Page 88 (part 6)

It does not seem difficult to perceive what is meant by the Maruts obtaining " four times seven " emancipations in every "manvantara," and by those persons who, being reborn in that character (of the Maruts in their esoteric meaning), "fill up their places." The Maruts represent ( a ) the passions that storm and rage within every candidate's breast, when preparing for an ascetic life -- this mystically; ( b ) the occult potencies concealed in the manifold aspects of Akasa ' s lower principles -- her body, or sthula sarira, representing the terrestrial, lower, atmosphere of every inhabited globe -- this mystically and sidereally; ( c ) actual conscious Existences, Beings of a cosmic and psychic nature. At the same time "Maruts" is, in occult parlance, one of the names given to those EGOS of great Adepts who have passed away, and who are known also as Nirmanakayas; of those Egos for whom -- since they are beyond illusion -- there is no Devachan, and who, having either voluntarily renounced it for the good of mankind, or not yet reached Nirvana, remain invisible on earth. Therefore are the Maruts* shown firstly -- as the sons of Siva-Rudra -- the "Patron Yogi," whose " third eye," mystically, must be acquired by the ascetic before he becomes an adept; then, in their cosmic character, as the subordinates of Indra and his opponents -- variously. The "four times seven" emancipations have a reference to the four Rounds, and the four Races that preceded ours, in each of which Marut-Jivas (monads) have been re-born, and have obtained final liberation, if they have only availed themselves of it. Instead of which, preferring the good of mankind, which would struggle still more hopelessly in the meshes of ignorance and misery, were it not for this extraneous help -- they are re-born over and over again "in that character," and thus "fill up their own places." Who they are, " on earth " -- every student of Occult science knows. And he also knows that the Maruts are Rudras, among whom also the family of Twashtri, a synonym of Visvakarman -- the great patron of the Initiates -- is included. This gives us an ample knowledge of their true nature. [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- [[Continued.from previous page]] of the Progenitors of mankind. All the Puranas speak of the seven Prajapatis of this period (Round). * "Chakshuba was the Manu of the sixth period (Third Round and Third Race), in which Indra was Manojava" ( Mantradruma in the Bhagavata Purana ) . As there is a perfect analogy between the "great Round" ( Mahakalpa ) , each of the seven Rounds, and each of the seven great Races in every one of the Rounds -- therefore, Indra of the sixth period, or Third Round, corresponds to the close of the Third Race (at the time of the Fall or the separation of sexes). Rudra, as the father of the Maruts, has many points of contact with Indra, the Marutwan, or "lord of the Maruts." To receive a name Rudra is said to have wept for it. Brahma called him Rudra; but he wept seven times more and so obtained seven other names -- of which he uses one during each "period." [[Vol. 2, Page]] 616 THE SECRET DOCTRINE. The same for the Septenary Division of Kosmos and human principles. The Puranas, along with other sacred texts, teem with allusions to this. First of all, the mundane Egg which contained Brahma, or the Universe, "was externally invested with seven natural elements, at first loosely enumerated as Water, Air, Fire, Ether, and three secret elements" (Book I.); then the "World" is said to be "encompassed on every side" by seven elements, also within the egg -- as explained, "the universe is encompassed on every side, above and below by the Andakat ' aha -- the shell of the egg of Brahma." . . . Around the shell flows water, which is surrounded with fire; fire by air; air by ether; ether by the origin of the elements (Ahamkara); the latter by Universal Mind ("Intellect" in the Texts) (Book II ., ch. VII . Vishnu Purana ) . It relates to spheres of being as much as to principles. Prithivi is not our Earth, but the World, the Solar system, and means the broad, the Wide. In the Vedas -- the greatest of all authorities, though needing the key to read it correctly -- three terrestrial and three celestial earths are mentioned as having been called into existence simultaneously with Bhumi -- our earth. We have often been told that six, not seven , appears to be the number of spheres, principles, etc. We answer that there are, in fact, only six principles in man; since his body is no principle, but the covering, the shell thereof. So with the planetary chain; speaking of which, esoterically, the Earth (as well as the seventh, or rather fourth plane, one that stands as the seventh if we count from the first triple kingdom of the Elementals that begin the formation) may be left out of consideration, being (to us) the only distinct body of the seven. The language of occultism is varied. But supposing that three earths only, instead of seven, are meant in the Vedas, what are those three, since we still know of but one? Evidently there must be an occult meaning in the statement under consideration. Let us see. The "Earth that floats" on the Universal Ocean (of Space), which Brahma divides in the Puranas into seven zones, is Prithivi, the world divided into seven principles; a cosmic division looking metaphysical enough, but, in reality, physical in its occult effects. Many Kalpas later, our Earth is mentioned, and, in its turn, is divided into seven zones* on that same law of analogy that guided ancient philosophers. After which one finds on it seven continents, seven isles, seven oceans, seven seas and rivers, seven mountains, and seven climates, etc., etc., etc.** [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- * See the Puranas. ** In Vishnu Purana, Book II ., chap. iv., it is stated that the E ARTH, "with its continents, mountains, oceans, and exterior shell, is fifty crores (500 millions) of yojanas in extent," to which the commentator remarks that " this comprises the planetary spheres; for the diameter of the seven zones and oceans -- each ocean being of the same diameter as the continent it encloses, and each successive continent being twice the [[Continued on next page]] [[Vol. 2, Page]] 617 PERSIAN SYMBOLOGY.