Theos-Talk Archives (July 1998 Message tt00175)

>From: "Brenda S Tucker" <brenda@theosophy.com>
>Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 08:33:16 -0700
>Subject: SOMA
>
>
Dear Brenda

Thank you for your mail about suffering which did evoke further thoughts,
but that is now running its course.
It is your mail about the study group:  how do you go about your study,
selecting the passage you study, do you all prepare for it before-hand, what
SDs do you use?

The Many Meanings of the "War in Heaven." vol.II, page 492-505.

Many Meanings is very pertinent here, as are the quotes you make.

Pasadena produce as you most probably know, a fine facsimile of the SD and
have also done a great service in putting part of it (with great care) on
the internet.   The Theosophy Co. also produce a fine facsimile edition. On
turning to the section in the SD it was therefore surprising to find that
the quotes you give are not from the facsimile edition.

You quote (capital letters are not what are at issue in your quote here):

>"Says the Brahmana in the ANUGITA:  IN THE INTERIOR (WITHIN THE BODY), IN
>THE MIDST OF ALL THESE (LIFE-WINDS) [? PRINCIPLES], WHICH MOVE ABOUT IN THE
>BODY AND SWALLOW UP ONE ANOTHER,* BLAZES THE VAISVANARA FIRE+ SEVENFOLD.

>
In the original (accents not included):

"Within the body, in the midst of all these life-winds (? principles), which
move about in the body, and swallow up one another,* blazes the Vaishvana
fire+ seven-fold, of which 'I' am the goal," says the Brahmana.#"

Footnote: "+ "Vaisvanara (or Vaishvanara) is a word often used to denote the
Self" - explains Nilakantha."

In your edited version this footnote becomes:

+ "Vaisvanara is a word often used to denote the Self" - explains Nilakantha.

Many meanings: You may find it interesting to "ponder" on why HPB (and the
Masters) spell Vaishvana 3 different ways?: Vaishvana/Vaisvanara/Vaishvanara.
Someone on the radio has just said - "a natural progression . . . . ." and
emphasised it, so it is included.

In the edited version, the editor has decided that it should only be spelled
one way, not 3.  The fluidity is immediately lost, and these kind of
alterations come over as being DEAD LETTER worship, rather than of one
"learned in the
>SECRET Wisdom," ..... - ESOTERIC WISDOM - Mercury.....

You may not be aware that the edition edited by Boris de Zirkoff has these
kind of alterations, page after page, after page.

Thank you for your comments, resulting from the study group.  Your short
contribution of this nature could make for a weekly focus on the SD,  but
appreciate it is not easy and a lot to ask.

Best wishes in your studies.
Vaishvana . . . Vaisvanara . . . . Vaishvanara . . . . .
Tony


 Since we had an SD study class last
>night and there is a pertinent, humorous, idea from the class material, I
>am responding to your subject of Manas with a few quotes from the SD, Vol
>II study material.  I hope you find this humorous, too. Our subject was p.
>492-505: "The Many Meanings of the "War in Heaven.""
>
>Students of astrology have long associated Mercury with mental activity, so
>when we were reading together last night, it struck me as different to hear
>HPB claim this:
>
>p. 495 "The moon is the deity of the mind (Manas) but only on the lower
>plane.  'Manas is dual - LUNAR in the lower, SOLAR in its upper portion,'
>says a Commentary. That is to say, it is attracted in its higher aspect
>towards Buddhi, and in its lower descends into, and listens to the voice
>of, its ANIMAL soul full of selfish and sensual desires;..."
>
>I laughed to think of the moon as the deity of mind.
>
>I like the following few thoughts, too, so I'll present them. p. 496
>
>"Says the Brahmana in the ANUGITA:  IN THE INTERIOR (WITHIN THE BODY), IN
>THE MIDST OF ALL THESE (LIFE-WINDS) [? PRINCIPLES], WHICH MOVE ABOUT IN THE
>BODY AND SWALLOW UP ONE ANOTHER,* BLAZES THE VAISVANARA FIRE+ SEVENFOLD.
>But the chief "Soul" is MANAS or mind; hence, Soma, the moon, is shown as
>making an alliance with the solar portion in it."
>
>
>Now this thought is that no lower descending mind will ever be without its
>flirtatious lunar desire to reflect the sun and to pair with the sun on its
>journey.  The lower manas is not lost, it is properly "paired" in order to
>"create."  Hopefully, this next idea will strike a more familiar archetype.
>
>p. 498 "... mention is made of Budha, the "Wise," one "learned in the
>SECRET Wisdom," and who is the planet Mercury in his euhemerization."  p.
>499  When King Soma carries away the wife of Brihaspati: TARA "The result
>of this is the birth of Budha - ESOTERIC WISDOM - Mercury, or Hermes in
>Greece and Egypt.  He is represented as "so beautiful," that even the
>husband though well aware that Budha is not the progeny of his DEAD-LETTER
>worship - claims the "newborn" as his Son, the fruit of his ritualistic and
>meaningless forms."
>
>While it isn't exactly the moon and sun combining to give birth to Mercury,
>it does suggest that while only an initiate can partake of the sacred drink
>SOMA, the esoteric wisdom imparted doesn't stay solely with the initiate.
>"The husband" in the above quote represents the "non-initiated" and the
>"priest of the exoteric ritual." Even those people stand to benefit from
>the blending of truth with life, because no one is beyond the reach and
>effect of the sun's power.