Page 88 (part 4)

" Occultism defines and limits the number of primordial races to seven, because of the "seven progenitors," or prajapatis, the evolvers of beings. These are neither gods, nor supernatural Beings, but advanced Spirits from another and lower planet, reborn on this one, and giving birth in their turn in the present Round to present Humanity. This doctrine is again corroborated by one of its echoes -- the Gnostic. In their Anthropology and Genesis of man they taught that "a certain company of Seven angels," formed the first men, who were no better than senseless, gigantic, shadowy forms -- "a mere wriggling worm" (!) writes Irenaeus (I., 24, 1), who takes, as usual, the metaphor for reality. D. T HE S EPTENARY IN THE E XOTERIC W ORKS. We may now examine other ancient Scriptures and see whether they contain the septenary classification, and, if so, to what degree. As much, if not much more, even than in the Jewish Bible, scattered about in the thousands of Sanskrit texts, some still unopened, others yet unknown, as well as in all the Puranas, the numbers seven and forty-nine (7 x 7) play a most prominent part. They are found from the Seven creations in Chapter I., down to the seven rays of the Sun at the final Pralaya, which expand into Seven Suns and absorb the material of the whole Universe. Thus the Matsya Purana has: "For the sake of promulgating the Vedas, Vishnu, in the beginning of a Kalpa, related to Manu the story of Narasimha and the events of seven Kalpas." Then again the same Purana shows that "in all the Manvantaras, classes of Rishis* appear by seven and seven, and having established a code of law and morality depart to felicity" -- the Rishis representing many other things besides living Sages. In Hymn xix., 53, of Atharva Veda (Dr. Muir's translation) one reads: -- [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- *" These are the seven persons by whom in the several Manvantaras" -- says Parasara -- "created beings have been protected. Because the whole world has been pervaded by the energy of the deity, he is entitled Vishnu, from the root Vis 'to enter' or 'pervade,' for all the gods, the Manus, the Seven Rishis, the Sons of the Manu, the Indras, all are but the impersonated potencies ( Vibhutayah ) of Vishnu" (Vish. Purana). Vishnu is the Universe; and the Universe itself is divided in the Rig Veda into seven regions -- which ought to be sufficient authority, for the Brahmins, at all events. [[Vol. 2, Page]] 612 THE SECRET DOCTRINE. " 1. Time carries (us) forward, a steed, with seven rays, a thousand eyes, undecaying, full of fecundity. On him intelligent sages mount; his wheels are all the worlds." "2. Thus Time moves on seven wheels; he has seven naves; immortality is his axle. He is at present all these worlds. Time hastens onward the first God." "3. A full jar is contained in Time. We behold him existing in many forms. He is all these worlds in the future. They call him 'Time in the highest Heaven' " . . . . Now add to this the following verse from the Esoteric volumes: -- "Space and Time are one. Space and Time are nameless, for they are the incognizable T HAT, which can be sensed only through its seven rays -- which are the Seven Creations, the Seven Worlds, the Seven Laws, " etc., etc., etc. . . . Remembering that the Puranas insist on the identity of Vishnu with Time and Space*; and that even the Rabbinical symbol for God is MAQOM, "Space," it becomes clear why, for purposes of a manifesting Deity -- Space, Matter, and Spirit -- the one central point became the Triangle and Quaternary (the perfect Cube), hence Seven. Even the Pravaha wind (the mystic and occult Force that gives the impulse to, and regulates the course of the stars and planets) is septenary. The Kurma and Linga Puranas enumerate seven principal winds of that name, which winds are the principles of Cosmic Space. They are intimately connected with Dhruva** (now Alpha), the Pole-Star, which is connected in its turn with the production of various phenomena through cosmic forces. Thus, from the Seven Creations, seven Rishis, Zones, Continents, Principles, etc., etc. in the Aryan Scriptures, the number has passed through Indian, Egyptian, Chaldaic, Greek, Jewish, Roman, and finally Christian mystic thought, until it landed in and remained impressed indelibly on every exoteric theology. The seven old books stolen out of Noah's ark by Ham, and given to Cush, his son, and the seven Brazen columns of Ham and Cheiron, are a reflection and a remem- [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- * Vishnu is all -- the worlds, the stars, the seas, etc., etc. "Vishnu is all that is, all that is not . . . . but is not Vastubhuta, " "a substance" (Vishnu Purana, Book II . ch. xii). "That which people call the highest God is not a substance but the cause of it; not one that is here, there, or elsewhere, not what we see, but that in which all is -- SPACE." ** Therefore it is said in the Puranas that the view of Dhruva (the polar star) at night, and of the celestial porpoise (Sisumara, a constellation) "expiates whatever sin has been committed during the day." The fact is that the rays of the four stars in the circle of perpetual apparition -- the Agni, Mahendra, Kasyapa, and Dhruva, placed in the tail of Ursa Minor (Sisumara) -- focussed in a certain way and on a certain object produce extraordinary results. The astro-magians of India will understand what is meant. [[Vol. 2, Page]] 613 WHO ARE THE MARUTS? brance of the Seven primordial mysteries instituted according to the "Seven secret emanations," the "Seven Sounds," and seven rays -- the spiritual and sidereal models of the seven thousand times seven copies of them in later aeons. The mysterious number is once more prominent in the no less mysterious Maruts.