgment and to recognize that it is true. One instant of complete belief in this, and you will go beyond belief to Certainty. One instant out of time can bring time’s end. Judge not, for you but judge yourself, and thus delay this Final Judgment. What is your judgment of the world, teacher of God? Have you yet learned to stand aside and hear the Voice of Judgment in yourself? Or do you still attempt to take His role from Him? Learn to be quiet, for His Voice is heard in stillness. And His Judgment comes to all who stand aside in quiet listening, and wait for Him.(ACIM, M-15.1:11–2:13)

Everything he says suggests the Heart of God is our final destination -- the final "leg" on our journey back to Heaven or Knowledge.

Before we move on to the next verse, I want to share one more excerpt from the Course. In this passage, Jesus doesn't use the specific expression "the Heart of God," but he does use language highly resonant with the Vedic verse under discussion:

Today we ask of God the gift He has most carefully preserved within our hearts, waiting to be acknowledged. This the gift by which God leans to us and lifts us up, taking salvation’s final step Himself. All steps but this we learn, instructed by His Voice. But finally He comes Himself, and takes us in His Arms and sweeps away the cobwebs of our sleep. His gift of grace is more than just an answer. It restores all memories the sleeping mind forgot; all certainty of what Love’s meaning is. (ACIM, W-168.3:1-6)

Let's now proceed to Rv 1.6.5, which Muller designated as 1.6.6 after erroneously breaking 1.6.4 into two separate verses. In transliterated Sanskrit, the verse should read: devayanto yathāmatim acchā vidadvasuṃ giraḥ mahām anūṣata śrutam indrena. Those words translate roughly as follows:

The journey to the divine realm of Brahman, which varies according to intellectual capacity, clears the veil of deception blocking awareness of the Vasu, the voices singing the greater truth of Anu heard in the supreme eternal song of joy.

My definitions: 

devayant-o = the journey to the divine realm of Brahman
yathamatim = which varies "according to intelligence" -- i.e., our perception of God
accha = clears the veil of deception blocking
vidad-vasum = awareness of or knowing the Vasu
girah = the voices singing
maham = the greater
anu-sata = Anu-truth 
srutam = heard
ind-rena = in the supreme eternal song of joy

This verse communicates a veritable boatload of useful information -- when insightfully translated. Unlike Muller (and most others), I combined "yatha" and "matim" into one word after being "nudged" by my inner-guide to do so. Subsequently, I learned that "yathamati" is indeed a philosophical concept in Hinduism. Basically, the term refers to the subjective views of the divine we humans construct for ourselves through our individual intellects, perceptions, and beliefs. The Sanskrit word "yathamati" literally translates as "according to their intelligence."

In the Course, Jesus similarly explains that the journey back to Heaven is highly individualized because our capacities to understand divine ideas also is highly individualized. Presumably, that's why thousands of forms of the Holy Spirit's curriculum are required to get us all back to the bridge, door, or egg.

The concept of the Vasu is less clear. As I understand it, Vasu is an umbrella term for eight holy powers, celestial beings, or "Bright Ones" working as a team to wake us up. According to the legends, these eight celestial beings initially served King Indra before moving under the auspices of Lord Vishnu. And that makes sense, given that Vishnu-Narayana-Krishna (the Vishwapurusha) took over for Indra (in the Hindu model) after Jesus activated the Atonement Plan. In the Hindu legends and texts, the specific identities of these eight powers vary widely.

So, who are the Vasu and what do they do?

Are they the eight sacred serpents known as the Ashta-Nagas?

Are they the eight "aspects" of Lakshmi known as the Ashta-Lakshmi?

Are they the Holy Spirit and his/her Seven Graces?

Are they the Ogdoad of ancient Egypt?

Let's explore the last question first. The Ogdoad (the Eightfold) was the term assigned to the eight chief deific powers worshipped by the ancient Egyptian Cult of Amen. The Ogdoad were also much discussed by Valentinus, the author of the early Christian "Gospel of Truth," as well as other so-called "gnostic" teachers and scribes. More interesting still, "the Eight" are not only mentioned, but also praised by Jesus in the passages from "The Acts of John" describing the Round Dance of the Cross.

As I see it, the Round or Circle Dance of the Cross was a ritualized re-enactment either of the Golden Circle ritual or the Soul's circular journey (if not both), which Jesus demonstrated to his disciples the night before his arrest. In the narrative provided in "The Acts of John," Jesus told his disciples to join hands in a circle, with him at the center. As they danced around him, he called out praises and riddle-like statements, to which his disciples responded (as instructed) with cries of "Amen."

In the ancient Egyptian cult, Amen, Amon, or Amun (meaning "the hidden one") was revered as the Lord of All and King of "the Eight." Centered in the ancient city of Hermapolis, the Cult of Amen was most popular and powerful during the New Kingdom period (c. 1570 - 1069 BCE). But the cult and its temples were long gone and forgotten by the time Jesus and his family settled in Hermapolis after their "flight into Egypt." And it was there, I believe, that Jesus 1) spent the "lost years" of his youth unaccounted for in the Bible and 2) met and wed his childhood friend, Miriam (whom he affectionately called "Magdala" -- the tower in Aramaic).

Knowing all this raises some interesting questions. Did Jesus know about Amen and "the Eight" because he grew up in Hermapolis? Did he learn about the Vasu while studying yoga in India during his 20s? Or did he know about this octet of Holy Powers because he enjoyed the True Perception of a Christ-Realized Soul?

I vote for the third option -- but all three are certainly possible. And there's a fourth option as well, which is this: As a Christ-Realized Soul, trained yogi, and Jewish rabbi, Jesus had illuminated understanding of the visions described by the Hebrew prophets.

What do those visions have to do with the Vasu? We'll get to that in a minute.

For now, let's return to the Ogdoad, because clues to the true identities of the Vasu can perhaps be found in the ancient ruins of Hermapolis. Historians tell us the Ogdoad were arranged in four male-female pairs. The four pairs (and what they represent) are 1) Naunet and Nu (the Cosmic Ocean and the Sky above the Ocean), 2) Heh and Huehet (the Vital Breath and Timelessness), 3) Kek and Kauket (Night and Day), and 4) Amun and Amunet (the Supreme Self and Everlasting Life).

In the Hindu pantheon, those same eight powers take the form of Sarasvati and Varuna (the Cosmic Ocean and the Sky above), Vayu and Vishnu (the Vital Breath and Timelessness), Soma and Agni (Day and Night), and Indra and Dhanvantari, the keeper of the Amrita (the Supreme Self and Everlasting Life).

Dhanvantari, the "physician-god," who emerged from the churning of the Ocean of Milk holding the pot containing Amrita, the elixir of immortal life. In the Hindu mythology, Indra sent Dhanvantari to earth to teach Ayurveda to humans. Based on the symbolism, Dhanvantari probably represents Jesus.

Look carefully at the relief carving above of Anu from ancient Sumer, which was part of Mesopotamia. Note that he has four wings, holds two tridents, wears a studded ring around his body, and stands on a bull -- the Bull of Heaven, according to the myths.

The image below depicts the Egyptian god Nu, whose name means "sky" according to some sources and "the watery one," according to others. He also is called Nun, "the inert one." In the Cult of Amen, Nu was revered as the first of all the gods and the creator of Divine Reality. He also was associated with the Cosmic Ocean, which pre-dated material creation. Worshippers of Nu also believed he could destroy existence and return everything to its original state. In the iconography of the day, he was almost always depicted as a blue-skinned man, rising from the Cosmic Ocean. His palm-frond staff and hair-ornament represent (when rightly perceived) eternal life, the triumph of light over darkness, and the long-awaited homecoming of the prodigal son.

Note the similarities among the iconographic depictions of Anu, Nu, and Lord Shiva. Like Nu, Shiva is called "the destroyer." Also like Nu, what Shiva destroys isn't "creation." It's the maya we manifest through the Ego Mind by projecting our wrong-minded judgments, valuations, and desires outward, onto objects and people.

The Hindu deity least like Nu-Anu physically -- but most alike in description and function -- is Varuna, the God of the Sky and Lord of the Waters. Typically, Varuna is pictured riding a Makara -- a strange sort of creature that's most often depicted as half animal and half fish. The word "makara" supposedly means "sea creature," but I suspect it's a compound of "maka" (infinite) and "ra" (radiance). Ergo, Varuna's "special salvation power" is the everlasting light, which Course-Jesus calls "the Light of the World." In the image below, Varuna (noteworthily) holds a large cobra.

Let's now look a little closer at the Anu of Mesopotamia. According to Digital Maps of the Ancient World -- a pretty interesting website -- Anu reigned supreme as the ultimate cosmic authority. "Envisioned as a majestic figure draped in shimmering robes and seated upon a celestial throne," the website reports, "he embodied the vastness and mystery of the heavens. Though distant from worldly concerns, Anu held the paramount position in the pantheon, fathering deities and setting the celestial machinery in motion. His enigmatic presence, a blend of regal power and unknowable secrets, left unanswered questions about his true role in the divine drama."

This description makes Anu sound like the Mesopotamian equivalent of King Indra; but I see shades of Rudra in the description -- right down to "the unanswered questions about his role in the divine drama." Rudra, the "mightiest of the mighty," whose name means "Red Ray," represents the divine creative force of Agape operating at full power in the celestial realm. From that position of supreme authority, Rudra watches over and directs the powers carrying out God's Will in the earthly realm. The greatest of those powers is King Indra, the "regent" of God's Will and Authority on earth. The second greatest is Shiva or Sadashiva, Rudra's "gentler aspect" (of grace), doing God's Will in the world as "the destroyer" of ego-induced madness.

Let's now compare the two images below. The first one depicts Rudra, looking down from Heaven, with Shiva foremost in his mind. The second depicts Lord Varuna offering "pooja" to Lord Shiva.

 

In both images, the "offering" being made to Lord Shiva is the Om vibration -- the "glue" that holds Holy Creation together in Wholeness -- as evidenced by the emblem on the black "lingam" before both figures. That "lingam" -- known as the Shiva Lingam or Shivling -- is as highly revered in Hinduism as it is misunderstood. It does not represent, as commonly espoused, male energy or the role of the phallus in creation, because "male" and "female" are ego-manufactured concepts, and the phallus -- or any other body-part -- plays no role whatsoever in divine creation. Phallus-consciousness is, in fact, a serious obstacle to awakening, as any rightminded yogi will tell you.

What Shiva's Lingam actually represents is the upward-pointing triangle of the Shaktona or six-pointed star. And what that star represents, in turn, is the Purusha energy underlying and gradually "penetrating" the Prakriti energy (the yoni) manifesting material unreality. The deeper the Purusha "phallus" penetrates our consciousness, the more the illusion fades, allowing us to see Divine Truth more and more clearly -- through the Spiritual Eye or Shiva's Vision. Shiva's Lingam opens the Spiritual Eye, in other words. And that's the reason 1) Shiva is so closely associated with the Spiritual Eye and 2) the Golden Triangle or Golden Pyramid representing the Shivling often has a single eye in the center.
 

The Golden Triangle symbolizes the three-part or three-sided mind-healing energy that is all of the following: 1) the Great Purusha, 2) the Trinity of the Name in the earthly realm, and 4) Shiva, the transcendent aspect of Brahman (which is grace).

Look again at the images above of Rudra and Varuna, taking note of the water in both -- evidence that the Om vibration is indeed the Living Water that "washes away the sins of the world" -- i.e., destroys wrongminded thought through "lustration" (removal through ablution). Those symbols also suggest that the Om originates with Rudra-Varuna, and then flows downward into the Temple to restore wholeness of mind.

All of this strongly suggests that Shiva is Rudra's arm in the world. That is to say, Shiva literally embodies the N and U aspects of the Trinity of the Name, operating inside the Temple through the power of grace. Proof of his role are the trident and bull closely associated with Shiva and Anu. Nandi -- the Bull of Heaven -- represents not "dharma" (as commonly supposed) but God's Will to end the dream, which we share as part of the Trinity. 

That Anu holds two tridents suggests there are, in fact, two trinities (as I've long suspected): the Trinity of Perfect Creation (the first covenant), consisting of Father, Son, and the Creative Force of Agape, and the Trinity of Atonement (the second covenant), consisting of the three-part Name of God ("the Name we share with God," in Course vernacular).

I could find nothing describing Anu's tridents, but they appear to be tipped with pomegranates -- a symbol of the Blood of Christ, as well as resurrection into eternal life. Comparatively, there is a great deal available about Shiva's "Trishul," only some of which agrees with what I know to be true. Typically, Shiva's Trishul is depicted as a three-pronged, lyre-shaped trident with a two-headed, hourglass-shaped drum fastened underneath (as shown below). The drum is called "Damaru," which translates as "giving or offering" (da) "in the desert or wilderness" (maru).

Shiva's Trishul, with the Damaru underneath.

The first thing we need to get straight is that Shiva's Trishul isn't a "weapon"; it's a symbol of the divine power and authority delegated to him by Rudra, through God's earthly regent, King Indra. As the transcendent power of Brahman, Shiva personifies the ego-dissolving force Course-Jesus calls "the Atonement" and which Christians call "saving grace." Additionally, Shiva is called "Aket," which translates as "God's Call." He's the source of the Call to Awaken, in other words.

According to the Agama Scriptures, Shiva has five faces, aspects, or powers, which take the form of Sadashiva. At another time, we'll explore what those five "faces" represent. If you're curious in the meantime, there's a pretty good overview on the website for Kaui's Hindu Monastery.

Rightly understood, Shiva is NOT the second power of the Trimuti, because there is no such "trinity." As explained in earlier posts, Brahma (the Ego Mind) invented the Trimuti, to take God's place as the "father-creator," as well as to position himself above Shiva and Vishnu in the "divine hierarchy" he contrived. And just so we're clear, Brahmanda -- Brahma's Egg -- is NOT the Cosmic Egg or Golden Womb. Brahmanda is the false and fearful "void" we entered (outwardly) when we projected our split-away dream-consciousness out of the Hiranyagarbha.

In a future post, we'll explore the concept of the Cosmic Egg in greater depth, because it's a fascinating and multi-layered subject deserving more space than I can give it here and now. Just be aware that the "embryo" inside the Golden Egg is the Soul. We enter the egg consciously when we fully "realize" that we are indeed Souls -- and that our Soul is the real "hero of the dream," rather than the ego-body "character" we formerly perceived as our "self" in Brahma's unreal human drama.

While inside the Golden Egg, we are twice reborn. We experience our first rebirth (the second coming of Christ) when we fully realize we are not individual Souls, but one unified "Living Being" with a shared purpose: healing the separation through psychic miracle-working and whatever else the Holy Spirit directs us to do. We experience our second rebirth when we fully realize that the Christ Mind and the God Mind are, in actuality, equal and inseparable partners in the cause-and-effect dynamic of Perfect Creation. When that second rebirth occurs, we move from the Golden Egg into the Heart-Cave or Heart of God.

And that's why Rv 1.6.3 says we must help each other "escape Shesha." To return to the Heart of God -- the Cosmic Ocean of Oneness -- we have to break free of the Golden Egg, which IS Shesha.

 

Okay, phew ... that was a lot to explain -- and we still have a long way to go. But let's break here and continue our discussion in a new post.

Unlocking the TRUE Timeless Wisdom of Rig Veda 8.7 (Part 3 of 4)

Let's jump right in with Rv 8.7.11, which reads: marutaḥ yat ha vaḥ divaḥ sumna-yantaḥ havāmahe ā tu naḥ upa gantana. Here, rather importantly, we first encounter the oft-used Vedic word "marutah" -- "marut" (presumably) with an added "ah" at the end -- or is it "maru" with "tah" on its tail? Let's see, shall we?

Wilson's translation:

When, Maruts, desirous of felicity, we invoke you from heaven, come unto us quickly.

My translation:

Creation's Song brings forth the Greater Light conveying the illuminating grace by which the Call to Joy of God preserves the Wholeness near in likeness to the beginning without an end.

 My definitions worksheet:

ma-rutaḥ (Creation's Song) yat (brings forth) ha (the Greater Light) vaḥ (conveying) divaḥ (the illuminating or enlightening) su-mna-yantaḥ (sacred teachings by which) havā-mahe (the Call to Joy) ā (of God) tu (preserves) naḥ (the sameness, wholeness, or oneness) upa (near in likeness or approximating) gan-tana (the beginning without an end).

My notes:

In his translation of this verse, Wilson makes the all-too-common mistake of converting both maruto and marutah to "the Maruts," when neither word, in fact, means "the Maruts." As demonstrated elsewhere in this series, maruto refers to the first Red Ray of Creation -- the Holy Word or Logos that God sent forth or "extended" to bring the Sonship into being. And, as the Gospel of John rightly explains, that Holy Word still exists within all of us here (in fragmented form) as the Divine Spark, Atman, or individual Soul.

Like many Sanskrit words, marutah could mean many different things, depending on how the syllables are divided. For the sake of consistency, I have divided it as "ma" (creation) and "rutah" (sound, song, or cry), because that makes the most sense in the context of the Sukta's previous verse. To save you looking back, Rv 8.7.10 reads: To overcome guilt, come together to share in accomplishing the lustration drawing out the Vajra-holder's sweet wine of truth elevating the Wholeness the Kavandha identity split apart.

Moreover, my definition is consistent with the Hindu lore, if and when those instructive allegories are accurately interpreted. The Puranic Encyclopedia tells us "Maruta" was an ancient dwelling place in south Bharata. As explained, Bharata means "seekers of Truth." So, south Bharata is an encrypted allegorical reference to the seekers of Truth in the Middle World; those working their way across the "bridge" or up the Sushumna toward Mt. Sumeru (the Upper World). More specifically, the Encyclopedia reports, the people of Maruta stood on the right side of the Krauncaruna Vyuha constructed by Dhrstadyumna in the Kuruksetra War.

Do those terms really refer to ancient peoples and battles, as generally presumed? Let's see, shall we? We'll start with Krauncaruna (kraunca-runa), which translates more or less as "flocked together in giving back," while vyuha, which is commonly misinterpreted as "battle array" or some such war-minded nonsense, actually refers to the powers made manifest by Lord Vishnu, the Hindu equivalent of the Christian Holy Spirit. 

Noteworthily, the word vyuha appears only once in the Upanishads -- in Sloka 16 of the Isha Upanishad. The line in question reads (in transliterated Sanskrit): Pūṣann ekarṣe yama Sūrya Prājāpatya vyūha raśmin samūha, tejo yat te rūpaṁ kalyāṇatamaṁ tat te paśyāmi yo 'sāv asau puruṣaḥ so 'ham asmi.

These words allegedly translate as, "O Sun, sole traveler of the Heavens, controller of all, Surya, son of Prajapati remove thy rays and gather up the burning light. I behold thy glorious form; I am he, the Purusha.

While I have my doubts about the accuracy of that translation, I shan't take the time to sort it out just now. I'll simply say that vyūha more likely translates as "undoing" or "to purify through removal" -- as in "lustration." So, Krauncaruna Vyuha means "flocked together to give and receive lustration." And that's precisely what happens when we gather in the Holy Meeting Place to give and receive the Living Water that IS the Miracle of Grace, the Yajna offering, and the Song of Creation.

And, as the Puranas tell us, that Krauncaruna Vyuha was constructed by Dhrishtadyumna, "the courageous and splendid one." In the Mahabharata epic, Dhrstadyumna is the son of King Drupada, the ruler of the Panchala Kingdom, and the twin brother of Draupadi, the heroine of the allegory. He was born from a yajna (a grace or miracle-offering, NOT a fire-sacrifice) organized by King Drupada, who wanted a son capable of killing his enemy, Drona.

The legends are complicated and confusing, but let's assume for now that Drona (which supposedly means "vessel" or "bucket") represents the Ego Mind. The name Drupada, meanwhile, translates as "firm-footed" or "pillar." His birth-name, more tellingly, was Yajnasena, which is too often mistranslated as "he whose army is sacrificial." The name actually means "the host of the right-minded thought-offering." So, Drupada represents the separation-ending miracle that is God's saving grace. That his children are twins, moreover, indicates that Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi represent the dual anointing oils of the at-one-ment.

Which, however, is which? A quick read of the literature suggests that Dhrishtadyumna represents the Blood Ray (the firm-footed or eternal one), while Draupadi -- who married all the Pandavas, including Prince Arjuna (the hero of the Bhagavad Gita) -- represents the wholeness-restoring Water Ray. That she married all the Pandavas means, more or less, that she returned them to the sameness and/or "at-one-ment" of their original creation. My presumptions are affirmed when, at the end of the epic, Dhrishtadyumna joins the Pandavas, becomes the supreme commander-in-chief of their forces, and, on the fifteenth day of the Kurukshetra War, beheads Drona, fulfilling the mission of his birth.

He destroys the Ego Mind, in other words, once and for all (thereby ending the dream of separation).

Kurukshetra, incidentally, translates as "land of doing." Thus, that "the people of Maruta stood on the right side of the Krauncaruna Vyuha constructed by Dhrstadyumna in the Kuruksetra War" means the hearers of the Om/Aum stand on the right side of the Menorah created by the Blood Ray to battle ego-body doing-consciousness.

This all makes sense, given that (as we learned in Part 2) the Water Ray governs the left-hand side of the Menorah. And that is probably the reason I hear the Om/Aum much more distinctly in the inner-ear on the left-hand side. I also hear it quite loudly all the time -- not just in meditation.

What all of this boils down to is this: the word "Maruta" or "Marutah," in this case at least, refers to the "Holy Wind" or "Ruach" of God's Voice or Holy Spirit -- NOT to the wind blowing in the physical world.

Let's move on to gantana -- another word that occurs repeatedly in the Rig Veda. Solving the mystery of its meaning wasn't easy, but I'm confident gantana is a marriage of gan (the beginning) and tana (without an end). What makes me so sure? The fact that the same idea is expressed by Jesus in John 8:48-59, Revelations 22:13, and the Gospel of Thomas (saying 18), as well as in the Course.

Referencing the Biblical citations, Course-Jesus says: 

Knowledge preceded both perception and time, and will ultimately replace them. That is the real meaning of “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,” and “Before Abraham was I Am.” Perception can and must be stabilized, but knowledge is stable. “Fear God and keep His commandments” becomes “Know God and accept His certainty.” (ACIM, T-3.III.6:1-7) 

 In a later chapter, he explains the concept in more straightforward terms:

Nothing that God knows not exists. And what He knows exists forever, changelessly. For thoughts endure as long as does the mind that thought of them. And in the Mind of God there is no ending, nor a time in which His Thoughts were absent or could suffer change. Thoughts are not born and cannot die. They share the attributes of their creator, nor have they a separate life apart from his. The thoughts you think are in your mind, as you are in the Mind which thought of you. And so there are no separate parts in what exists within God’s Mind. It is forever One, eternally united and at peace. (ACIM, T-30.III.6:1-9)

On that auspicious note, let's proceed to Rv 8.7.12, which reads: yūyaṃ hi ṣṭhā sudānavo rudrā ṛbhukṣaṇo dame uta pracetaso made.

Wilson's translation:

Munificent, mighty Rudras, you in the sacrificial hall are wise (even) in the exhilaration (of the Soma)

My translation:

Join as equals to impel the steadfast, right-guiding Red Ray (Rudra) to sing the Holy Name in the eternal now (the Holy Instant). Giving to one's own Self the Living Water brings forward the mind and heart of Soma inspiring holiness.

My definitions worksheet:

yū-yaṃ (Join in sameness or as equals) hi (to impel) ṣṭhā (the steadfast) sudānavo (right-guiding) rudrā (Rudra, the Red Ray of the awake Christ Mind in Heaven) ṛ(i)bh-u-kṣaṇo (to sing the Holy Name in the eternal now or Holy Instant) da-me (by giving to your own Self) uta (uda = the Living Water) pracetaso (bringing forward the mind and heart of "so" or Soma) mad-e (to inspire holiness)

My notes:

Sanskrit scholars tell us yuyam a) means "you" and b) is another form of yusma, which also means "you." I don't, however, buy it. Why? Because their definitions have, by and large, made a mockery of the Rig Veda's sacred wisdom. Defining yuyam as "you" would, moreover, omit the critical teaching about coming together as equals in the Holy Circle. And that point is made again later in this Sukta. So, I stand by my definition of yuyam as "join as equals." 

In point of fact, the rishis are describing the time-collapsing practice of miracle-working -- the yajna or exchange of grace between Souls that takes place in the Golden Circle of Atonement (in Course terms). If you doubt me, compare what they say above to what Course-Jesus spells out below:

The miracle minimizes the need for time. In the longitudinal or horizontal plane the recognition of the equality of the members of the Sonship appears to involve almost endless time. However, the miracle entails a sudden shift from horizontal to vertical perception. This introduces an interval from which the giver and receiver both emerge farther along in time than they would otherwise have been. The miracle thus has the unique property of abolishing time to the extent that it renders the interval of time it spans unnecessary. There is no relationship between the time a miracle takes and the time it covers. The miracle substitutes for learning that might have taken thousands of years. It does so by the underlying recognition of perfect equality of giver and receiver on which the miracle rests. The miracle shortens time by collapsing it, thus eliminating certain intervals within it. It does this, however, within the larger temporal sequence. (ACIM, T-1.II.6:1-10) 

In this verse, we also encounter the names Rudra and Rbhu once more, as well as a shorthand form of Soma -- the Holy Spirit of the Christ Self. As the rishis explain elsewhere in the Rig Veda, Soma came into the world after the New Moon. And as I've explained elsewhere on this blog, the New Moon is Veda-speak for the activation of the Atonement Plan by Jesus Christ.

By "renting in two the curtain" dividing the Temple's Inner-Altar from the Sanctuary housing the Menorah, the ascension of Jesus Christ enabled the Holy Spirit or Mind of the Atonement to come down into the Middle World portion of the Temple to "wash away" (lustrate) the guilt and fear blocking our awareness of the first Red Ray of Creation within all living beings. The Blood Ray was already present, but asleep in the basement of the Temple, so to speak, as the "seed" or "spark" of its Greater All-Encompassing Being.

The Course and the Bible both say the same thing. Or, to quote Jesus:

What is seen in dreams seems to be very real. Yet the Bible says [in Genesis 2:21] that a deep sleep fell upon Adam, and nowhere is there reference to his waking up. The world has not yet experienced any comprehensive reawakening or rebirth. Such a rebirth is impossible as long as you continue to project or miscreate. It still remains within you, however, to extend as God extended His Spirit to you. In reality this is your only choice, because your free will was given you for your joy in creating the perfect. (ACIM, T-2.I.3:5-10) 

If we put all this together with what we're told elsewhere in the Course, we can ascertain that the Holy Spirit or Soma is, in fact, the illuminating "Lamp of God" Jesus mentions in the following passage: 

My brother, you are part of God and part of me. When you have at last looked at the ego’s foundation without shrinking you will also have looked upon ours. I come to you from our Father to offer you everything again. Do not refuse it in order to keep a dark cornerstone hidden, for its protection will not save you. I give you the lamp and I will go with you. You will not take this journey alone. I will lead you to your true Father, Who hath need of you, as I have. Will you not answer the call of love with joy? (ACIM, T-11.in.4:1-8)

Let's speed on, because we're not even halfway through this lengthy Sukta. The next line, Rv 8.7.13, reads: ā no rayim madacyutam purukṣuṃ viśvadhāyasam iyartā maruto divaḥ.

Wilson's translation:

Send us, Maruts, from heaven exhilarating, many lauded, all-sustaining riches.

My translation:

Not of God are the treasures of the fall into the madness of human existence. Everything of true value belongs to the glory obtained through the Light of Truth produced by the Red Ray's radiant holiness.

My definitions worksheet:

ā (of God) no (are not) rayim (the possessions, wealth, treasures) mada-cyutam (of the fall into the madness) purukṣuṃ (of human existence) viśva-dhā-yasam (Everything of true value supports the glory) iya-rtā (obtained through the light of truth) ma-ruto (produced by the Red Ray's) divaḥ (lamp)

My notes:

Jesus expresses the same idea in the following from Workbook Lesson 133: I will not value what is valueless.

You do not ask too much of life, but far too little. When you let your mind be drawn to bodily concerns, to things you buy, to eminence as valued by the world, you ask for sorrow, not for happiness. This Course does not attempt to take from you the little that you have. It does not try to substitute utopian ideas for satisfactions which the world contains. There are no satisfactions in the world. (ACIM, W-133.2:1-5) 

 

Let's move on to Rv 8.7.14, which reads: adhīva yad girīṇāṃ yāmaṃ śubhrā acidhvam suvānair mandadhva indubhiḥ. 

Wilson's translation:

When, bright (Maruts), you harness your car over the mountains, then you exhilarate (yourselves) with the effusing Soma.

My translation:

Follow the path by which the voice driving the True Self moves within the Holy Circle of Wholeness to compel the sun to rise on right-minded perceptions of giving to have, as well as to drive away suffering and fear.

My definitions worksheet:

adhīva (Follow the path) yad (by which) gir-īṇ-āṃ (the voice driving the True Self) yamaṃ (moves within) śu-bhrā (the holy circle of) acidhvam (wholeness) suvāna-ir (to compel the sun to rise) man-dadh-va (on right-minded perceptions of giving or having, as well as to) in-du-bhiḥ (drive away suffering and fear)

My notes:

Although this one took a while to work out, it definitely echoes the teachings of the Course, as per asking the Holy Spirit to correct our perceptions of upsetting situations. It also resonates with the Holy Spirit's first lesson: To have, give all to all. From my experience, we receive that lesson AFTER we begin to hear the ever-present echo of the Om/Aum vibration. Also from my experience, we begin to hear that vibratory tone, echo, song, or melody after reaching the fourth "lunar mansion" or "chakra" -- the Anahata or Heart Chakra. And that makes perfect sense, given that Anahata means "unstruck sound" in Sanskrit. That said, my compound breaks go against the norms of "manda-dhva" and "indu-bhih," but, quite frankly, those divisions don't work very well -- whereas mine do. 

The symbol used to represent the Anahata or Heart Chakra in Hinduism. We'll discuss what all the figures symbolize when we discuss the chakras in more depth in a future series.

 

Let's move on to Rv 8.7.15, which reads: etāvataś cid eṣāṃ sumnam bhikṣeta martyaḥ adābhyasya manmabhiḥ.

Wilson's translation:

A man should solicit happiness of them with praises of such an unconquerable (company).

My translation:

Entering this state of True Perception safeguards the Holy Mind's mode of giving in mortal existence, undefiled by the mind producing fear.

My definitions worksheet:

etava-taś (entering this state of true) cid (perception) eṣāṃ (safeguards) su-m(a)nam (holy mind's) bhikṣeta (mode of giving alms or charity) martyaḥ (in mortal existence) adābhya-sya (undefiled by) man-ma-bhiḥ (the mind producing fear).

My notes:

Workable definitions for the terms etavatas, esam, sumnam, and manmabhih weren't easy to come by, but I believe I got there in the end. I can't, however, be certain of the accuracy of my definitions until these words come up again.

 

We've now arrived at Rv 8.7.16, which reads: ye drapsā iva rodasī dhamanty anu vṛṣṭibhiḥ utsaṃ duhanto akṣitam

Wilson's translation:

They who, like dropping showers, inflate heaven and earth with rain, milking the inexhaustible cloud.

My translation:

By these means the sparks alike to the Great Rays incite Anu to pour down from the wellspring the abundant joy of eternal glory.

My definitions worksheet:

ye (By these means) drapsā (the drops or sparks) iva (alike to) rodasī (the Great Rays) dhamanty (incite) anu (Anu) vṛṣṭibhiḥ (to pour down from) utsaṃ (the wellspring) duhanto (the abundant joy of) akṣitam (eternal glory). 

My notes:

Like most Sanskrit scholars, Wilson erroneously defines duhanto as "milking," when the word is a compound of du (copious or abundant) and hanta (joy). Not sure how he got "inexhaustible cloud" from aksitam, which is generally translated as "fame." But the word actually refers to the eternal glory the Sonship shares with the Father.

In the following from the Course, Jesus uses this same phraseology:

Teachers of innocence, each in his own way, have joined together, taking their part in the unified curriculum of the Atonement. There is no unity of learning goals apart from this. There is no conflict in this curriculum, which has one aim however it is taught. Each effort made on its behalf is offered for the single purpose of release from guilt, to the eternal glory of God and His creation. And every teaching that points to this points straight to Heaven, and the peace of God. There is no pain, no trial, no fear that teaching this can fail to overcome. The power of God Himself supports this teaching, and guarantees its limitless results. (ACIM, T-14.V.6:1-7) 

Okay, so ... who or what is Anu? The answer depends on whom you ask. While most Sanskrit dictionaries define the word as "atom," it's actually a name -- as we shall learn in an upcoming verse. So, I'll save my fuller explanation of Anu until then.

Let's move on to Rv 8.7.17, which reads: ut um iti svānebhir īrata ud rathair ut um iti vāyubhiḥ ut stomaiḥ pṛśnimātaraḥ.

Wilson's translation:

The sons of Prisni rise up with shouts, with chariots, with winds, with praises.

My translation:

The holiness emanating from your collective singing activates the will arising from that joyful sound. The holiness emanating from Vayu (God's Ruach, Holy Wind, or Holy Spirit) elevates the song of praise impelling the Prsni-producing radiance or star.

My definitions worksheet:

ut(h)um (the holiness) iti (emanating from) svān-ebh-ir (your collective singing activates) īrata (the will) ud (arising from) rat-haih (that joyful sound) ut(h)um (the holiness) iti (emanating from) vāyubhiḥ (Lord Vayu, God's Ruach, Holy Wind, or Holy Spirit) ut (elevates) stoma-iḥ (the song of praise impelling) pṛśni-mā-taraḥ (the Prsni-producing star, the Prsni-producing radiance, or Prisni + Ma Tarah).

My notes:

We covered the probable meaning of prsni-matarah in some detail in Part 2 of this series. But, as I'm still learning, I reserve the right to change my mind and/or expand my understanding as my journey progresses. While I still believe Prsni represents the Living Water and/or Miracle, I now must wonder if ma-tarah might refer to Maa Tara -- the Buddhist goddess of enlightenment, wisdom, and empathy. I only learned of this deity's existence recently, when I purchased a vintage pair of hand-carved Asian bookends for my pooja. According to the seller, the bookends depict Sarasvati and "Tara" (rather than Lakshmi).

 

White Tara

Curious to know more, I did some research, from which I gleaned that 1) there are, in fact, four Taras of different colors worshipped in Buddhism (red, white, green, and yellow) and 2) the four Taras are indeed related to or derived from Lakshmi, whom they closely resemble. The main difference is that Tara, who also sits on a lotus in her yellow incarnation, has two arms instead of four.

Why are there four Taras? I received the answer in a dream. The four Taras, I was shown, represent the four stages of Lakshmi's progress toward spiritual purification as she moves up the Sushumna, the central channel or lifeline of the Temple Menorah. Thus, the colors of the Taras correspond with the first four chakras or lunar mansions we pass through in the Middle World.

As explained earlier, Lakshmi represents the Divine Spark of the Red Ray within all Living Creatures. She is, therefore, a form of Nara. And so, therefore, are all four Taras. If, then, prsni-matarah does indeed refer to the inseparable Prisni and Maa Tara energies (also Nara and Narayani, Lakshmi and Sarasvati, and Lakshmi and Vishnu), the term Prisni-Matarah refers to the two Great Rays, Holy Teachers, and/or Anointing Oils of the Atonement.

Interesting, right?

 

This brings us to Rv 8.7.18, which presumably reads: yenā ava turvaśaṃ yaduṃ yena kaṇvaṃ dhanaspṛtam rāye su tasya dhīmahi.

Wilson's translation:

We meditate on that (genitive rosity) whereby for (the sake of granting them) riches you have protected Turvaśa and Yadu and the wealth-desiring Kanva.

My translation:

The way to bring down Turvasa and Yadu, the means by which Kanva (sinful thought) is conquered, is giving to all the sacred song of the right-guiding inner-voice of Mahi (the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom).

My worksheet:

yenā (The way to ) va (bring down) turvasum (Turvasa) yaduṃ (Yadu) yena (the means by which) kaṇvaṃ (Kanva's or sinful/evil) dhana (thought) spṛtam (is conquered) raye (is giving to all) su (the sacred) tasy-a (Song of God or Heaven) dhī-mahi (the right-guiding mind, vision, or inner-voice of Mahi, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom.)

My notes:

This verse definitely echoes what Course-Jesus says about the Name of God, and also contains several terms and names requiring further explanation. Let's start with two enigmatic words that feature frequently and prominently in the Hindu literature. Those two words are tasya and dhimahi. And, believe you me, working out their true definitions was no small achievement. Typically, tasya is defined simply as "him" or "her," while dhimahi is said to mean "to meditate" or "let us meditate upon."

The true meaning of tasya (the Song of God, Heaven, or Creation, more or less) requires no further explanation, but the same cannot be said of dhimahi. If we delve into Hindu philosophy, we find that the word's first syllable, dhi -- which is generally defined as "mind," "intellect," or "thought" -- actually means "mental vision."

Most Sanskrit dictionaries define Mahi as "earth," but the word or name is, in fact, a compound of "ma" (producing) and "hi" (reason). Additionally, Wikipedia (among other encyclopedias) rightly reports that 1) Mahi is another name for Bharati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom and 2) that Bharati is another name for Sarasvati. And from these two facts, we can accurately ascertain that "dhimahi" refers to the right-guiding Voice of Reason which Sarasvati personifies in the modern Hindu pantheon.

 

Maa Sarasvati = Mahi = Bharata = the Voice of Reason, whose veena plays the Song of Heaven.

 

In the Course, Jesus tells us the Song of Heaven arises from the Holy Relationship we forge with our brothers in Christ in the Circle of Forgiveness. On this subject, he further explains:

The body does not separate you from your brother, and if you think it does you are insane. But madness has a purpose, and believes it also has the means to make its purpose real. To see the body as a barrier between what reason tells you must be joined must be insane. Nor could you see it, if you heard the voice of reason. What can there be that stands between what is continuous? And if there is nothing in between, how can what enters part be kept away from other parts? Reason would tell you this. But think what you must recognize, if it be so. (ACIM, T-21.VI.5:1-8) 

  

Let's move on, because we still need to discuss Turvasa and Yadu, two brothers much discussed in the Hindu literature. In these allegorical tales, Yadu and Turvasa are the sons of Yayati, the ruler of the Three Worlds. Yadu and Turvasa are, therefore, yet two more personifications of the Blood and Water Rays. Being the first-born son, Yadu probably personifies the Blood Ray, making Turvasa or Turvasu the Water Ray.

 

Yayati, the ruler of the three worlds, seated on his throne, looking very much like Surya or Elohim. 

The mother of Turvasa and Yadu is Devayani, whom Yayati rescued from a well -- an allegory not dissimilar to the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well. Revealingly, the name Devayani translates as "the holy path" or "the divine course."

Apparently, Yayati's story is told in some detail in the Mahabharata epic, as well as in the Bhagavata Purana. But the fact that he's "of the Vasu" tells us instantly that he is an atonement power, rather than an historical human personage. And so, therefore, are his offspring.

If still in doubt, consider that the name Yadu translates, more or less, as "that which is all-pervading," while Turvasa means "to hasten or overcome subjugation, eclipse, or residence in the body."

This brings us to Kanva. Like Angiras, Kanva is mistakenly revered in Hinduism as an ancient rishi who allegedly played a role in compiling the Rig Veda. He is, as it happens, the presumed author of this very Sukta. But is that, in fact, the case? I have serious doubts, given that the Puranic literature tells us the legendary Kanva Dynasty was founded by Vasudeva Kanva, a former minister of the Shunga Empire.

As in many allegories, the character names tell the real story. By my calculations, Kanva means "the desire or wish to be separate." In the parable, he came to power after his predecessor was killed by a servant pretending to be his empress. The deceived former emperor's name was Devabhuti, which means "divine being" or "holy existence." Thus, Devabhuti represents the holy "mode of being" we rejected and then forgot when we "fell from grace," as a consequence of the desire or wish to be separate. And, as in the symbolic story, that wrong-minded desire was encouraged by a deceptive "spouse" or ruling partner. The empire Devabhuti ruled was called "Shunga" -- a compound of "shu" or "su" (sacred or holy), n(a) (the same or undivided), and "ga" -- the sacred syllable or guru word. So Shunga works out, more or less, as "our shared sameness in the Holy Name or Word."

All of these clues make evident that the allegory is about our "fall" from the perception of sameness experienced in the sixth lunar mansion of Christ Consciousness or True Perception. Our descent from that plane established the Kanva Dynasty or "dream of separation," as it were.

Makes sense, right?

 

Let's charge ahead to Rk 8.7.19, which reads: imāu vaḥ sudānavo ghṛtaṃ na pipyuṣīr iṣaḥ vardhān kāṇvasya manmabhiḥ. 

Wilson's translation:

Munificent (Maruts), may these (sacrificial) viands, nutritious as butter, together with the praises of the descendant of Kanva, afford you augmentation.

My translation:

These two (Yadu and Turvasa) convey the right-guiding mental clarity (reason) not to thirst for the water springing from the master bestowing the Kanva Dynasty's fear-producing thoughts.

My definitions worksheet:

Imāu (These two) vaḥ (convey) sudānavo (the right-guiding) ghṛtaṃ (mental clarity or reason) na (not) pip-yuṣ-īr (to thirst for the water springing from) iṣaḥ (the master) vardhān (bestowing) kāṇvasya (Kanva's) man-ma-bhiḥ (fear-producing thoughts)

My notes:

Here, it becomes apparent that Yadu and Turvasa do indeed represent the anointing oils of the at-one-ment, while Kanva symbolizes the Great Deceiver. We also re-encounter the transliterated word manmabhih, which again works well herein as "fear-producing thoughts" or, more specifically, as "the mind producing thoughts of fear." So, manmabhih is a Sanskrit word for the Ego Mind.

Because, as Course-Jesus says:

The ego is quite literally a fearful thought. (ACIM, T-5.V.3:7) 

That brings us to ghrtam, which (contrary to popular misbelief) does NOT mean "ghee" in Vedic Sanskrit. Ghee is clarified butter -- and clarified butter, being the produce of churned milk, is a symbolic reference to clarity of mind in these scriptural teachings. Thus, the rishis (speaking for the Holy Spirit) never instructed seekers of Truth to pour actual ghee on "sacrificial fires" in ritualistic fashion. What spiritual purpose would doing so possibly serve? None whatsoever, given that all rituals involve activity or "doing," which serves Brahma's ends rather than Brahman's. I'm sorry to be busting such a cherished myth (actually, I'm not), but God, who only gives, does not ask for sacrifices or physical rituals of any sort, as Course-Jesus explains repeatedly.

Ghee is a beautiful thing, which has all but replaced ordinary butter in my little "ashram." But as useful as it is in cooking, it was never intended for ritual sacrifice. Still, better to put clarified butter on the sacrificial fire, I suppose, if we must, than our brothers in animal bodies. 

While our parathas are frying on the tawa, let's move on to Rv 8.7.20, which reads: kva nūnaṃ su-dānavo madathā vṛktabarhiṣaḥ brahmā ko vaḥ saparyati.

Wilson's translation:

Munificent (Maruts), for whom the sacred grass has been trimmed, where now are you being exhilarated? What pious worshipper detains you as he adores you?

My translation:

Wherever the sound of the Holy Name's right-guiding communications subdue the thoughts injuring the Supreme Self, that which is divine in all living beings joins in extending the covenant of love (the Miracle, in Course terms).

My definitions worksheet:

Kva (Where) nu-nam (the sound of the Holy Name's) sudanavo (right-guiding) madatha (communications) vr (subdue) kta (the thoughts) barh (injuring) isah (the Supreme Self) brahm-a (that which is divine or "of God" in all living beings) ko (joins) vah (in extending) sapa-ryati (the covenant of love or "the miracle")

My notes:

Let's start with nunam, which most Sanskrit dictionaries describe as a word used to add emphasis, like "indeed," "certainly," or "verily." That cannot, however, be the case in this instance, where nunam is almost certainly a compound of "nu" (sounding) and "nam" (name or the Holy Name). 

Vrktabarhisah, meanwhile, is typically translated as "prepare the sacred grass," which may be technically correct, but is nevertheless a bit obtuse. So, I shuffled the syllables until I came up with two other possibilities. The first is vrk-tabar-his-ah, which translates as "seizes the battle axe impelling the wholeness." The weapon referenced is surely Brihaspati's Axe, the dual atonement-restoring "weapon" Soma employs to separate our Souls from their attachment to the Ego Mind's manufactured reality.

The second possible division is the one I chose. When all the data is duly evaluated, Isah is the Christ Self or Purusha, the Supreme Ruler of the dream universe; the one who sits on the chariot-throne at the top of the Upper World. He is, in short, the representative presence of God's Perfect Love in the dream; the Mighty or Shining One answering to the names Elohim, Surya, Jehovah, and Allah. It is Isah who appeared to the prophets of old on a throne supported by four "Living Beings" balanced atop gyroscopic wheels (as depicted below). 

 

Hard to know exactly what the rishis mean by "brahma" here, but my best guess is that it's a compound of brah(a)m and a -- the unchangeable reality of God's Creation, more or less. I'm absolutely certain they didn't mean Brahma, the four-headed usurper who appointed himself to the top spot in the made-up Hindu Trimuti. The Ego Mind placed itself on God's Throne, in other words -- or rather, WE did, by exalting the Great Deceiver as our "creator."

Saparyati is another of those Vedic words nobody's been able to define. I'm reasonably certain it's a compound of sapa (oath, vow, or covenant -- not "curse," as generally suggested) and ryati (love). What the word actually describes is the expression of love underlying the miracles of healing we give and receive in the Golden Circle or Holy Meeting Place -- synonymous terms for the Sacred Grass, as well as the Wellspring, Fountain, and Inner-Altar.

Or, as Jesus explains: 

Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle. (ACIM, T-1.I.3:1-3) 

In The Process of Psychotherapy, another addendum to the Course, our Waheguru defines "covenant" as an offering from one person to another in which their minds "meet and join and are as one." So, "covenant" is definitely the right word-choice here. 

Up next is Rv 8.7.21, which reportedly reads: nahi ṣma yat ha vaḥ purā stomebhir vṛktabarhiṣaḥ śardhām̐ ṛtasya jinvatha. In my estimation, the line SHOULD read: nah isma yatha vah pura stomibhir vrktabarhisah sardham rtasya jinvatha.

Wilson's translation:

(Maruts), for whom the sacred grass is trimmed, it cannot be (that you submit to be detained), for you have derived strength from the sacrifice, formerly (accompanied) by our praises.

My translation:

Joined in Wholeness in this way, love drives forth the pure radiance preserving the spiritual vision restraining the thoughts injuring the Supreme Self, together with sounding the Song of Heaven enlivening the luster of the Moon.

My definitions worksheet:

nah (Joined in wholeness) isma (love or grace or Isma, an ephitat for Kamadeva, the Hindu god of love) yatha (in this way) vaḥ (drives forth) pu-rā (the pure radiance) sto-mebhir (preserving the holy vision or spiritual sight) vṛ (opposing) kta (the thoughts) barh (injuring) isah (the Supreme Self) śar-dhām̐ (together with) ṛ-tasya (sounding the Song of Heaven) ji-nva-tha (enlivening the luster of the Moon, Soma, or the Atonement)

My notes:

Not only does Wilson's translation miss the mark by a wide margin, so does the accepted transliterated structure of the opening words of this verse. Nahi (by no means), sma (ever or always), yat (resolve or determine), and ha (the Greater Light) make no sense. So, I took it upon myself to divide the same letters as nah (joined in wholeness) isma (love or grace) yatha (in this manner), which DOES make sense with the rest of the wording, as well as with the previous stanza. 

This verse also contains the enigmatic word stomebhir (or sto-mibhir), which appears numerous times in the Vedic literature. After searching in vain for a plausible definition, I settled for "preserving the spiritual vision," based in part on what Course-Jesus says below:

Correction is for all who cannot see. To open the eyes of the blind is the Holy Spirit’s mission, for He knows that they have not lost their vision, but merely sleep. He would awaken them from the sleep of forgetting to the remembering of God. Christ’s eyes are open, and He will look upon whatever you see with love if you accept His vision as yours. The Holy Spirit keeps the vision of Christ for every Son of God who sleeps. In His sight the Son of God is perfect, and He longs to share His vision with you. He will show you the real world because God gave you Heaven. Through Him your Father calls His Son to remember. The awakening of His Son begins with his investment in the real world, and by this he will learn to re-invest in himself. For reality is one with the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit blesses the real world in Their Name. (ACIM, T-12.VI.4:1-10) 

My chosen definition for vrktabarhisah also works in this verse, as does tasya as "the Song of Heaven." So, I stand by those hard-won interpretations. 

Our next verse, Rv 8.7.22, reads: sam um iti tye mahatīr apaḥ saṃ um iti sūryam saṃ vajram parvaśah dadhuḥ.

Wilson's translation:

They have concentrated the abundant waters, they have held together the heaven and earth, they have sustained the sun, they have divided (Vṛtra) joint by joint with the thunderbolt.

My translation:

Come together in the Holy Name emanating from that great, good, and pure Living Water. Come together in the Holy Name emanating from Divine Love. Come together in the strength of the Light of the Higher Self advancing the purpose of giving to have.

My definitions worksheet:

sam (Come together in) um (the Holy Name, Om, Name of God, or universal wholeness) iti (emanating from) tye (that) mahatir (great, good, and pure) apah (Living Water) sam (Come together in) um (the Holy Name, Om, Name of God, or universal wholeness) iti (emanating from) su-ryam (Divine Love) sam (Come together in) vaj-ram (the strength of the Light of the Higher Self) par-vasah (advancing the purpose of) da-dhuh (giving to have).

Notes:

Um doesn't seem to be a word in Sanskrit, so what appears here is probably an erroneous transliteration of Om -- the vibratory sound of the Purusha in everything echoing across the hidden universe or Real World, in Course terms. The word parvaso or parvasah (depending on source) is repeated in the next verse, so the definition had to work in both places, obviously. It took some doing, but I believe I got there (or at least close) in the end.

 
Moving on, our next verse (Rv 8.7.23) reads: vi vṛtram parvaśo yayur vi parvatām̐ arājinaḥ cakrāṇā vṛṣṇi pauṃsyam

Wilson's translation:

Independent of a ruler, they have divided Vrtra joint by joint; they have shattered the mountains manifesting manly vigour.

My translation:

In separation, Vritra (the "enveloper" or Ego Mind) advances the purpose of giving to acquire in separate temples of I-am-ness, far away from the spiritual victor's Circle of Nada and Vrisni's Lotus of Becoming.

My worksheet:

vi (In separation) vrtram (Vritra, the "enveloper" or Ego Mind) parvasah (advances the purpose of) ya-yur (giving to acquire) vi (in separate) parvat-am (temples of "self" or "I-am-ness") ara-jinah (far away from the spiritual victor's) cakra-na (Circle of Nara or Nada = Circle of Om) vrsni (Vrsni) paum-syam (Lotus of Becoming)

My notes:

Several of the terms used herein require further explanation, so let's start with Vritra. Described in the Puranas as a mighty and fierce asura or demon, Vṛitra was a king or emperor named Citraketu in his most recent past life. The name Citraketu, a compound of "citra" and "ketu," means "the bright one descending," So, King Citraketu's rebirth as Vritra represents the separated part of the Sonship's descent from perceiving each other as separate Souls within the corporate body of the Christ Self, to perceiving their own self and others as unconnected minds in separate material bodies. Vritra, therefore, personifies that downward step, as well as the "demon" whose negative influence pulled the Separated Ones down into the Middle and Lower Worlds. 

According to the lore, Vritra (the giant on his knees) was eventually defeated by Indra (on the elephant) and his thunderbolt-shooting Vajra.

  

Let's move on to arajinah -- a word generally defined as "without a king or line of monarchical succession." But the word actually means "far from" or "away from" the jinah or jina, which is commonly defined as "spiritual victor" or "spiritual conqueror." In Hinduism and Jainism (which takes its name from the word), jina describes a human being who, having conquered the inner passions of anger, attachment, greed, pride, and the like, has come to possess kevala jnana or "pure infinite knowledge." The jina is probably, therefore, the Buddhi -- the part of us capable of learning spiritual truth within ego-enslavement. So, to operate far away from the jinah means to be occupied with activities and pursuits that get us nowhere on the path we're meant to follow back to the start of the dream. We're wasting time, in other words, by chasing after worthless illusions.

Or, as Jesus states point-blank:

Accept only the function of healing in time, because that is what time is for. (ACIM, T-9.III.8:3) 

A last-minute flash of insight provided the correct definition of cakrana as the Circle of Nara, Nada, or Om. So, cakrana is NOT, in fact, a marriage of the root word "cakr" and the suffix "ana," as one online Sanskrit teacher suggests. That same teacher defines cakrana as a past-tense form of "did" akin to "has done." But how can that be when cakra means "wheel," "disc," or "circle"? Plus, the Circle of Nada or Om 1) harkens back to the previous two verses and 2) comes up again later in this Sukta. So, I stand by my definition of cakra-na as the Circle of Nara, Nada, or Om.

 

While searching online for the phrase "Circle of Om," I came upon this fabulous illustration, which beautifully depicts what I envision when calling my Golden Circle meetings. I was, in fact, shown this one day in meditation -- and perfectly understood what it meant. So, when Course-Jesus says, "You will be given very specific instructions," he ain't whistling Dixie. Notice that the Om (the vibratory Wholeness of Isah, the Purusha or Logos) hovers overhead, sending its radiance down through the four "Living Beings" in the center outward to the twelve Souls on the perimeter. I'm pretty sure it was no accident that Jesus had twelve disciples with whom he performed the Circle of the Cross "dance" or "ritual" described in the Secret Book of John. Everything Jesus did was meant to demonstrate what we also must do to return to God. Unfortunately, his teachings about the circle were excluded by the men who chose the New Testament canon to discourage "direct communication" between the followers of Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

This brings us to Vrsni or Vrisni, another name from the Hindu mythology. There are, in fact, three different legendary Vrisnis. There is King Vrisni, a descendent of Yadu and Krishna; there is a group of five heroes called the Vrisnis; and there is a tribe of the same name believed to have descended from King Vrisni. So, it's a little confusing, to say the least. My gut tells me that Vrisni personifies the "seed" of the Red Ray or Christ Self that makes the journey back to Heaven, via the Lotus of Becoming, under the guidance of the designated Waheguru or Teacher of Teachers. And, as explained earlier, that "seed" remains dormant or "coiled" in the Muladhara Chakra until we make the free-will choice to wake up. 

Let's proceed to Rv 8.7.24, which reads: anu tritasya yudhyataḥ śuṣmam āvann uta kratum anv indraṃ vṛtratūrye.

Wilson's translation:

They have come to the aid of the warring Trita, invigorating his strength, and (animating) his acts; they have come to the aid of Indra, for the destruction of Vrtra.

My radically different translation:

Anu, the three-part Song of Heaven, augments thinking driving down grace from the wellspring of right-minded giving to inflame the Supreme Power of that which is radiant within the dream of Vritra.

My definitions worksheet:

anu (Anu) tri-tasya (the three-part Song of Heaven) vu-dhyatah (augments thinking) susmam (driving) av-ann (down grace) uta (from the Fountain, Wellspring, or Sacred Grass) kratum (of right-minded giving) anv (to inflame) indram (the supreme power of "that which is radiant") vrtra-turye (in Vritra's dream)

My notes:

Here's that second mention of Anu referenced earlier -- and it's a pretty important one, too, since we learn in this verse that Anu is the three-part Song of Heaven. And I don't know about you, but to me, that seems pretty important. The rishis also confirm in this verse everything I just explained about Isah being the Red Ray, Logos, or "Word" God extended to bring the Sonship and/or Creation into "being."

In Sanskrit, the word or name Anu is believed to have various meanings. Most commonly, it's defined as "atom" or "tiny particle" in an external, form-perceiving ego sense. What the name actually represents is "Adam" -- the particle of the Red Ray in everything the ego would have us perceive as external and, therefore, separate. The word is also said to be shorthand for Anunaya, whose revealing range of definitions include "love," "humble supplication," "friendly guidance," "reconcilement," and "showing respect to a deity."  I say REVEALING because these are all, in fact, benefits derived (according to Course-Jesus) from listening to the Song of Heaven in the stillness of deep meditation.

In the modern Hindu pantheon, there is no "deva" called Anu; but one so named is nevertheless mentioned in the Puranas. Anu also is presumed to be the name of an ancient tribe by those who interpret the epic allegories literally. In some of those symbolic fables, Anu is one of the sons of Yayati, making him brother to Yadu and Turvasa -- a fellow At-one-ment Power, in other words.

In ancient Mesopotamia, Anu played a much bigger role as the king or father of the gods. In Akkadian and Sumerian, the languages of the peoples of that time and place, Anu means "heaven" or "sky" -- references to the Upper World ruled by Isah, rather than to the real Heaven where "God the Father" awaits our all-in decision to return. That Anu was said to reside within a White Temple whose remains have never been found (just like the second temple of Jerusalem spoken of at length by the Old Testament prophets) supports this interpretation.

Presumably, the three letters of Anu represent the three parts of the song referenced in this verse. My best guess is that those three parts are sounded by the Atonement Trinity -- the Holy Powers "singing" to us from the three planes of the Upper World.

Anu, as represented in an ancient Mesopotamian relief. Interestingly, the symbols resemble, to a remarkable degree, Zechariah's account of the four Living Beings supporting the throne of God. Only one of those beings had a human head, however. Was that winged "being" or "creature" perhaps Anu, the Great Soul embodying the fourth or human "kingdom"?

 

As I see it, the Atonement Trinity is made up of Christ, acting on behalf of the Father's Will (hence, "I and the Father are one"); Christ, the Awake Son, acting as the "good shepherd" or "elder brother" to his separation-perceiving brethren; and Christ, the Holy Spirit sounding the Call to Awaken inside the Temple of our Higher Minds.

Okay, so ... how can Anu signify both the individual Soul and the Atonement Trinity? It's possible because, as stated in earlier posts, the Atonement Trinity isn't made up of the external deific forces most people imagine. Rather, those three Holy Powers represent the graduating stages of purified Self-knowing our Souls experience, step-by-step (through lustration), in the Upper World. Expressed another way, the letter "A" represents the Seventh Plane "tonal vibration" of God Realization or Pure Non-Dualism; the "N" represents the Sixth Plane "tonal vibration" of  Christ Realization or Non-Dualism; and the "U" represents the Fifth Plane "tonal vibration" of Self-Realization or Semi-Non-Dualism (I believe). 

And that's pretty much what this Rig Veda verse also explains.

In the Yoga school of Hinduism, those tonal vibrations are indicated by the "seed mantras" connected to each chakra. In theory, those seed mantras act like tuning forks. Also in theory, chanting the mantra clears its associated chakra of the ego "chitta" causing the mind to play "out-of-tune."

The seed mantra for the Fifth, Throat, or Vishuddha Chakra is "ham," as in So'ham, a popular Japa-mantra believed to mean "I am That" -- THAT being the vibrational "song of love" emanating from the Red Ray or "Shining One" underneath the illusion of matter (rather than the forms themselves, as some mistakenly profess). As stated earlier, we begin to hear that "song" in the Fourth, Heart, or Anahata Chakra, whose seed mantra is "yam," as in Yama -- the spark of the Red Ray within our dreaming minds. Presumably, chanting "yam" gives Yama the strength to overcome the false ego-body self-identify imprisoning the Soul in the Middle World.

The seed mantra for the Sixth and Seventh chakras is "Om," which is sometimes called "the Nada" or "the Nidhi." In Sanskrit, nidhi means "treasure," and the Amarakosha (an ancient Sanskrit thesaurus) and the Padma Purana each identify nine such "treasures" belonging to Kubera. The presumed "god of wealth," Lord Kubera guards the northern direction on the Dharmachakra, Wheel of Karma, Wheel of Samsara, or Wheel of Earthly Existence. 

 

Lord Kubera, the god of wealth, who may be either an earlier form of Lakshmi or a personification of the dream-imprisoning desire for material wealth.

Lord Ganesh (the personified Om) donning his Sri Nidhi Ganapathi regalia.

Apparently, little is understood about the nine nidhis or navanidhis, but the fact that "Nidhi" also is a persona of Lord Ganesh, the personified Om, suggests the nidhis probably represent the increasingly refined tones or frequencies of the Song of Heaven we "hear" as we progress upward through the chakras or lunar mansions of the Temple. Just a theory at this point, but a promising one deserving further exploration. 

Sadly, all these nuanced layers of Vedic "intel" are lost on those who, like Wilson, erroneously translate tri-tasya as Trita. Who is Trita? Someone described as a "minor deity" in the Hindu lore, despite his presumed name (tri-tasya) appearing forty-one times in the Rig Veda. Not so minor then, is he? Unless, of course, tri-tasya doesn't mean Trita (which is indeed the case). If I'm right about this, then "three-part Song of Heaven" is the phrase the rishis repeat those forty-one times.

When Trita appears in the lore, he is generally helping Indra battle the demon brothers, Vala (the veil) and Vrtra (the enveloper). Trita also is sometimes called Aptya, which Sanskrit scholars define as "of the water." But "of the water" would be Apsya, whereas Aptya is either a compound of "ap" (water) and "ta-ya" (singing wind) or "a" (of God) and "patya" (that which promotes health and welfare and provides comfort). Either way, Trita clearly personifies the Nada or Nidhi aspect of the three-part song, rather than the song itself.  

This supposition is affirmed in the Shatapatha Brahmana, wherein Trita has two brothers called Ekata (oneness or unity) and Dvita (twoness or duality). All three brothers are described as sons of the Apas -- the water deities born (according to the allegories) of Agni's anger with the waters. Technically, Agni -- the Lamb of God, vahana, or chariot of Isah and/or Soma -- isn't capable of anger, because anger is egoic. But this at least tells us that Trita and his two brothers were born of the Lamb (the inner-instrument or Menorah through which our salvation is accomplished) as antidotes to separation-sickness. 

Makes sense, right?

Let's move on to Rv 8.7.25, which reads: vidyut-dhastāḥ abhi-dyavaḥ śiprāḥ śīrṣan hiraṇyayīḥ śubhrāḥ vi añjata śriye.

Wilson's translation:

The brilliant (Maruts), bearing the lightning in their hands, radiant above all, gloriously display their golden helmets on their heads.

My translation:

Perception raised toward heaven helmets the head with the golden judgment of innocence, which intensifies direct communication with the Holy Self or I Am.

My definitions worksheet:

Vidyut-dhastah (Perception raised) abhi-dyavah (toward heaven) siprah (helmets) sirsan (the head) hira-nyayih (with the golden judgment) subhrah (of innocence) vi (which intensifies) anjata (direct communication) sr-iye (with the Holy Self or Great I Am)

My notes:

We're pretty far along and still no sign of those blow-hard Maruts. This verse does, however, mention "Sriye" or "Shree" -- a presumed epithet for Lakshmi. That "Sriye" translates as the eternal and internal Holy Self or Great I Am affirms by supposition that Lakshmi personifies the Blood Ray's presence within us, rather than a boon-granting goddess to whom some misguided Souls pray for worldly wealth. While vidyut is commonly defined as "lightning," the word actually refers to illuminated knowing or seeing. And dhastah -- not hastah (hands) -- means "raised" or "reaching toward."

 

I'm pretty sure "the golden judgment of innocence that helmets the head" is the halo used pretty universally by artists to designate holiness. And not insignificantly, "holiness" and "innocence" are synonymous terms used by Course-Jesus to describe the Soul's eternal and unimpeachable purity and guiltlessness. 

On the whole, this verse brings to mind Revelations 2:17, which reads: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."

Let me explain the key symbols. At the time Revelations was recorded, juries used stones to render their verdicts in legal cases. A black stone signified a guilty verdict, while a white stone designated innocence or guiltlessness. Thus, the white stone referenced in this verse represents the "golden judgment of innocence" awarded to us eternally by God and the Great Amen or I Am. The new name written on the stone, meanwhile, is almost certainly the Holy Name we share with God -- the key that opens the gates of Heaven. 

We've come to the last fifteen lines of this rather epic Sukta, so let's break here and discuss those stanzas in the fourth and final segment of this series. Until we meet again outside the Golden Circle, Om Shanti Om and God Bless.