Matsya Avatar, the Deluge and all that // All what? Splash

[Guest guest]

Dear Vinita,

 

Prolix but sedulous, ergo on way up.

 

Do you want the forum to answer your Qs after the narration, the

flash (flood) of the early Purana (Deluged, are we?)!

 

I will not hold back. But only two. First two.

 

1. Myth is more than history. Not about telescoping or displacement.

Not quite.

 

2. Common thread is not it. Common structure. And there is.

 

 

RK

 

 

, " vinita kumar "

<shankar_mamta wrote:

>

> Matsya Avatar

>

> The VEDAS, with the aid of which, BRAHMA, the creator God,

performs

> his role, happened to slip out of his possession at a moment of

his

> respite. An ASURA (Enemy of God) who was alert observed it and

> instantly devoured them. But, Vishnu, the preserver-God, was

> watching this. Since PRALAYA - Dissolution - was to follow soon,

the

> VEDAS would be lost for the next spell of Creation, unless they

were

> retrieved.

>

> As God was wondering what was to be done, he noticed Sage

> Satyavrata, who was doing penance subsisting on water alone,

making

> the ritual offering of water of God. God immediately assumed the

> form of a Fish. As satyavrata scooped water from the flowing

river,

> he espied a tiny fish in the water he had scooped. When he tried

to

> put it back into the river, the Fish entered the sage not to do so

> as it would be eaten up by the big fishes in the river. Satyavrata

> took pity and took it into his KAMANDALU and went back to his

> hermitage. Overnight, the Fish grew too big to be in the

Kamandalu.

>

> The next morning when the sage looked it up, the Fish requested

him

> to remove him to a larger vessel. Satyavarta did so but soon the

> fish became too big for the larger vessel also. Addressing the

Sage,

> the Fish said that he should protect him and find a suitable

living

> space for it. Satyavarta then emptied the vessel into a large pond

> near the hermitage along with the Fish. But, in no time the Fish

> grew as large as the pond and filled it. Then the Fish exhorted

the

> Sage to take it to a large and deep lake. Although Satyavarta took

> it to several lakes, one larger than the other, the Fish kept

> growing and bigger and bigger. It went on asking for larger and

> larger living space.

>

> Sathyavarata got vexed and decided to put it into the ocean. While

> he reached the ocean, the Fish addressed him thus: " oh Sage, do

not

> put me into the ocean, I am sure to be swallowed by the gigantic

> creature there. " Satyavarta became suspicious now. He was

despairing

> to know how a fish could in a day grow so big as the largest lake

> and still find it not big enough for it to live there. In a flash,

> he realised that it was Lord Vishnu in the form of Fish.

Satyavrata

> immediately prostrated before the Fish and prayed to be told why

God

> had appeared in the form of Fish. The Lord told his devotee, " Just

a

> week from now, the ocean will rise and inundate the entire

Universe

> for the dissolution of creation. At that time you will see a

> spacious boat approaching you. Do collect all the seeds, plants

and

> animals required for the next spell of creation and get into the

> boat and await me. Take VASUKI, the kind of Serpents, also with

you.

> The SAPTHA RISHIS (seven Sages) will also be with you " .

>

> The Fish left for fulfilling its mission. Hayagriva saw the

gigantic

> fish approaching him and was overtaken by fear. He held the VEDAS

> tightly in his mouth. But soon the Divine Fish slew him and

> recovered the VEDAS and restored them to BRAHMA for him to resume

> the function of CREATION at the appropriate time.

>

> As foretold by the DIVINE FISH, PRALAYA (deluge) set in and on the

> turbulent waters, a boat appeared. Sage Satyavrata, the Saptha

> Rishis and all the living creatures found haven in the boat. The

> Fish in the colour of gold and now with a horn came by and ordered

> that the boat be tied to its horn using VASUKI as a rope. While

the

> boat floated safely on the rising and enveloping waters, VISHNU

> taught the Rishis the highest form of Truth. This collection of

> truth has come to us in the form of MATSYA PURANA.

>

> Lord VISHNU in this manner saved his True Devotees from

dissolution

> so as to hand down divine knowledge and saved the VEDAS from

> destruction so as ensure CREATION after the DISSOLUTION.

>

> Extracts from the Fingerprints of the Gods – the quest continues –

> by Graham Hancock

>

> More than 500 deluge legends are known around the world and , in a

> survey of 86 of these (20 Asiatic, 3 European, 7 African, 46

> American and 10 from Australia and the Pacific), the specialist

> researacher Dr Richard Andree concluded that 62 were entirely

> independent of the Mesopotomian and Hebrew accounts.

>

> Story of Utnapishtim – Ancient Sumer

> Noah and the Deluge – Bible

> Coxcoxtli and Xochiquetzal – Aztec mythology

> Tezpi and the wrath of Tezcatilpoca – Central American tradition

> Yamana legend Tierra del Feugan tribe

> Inuit tradition of Alaska

>

> Many deluge and catastrophe myths contain references contain

> references to not only to the onset of a great darkness but to

other

> changes in the appearance of the heavens….the sun and moon fell

from

> the sky…the planets altered their courses. The sun, moon and stars

> changed their motions….Fire often follows or precedes the

> flood….volcanism and earthquakes are also mentioned frequently in

> association with the flood, particularly in the Americas….Phaeton,

> child of Sun, harnessed his father's chariot but was unable to

guide

> it along his father's course….a monster chased the sun….the face

of

> the world was darkened and a black rain began to fall.

>

> One pair each of the male and female of various species survived

to

> re-populate the world after the great deluge.

>

> Suppose that a tremendous cataclysm were to overtake the earth

> today, obliterating the achievements of our civilization and

wiping

> out almost all of us. Suppose, to paraphrase Plato, that we were

> forced by this cataclysm 'to begin again like children, in

complete

> ignorance of what had happened in early times'. Under such

> circumstances, ten or twelve thousand years from now (with all

> written records and film archives long since destroyed) what

> testimony might our descendants still preserve concerning the

events

> at the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 of

> the Christian era?

>

> It is easy to imagine how they might speak in mystical terms of

> explosions that gave off a 'terrible glare of light' and 'immense

> heat'. Nor would we be too surprised to find that they might have

> formulated a 'mythical' account something like this:

>

> The flames of the Brahmastra-charged missiles mingled with each

> other and surrounded by fiery arrows they covered the earth,

heaven

> and space between and increased the conflagration like the fire

and

> the Sun at the end of the world ... All beings who were scorched

by

> the Brahmastras, and saw the terrible fire of their missiles, felt

> that it was the fire of Pralaya [the cataclysm] that burns down

the

> world.

>

> And what of the Enola Gay which carried the Hiroshima bomb? How

> might our descendants remember that strange aircraft and the

> squadrons of others like it that swarmed through the skies of

planet

> earth during the twentieth century of the Christian era? Isn't it

> possible, probable even, that they might preserve traditions

> of 'celestial cars' and 'heavenly chariots' and 'spacious flying

> machines', and even of 'aerial cities'. If they did, would they

> perhaps speak of such wonders in mythical terms a little like

these:

>

> • 'Oh you, Uparicara Vasu, the spacious aerial flying machine

> will come to you - and you alone, of all the mortals, seated on

that

> vehicle will look like a deity.'

> • 'Visvakarma, the architect among the Gods, built aerial

> vehicles for the Gods.'

> • 'Oh you descendant of the Kurus, that wicked fellow came on

> that all-traversing automatic flying vehicle known as Saubhapura

and

> pierced me with weapons.'

> • 'He entered into the favourite divine palace of Indra and

> saw thousands of flying vehicles intended for the Gods lying at

> rest.'

> • 'The Gods came in their respective flying vehicles to

> witness the battle between Kripacarya and Arjuna. Even Indra, the

> Lord of Heaven, came with a special type of flying vehicle which

> could accommodate 33 divine beings.'

>

> All these quotations have been taken from the Bhagavata Puranu and

> from the Mahabaratha, two drops in the ocean of the ancient wisdom

> literature of the Indian subcontinent. And such images are

> replicated in many other archaic traditions.

>

> Some questions based on the above:

>

> WILL SIGNIFICANT HAPPENINGS OF TODAY BECOME MYTHOLOGIES OF

TOMORROW

> (IF TIME IS COMPRESSED)?

>

> IS THERE A COMMON THREAD IN SOME OF THE MYTHOLOGIES ACROSS THE

> WORLD? i.e., these mythologies are not unique to India?

> TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE DASAVATARS REFLECT EVOLUTION AFTER THE FIFTH

> AVATAR?

>

> VISHNU TOOK BIRTH AS OTHER AVATARS SUCH AS WELL SUCH AS DATTATREYA

> AND DHANVANTARI WHO ARE NOT INCLUDED AMONG THE FAMOUS 10 – IS

THERE

> A CLASSICAL REFERENCE TO THE 10 AVATARS OF VISHNU OR IS THIS A

LATER

> INVENTION?

>

[Guest guest]

Dear RK ji

 

" Prolix but sedulous, ergo on way up. "

 

Oh dear! in the long list of things i don't understand, i will now

have to add English!

 

It's a long and hard climb on the way up (i have already lost

steam...er...esteem?)

 

Love,

Vinita

 

, " arkaydash "

<arkaydash wrote:

>

> Dear Vinita,

>

> Prolix but sedulous, ergo on way up.

>

> Do you want the forum to answer your Qs after the narration, the

> flash (flood) of the early Purana (Deluged, are we?)!

>

> I will not hold back. But only two. First two.

>

> 1. Myth is more than history. Not about telescoping or

displacement.

> Not quite.

>

> 2. Common thread is not it. Common structure. And there is.

>

>

> RK

>

>

> , " vinita kumar "

> <shankar_mamta@> wrote:

> >

> > Matsya Avatar

> >

> > The VEDAS, with the aid of which, BRAHMA, the creator God,

> performs

> > his role, happened to slip out of his possession at a moment of

> his

> > respite. An ASURA (Enemy of God) who was alert observed it and

> > instantly devoured them. But, Vishnu, the preserver-God, was

> > watching this. Since PRALAYA - Dissolution - was to follow soon,

> the

> > VEDAS would be lost for the next spell of Creation, unless they

> were

> > retrieved.

> >

> > As God was wondering what was to be done, he noticed Sage

> > Satyavrata, who was doing penance subsisting on water alone,

> making

> > the ritual offering of water of God. God immediately assumed the

> > form of a Fish. As satyavrata scooped water from the flowing

> river,

> > he espied a tiny fish in the water he had scooped. When he tried

> to

> > put it back into the river, the Fish entered the sage not to do

so

> > as it would be eaten up by the big fishes in the river.

Satyavrata

> > took pity and took it into his KAMANDALU and went back to his

> > hermitage. Overnight, the Fish grew too big to be in the

> Kamandalu.

> >

> > The next morning when the sage looked it up, the Fish requested

> him

> > to remove him to a larger vessel. Satyavarta did so but soon the

> > fish became too big for the larger vessel also. Addressing the

> Sage,

> > the Fish said that he should protect him and find a suitable

> living

> > space for it. Satyavarta then emptied the vessel into a large

pond

> > near the hermitage along with the Fish. But, in no time the Fish

> > grew as large as the pond and filled it. Then the Fish exhorted

> the

> > Sage to take it to a large and deep lake. Although Satyavarta

took

> > it to several lakes, one larger than the other, the Fish kept

> > growing and bigger and bigger. It went on asking for larger and

> > larger living space.

> >

> > Sathyavarata got vexed and decided to put it into the ocean.

While

> > he reached the ocean, the Fish addressed him thus: " oh Sage, do

> not

> > put me into the ocean, I am sure to be swallowed by the gigantic

> > creature there. " Satyavarta became suspicious now. He was

> despairing

> > to know how a fish could in a day grow so big as the largest

lake

> > and still find it not big enough for it to live there. In a

flash,

> > he realised that it was Lord Vishnu in the form of Fish.

> Satyavrata

> > immediately prostrated before the Fish and prayed to be told why

> God

> > had appeared in the form of Fish. The Lord told his

devotee, " Just

> a

> > week from now, the ocean will rise and inundate the entire

> Universe

> > for the dissolution of creation. At that time you will see a

> > spacious boat approaching you. Do collect all the seeds, plants

> and

> > animals required for the next spell of creation and get into the

> > boat and await me. Take VASUKI, the kind of Serpents, also with

> you.

> > The SAPTHA RISHIS (seven Sages) will also be with you " .

> >

> > The Fish left for fulfilling its mission. Hayagriva saw the

> gigantic

> > fish approaching him and was overtaken by fear. He held the

VEDAS

> > tightly in his mouth. But soon the Divine Fish slew him and

> > recovered the VEDAS and restored them to BRAHMA for him to

resume

> > the function of CREATION at the appropriate time.

> >

> > As foretold by the DIVINE FISH, PRALAYA (deluge) set in and on

the

> > turbulent waters, a boat appeared. Sage Satyavrata, the Saptha

> > Rishis and all the living creatures found haven in the boat. The

> > Fish in the colour of gold and now with a horn came by and

ordered

> > that the boat be tied to its horn using VASUKI as a rope. While

> the

> > boat floated safely on the rising and enveloping waters, VISHNU

> > taught the Rishis the highest form of Truth. This collection of

> > truth has come to us in the form of MATSYA PURANA.

> >

> > Lord VISHNU in this manner saved his True Devotees from

> dissolution

> > so as to hand down divine knowledge and saved the VEDAS from

> > destruction so as ensure CREATION after the DISSOLUTION.

> >

> > Extracts from the Fingerprints of the Gods – the quest

continues –

> > by Graham Hancock

> >

> > More than 500 deluge legends are known around the world and , in

a

> > survey of 86 of these (20 Asiatic, 3 European, 7 African, 46

> > American and 10 from Australia and the Pacific), the specialist

> > researacher Dr Richard Andree concluded that 62 were entirely

> > independent of the Mesopotomian and Hebrew accounts.

> >

> > Story of Utnapishtim – Ancient Sumer

> > Noah and the Deluge – Bible

> > Coxcoxtli and Xochiquetzal – Aztec mythology

> > Tezpi and the wrath of Tezcatilpoca – Central American tradition

> > Yamana legend Tierra del Feugan tribe

> > Inuit tradition of Alaska

> >

> > Many deluge and catastrophe myths contain references contain

> > references to not only to the onset of a great darkness but to

> other

> > changes in the appearance of the heavens….the sun and moon fell

> from

> > the sky…the planets altered their courses. The sun, moon and

stars

> > changed their motions….Fire often follows or precedes the

> > flood….volcanism and earthquakes are also mentioned frequently

in

> > association with the flood, particularly in the

Americas….Phaeton,

> > child of Sun, harnessed his father's chariot but was unable to

> guide

> > it along his father's course….a monster chased the sun….the face

> of

> > the world was darkened and a black rain began to fall.

> >

> > One pair each of the male and female of various species survived

> to

> > re-populate the world after the great deluge.

> >

> > Suppose that a tremendous cataclysm were to overtake the earth

> > today, obliterating the achievements of our civilization and

> wiping

> > out almost all of us. Suppose, to paraphrase Plato, that we were

> > forced by this cataclysm 'to begin again like children, in

> complete

> > ignorance of what had happened in early times'. Under such

> > circumstances, ten or twelve thousand years from now (with all

> > written records and film archives long since destroyed) what

> > testimony might our descendants still preserve concerning the

> events

> > at the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945

of

> > the Christian era?

> >

> > It is easy to imagine how they might speak in mystical terms of

> > explosions that gave off a 'terrible glare of light'

and 'immense

> > heat'. Nor would we be too surprised to find that they might

have

> > formulated a 'mythical' account something like this:

> >

> > The flames of the Brahmastra-charged missiles mingled with each

> > other and surrounded by fiery arrows they covered the earth,

> heaven

> > and space between and increased the conflagration like the fire

> and

> > the Sun at the end of the world ... All beings who were scorched

> by

> > the Brahmastras, and saw the terrible fire of their missiles,

felt

> > that it was the fire of Pralaya [the cataclysm] that burns down

> the

> > world.

> >

> > And what of the Enola Gay which carried the Hiroshima bomb? How

> > might our descendants remember that strange aircraft and the

> > squadrons of others like it that swarmed through the skies of

> planet

> > earth during the twentieth century of the Christian era? Isn't

it

> > possible, probable even, that they might preserve traditions

> > of 'celestial cars' and 'heavenly chariots' and 'spacious flying

> > machines', and even of 'aerial cities'. If they did, would they

> > perhaps speak of such wonders in mythical terms a little like

> these:

> >

> > • 'Oh you, Uparicara Vasu, the spacious aerial flying machine

> > will come to you - and you alone, of all the mortals, seated on

> that

> > vehicle will look like a deity.'

> > • 'Visvakarma, the architect among the Gods, built aerial

> > vehicles for the Gods.'

> > • 'Oh you descendant of the Kurus, that wicked fellow came on

> > that all-traversing automatic flying vehicle known as Saubhapura

> and

> > pierced me with weapons.'

> > • 'He entered into the favourite divine palace of Indra and

> > saw thousands of flying vehicles intended for the Gods lying at

> > rest.'

> > • 'The Gods came in their respective flying vehicles to

> > witness the battle between Kripacarya and Arjuna. Even Indra,

the

> > Lord of Heaven, came with a special type of flying vehicle which

> > could accommodate 33 divine beings.'

> >

> > All these quotations have been taken from the Bhagavata Puranu

and

> > from the Mahabaratha, two drops in the ocean of the ancient

wisdom

> > literature of the Indian subcontinent. And such images are

> > replicated in many other archaic traditions.

> >

> > Some questions based on the above:

> >

> > WILL SIGNIFICANT HAPPENINGS OF TODAY BECOME MYTHOLOGIES OF

> TOMORROW

> > (IF TIME IS COMPRESSED)?

> >

> > IS THERE A COMMON THREAD IN SOME OF THE MYTHOLOGIES ACROSS THE

> > WORLD? i.e., these mythologies are not unique to India?

> > TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE DASAVATARS REFLECT EVOLUTION AFTER THE

FIFTH

> > AVATAR?

> >

> > VISHNU TOOK BIRTH AS OTHER AVATARS SUCH AS WELL SUCH AS

DATTATREYA

> > AND DHANVANTARI WHO ARE NOT INCLUDED AMONG THE FAMOUS 10 – IS

> THERE

> > A CLASSICAL REFERENCE TO THE 10 AVATARS OF VISHNU OR IS THIS A

> LATER

> > INVENTION?

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Vinita,

You are irrepressible. Or you think you are?

 

Would that you visit astrology oftener. Did you register what friend

Shreenadh says at the end: " When one truly pursue astrology, many

questions evolve in his mind, and he gradually realizes where the

saints points to. "

 

Take heed.

 

RK

 

 

, " vinita kumar "

<shankar_mamta wrote:

>

> Dear RK ji

>

> " Prolix but sedulous, ergo on way up. "

>

> Oh dear! in the long list of things i don't understand, i will now

> have to add English!

>

> It's a long and hard climb on the way up (i have already lost

> steam...er...esteem?)

>

> Love,

> Vinita

>

> , " arkaydash "

> <arkaydash@> wrote:

> >

> > Dear Vinita,

> >

> > Prolix but sedulous, ergo on way up.

> >

> > Do you want the forum to answer your Qs after the narration, the

> > flash (flood) of the early Purana (Deluged, are we?)!

> >

> > I will not hold back. But only two. First two.

> >

> > 1. Myth is more than history. Not about telescoping or

> displacement.

> > Not quite.

> >

> > 2. Common thread is not it. Common structure. And there is.

> >

> >

> > RK

> >

> >

> > , " vinita kumar "

> > <shankar_mamta@> wrote:

> > >

> > > Matsya Avatar

> > >

> > > The VEDAS, with the aid of which, BRAHMA, the creator God,

> > performs

> > > his role, happened to slip out of his possession at a moment

of

> > his

> > > respite. An ASURA (Enemy of God) who was alert observed it and

> > > instantly devoured them. But, Vishnu, the preserver-God, was

> > > watching this. Since PRALAYA - Dissolution - was to follow

soon,

> > the

> > > VEDAS would be lost for the next spell of Creation, unless

they

> > were

> > > retrieved.

> > >

> > > As God was wondering what was to be done, he noticed Sage

> > > Satyavrata, who was doing penance subsisting on water alone,

> > making

> > > the ritual offering of water of God. God immediately assumed

the

> > > form of a Fish. As satyavrata scooped water from the flowing

> > river,

> > > he espied a tiny fish in the water he had scooped. When he

tried

> > to

> > > put it back into the river, the Fish entered the sage not to

do

> so

> > > as it would be eaten up by the big fishes in the river.

> Satyavrata

> > > took pity and took it into his KAMANDALU and went back to his

> > > hermitage. Overnight, the Fish grew too big to be in the

> > Kamandalu.

> > >

> > > The next morning when the sage looked it up, the Fish

requested

> > him

> > > to remove him to a larger vessel. Satyavarta did so but soon

the

> > > fish became too big for the larger vessel also. Addressing the

> > Sage,

> > > the Fish said that he should protect him and find a suitable

> > living

> > > space for it. Satyavarta then emptied the vessel into a large

> pond

> > > near the hermitage along with the Fish. But, in no time the

Fish

> > > grew as large as the pond and filled it. Then the Fish

exhorted

> > the

> > > Sage to take it to a large and deep lake. Although Satyavarta

> took

> > > it to several lakes, one larger than the other, the Fish kept

> > > growing and bigger and bigger. It went on asking for larger

and

> > > larger living space.

> > >

> > > Sathyavarata got vexed and decided to put it into the ocean.

> While

> > > he reached the ocean, the Fish addressed him thus: " oh Sage,

do

> > not

> > > put me into the ocean, I am sure to be swallowed by the

gigantic

> > > creature there. " Satyavarta became suspicious now. He was

> > despairing

> > > to know how a fish could in a day grow so big as the largest

> lake

> > > and still find it not big enough for it to live there. In a

> flash,

> > > he realised that it was Lord Vishnu in the form of Fish.

> > Satyavrata

> > > immediately prostrated before the Fish and prayed to be told

why

> > God

> > > had appeared in the form of Fish. The Lord told his

> devotee, " Just

> > a

> > > week from now, the ocean will rise and inundate the entire

> > Universe

> > > for the dissolution of creation. At that time you will see a

> > > spacious boat approaching you. Do collect all the seeds,

plants

> > and

> > > animals required for the next spell of creation and get into

the

> > > boat and await me. Take VASUKI, the kind of Serpents, also

with

> > you.

> > > The SAPTHA RISHIS (seven Sages) will also be with you " .

> > >

> > > The Fish left for fulfilling its mission. Hayagriva saw the

> > gigantic

> > > fish approaching him and was overtaken by fear. He held the

> VEDAS

> > > tightly in his mouth. But soon the Divine Fish slew him and

> > > recovered the VEDAS and restored them to BRAHMA for him to

> resume

> > > the function of CREATION at the appropriate time.

> > >

> > > As foretold by the DIVINE FISH, PRALAYA (deluge) set in and on

> the

> > > turbulent waters, a boat appeared. Sage Satyavrata, the Saptha

> > > Rishis and all the living creatures found haven in the boat.

The

> > > Fish in the colour of gold and now with a horn came by and

> ordered

> > > that the boat be tied to its horn using VASUKI as a rope.

While

> > the

> > > boat floated safely on the rising and enveloping waters,

VISHNU

> > > taught the Rishis the highest form of Truth. This collection

of

> > > truth has come to us in the form of MATSYA PURANA.

> > >

> > > Lord VISHNU in this manner saved his True Devotees from

> > dissolution

> > > so as to hand down divine knowledge and saved the VEDAS from

> > > destruction so as ensure CREATION after the DISSOLUTION.

> > >

> > > Extracts from the Fingerprints of the Gods – the quest

> continues –

> > > by Graham Hancock

> > >

> > > More than 500 deluge legends are known around the world and ,

in

> a

> > > survey of 86 of these (20 Asiatic, 3 European, 7 African, 46

> > > American and 10 from Australia and the Pacific), the

specialist

> > > researacher Dr Richard Andree concluded that 62 were entirely

> > > independent of the Mesopotomian and Hebrew accounts.

> > >

> > > Story of Utnapishtim – Ancient Sumer

> > > Noah and the Deluge – Bible

> > > Coxcoxtli and Xochiquetzal – Aztec mythology

> > > Tezpi and the wrath of Tezcatilpoca – Central American

tradition

> > > Yamana legend Tierra del Feugan tribe

> > > Inuit tradition of Alaska

> > >

> > > Many deluge and catastrophe myths contain references contain

> > > references to not only to the onset of a great darkness but to

> > other

> > > changes in the appearance of the heavens….the sun and moon

fell

> > from

> > > the sky…the planets altered their courses. The sun, moon and

> stars

> > > changed their motions….Fire often follows or precedes the

> > > flood….volcanism and earthquakes are also mentioned frequently

> in

> > > association with the flood, particularly in the

> Americas….Phaeton,

> > > child of Sun, harnessed his father's chariot but was unable to

> > guide

> > > it along his father's course….a monster chased the sun….the

face

> > of

> > > the world was darkened and a black rain began to fall.

> > >

> > > One pair each of the male and female of various species

survived

> > to

> > > re-populate the world after the great deluge.

> > >

> > > Suppose that a tremendous cataclysm were to overtake the earth

> > > today, obliterating the achievements of our civilization and

> > wiping

> > > out almost all of us. Suppose, to paraphrase Plato, that we

were

> > > forced by this cataclysm 'to begin again like children, in

> > complete

> > > ignorance of what had happened in early times'. Under such

> > > circumstances, ten or twelve thousand years from now (with all

> > > written records and film archives long since destroyed) what

> > > testimony might our descendants still preserve concerning the

> > events

> > > at the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August

1945

> of

> > > the Christian era?

> > >

> > > It is easy to imagine how they might speak in mystical terms

of

> > > explosions that gave off a 'terrible glare of light'

> and 'immense

> > > heat'. Nor would we be too surprised to find that they might

> have

> > > formulated a 'mythical' account something like this:

> > >

> > > The flames of the Brahmastra-charged missiles mingled with

each

> > > other and surrounded by fiery arrows they covered the earth,

> > heaven

> > > and space between and increased the conflagration like the

fire

> > and

> > > the Sun at the end of the world ... All beings who were

scorched

> > by

> > > the Brahmastras, and saw the terrible fire of their missiles,

> felt

> > > that it was the fire of Pralaya [the cataclysm] that burns

down

> > the

> > > world.

> > >

> > > And what of the Enola Gay which carried the Hiroshima bomb?

How

> > > might our descendants remember that strange aircraft and the

> > > squadrons of others like it that swarmed through the skies of

> > planet

> > > earth during the twentieth century of the Christian era? Isn't

> it

> > > possible, probable even, that they might preserve traditions

> > > of 'celestial cars' and 'heavenly chariots' and 'spacious

flying

> > > machines', and even of 'aerial cities'. If they did, would

they

> > > perhaps speak of such wonders in mythical terms a little like

> > these:

> > >

> > > • 'Oh you, Uparicara Vasu, the spacious aerial flying machine

> > > will come to you - and you alone, of all the mortals, seated

on

> > that

> > > vehicle will look like a deity.'

> > > • 'Visvakarma, the architect among the Gods, built aerial

> > > vehicles for the Gods.'

> > > • 'Oh you descendant of the Kurus, that wicked fellow came on

> > > that all-traversing automatic flying vehicle known as

Saubhapura

> > and

> > > pierced me with weapons.'

> > > • 'He entered into the favourite divine palace of Indra and

> > > saw thousands of flying vehicles intended for the Gods lying

at

> > > rest.'

> > > • 'The Gods came in their respective flying vehicles to

> > > witness the battle between Kripacarya and Arjuna. Even Indra,

> the

> > > Lord of Heaven, came with a special type of flying vehicle

which

> > > could accommodate 33 divine beings.'

> > >

> > > All these quotations have been taken from the Bhagavata Puranu

> and

> > > from the Mahabaratha, two drops in the ocean of the ancient

> wisdom

> > > literature of the Indian subcontinent. And such images are

> > > replicated in many other archaic traditions.

> > >

> > > Some questions based on the above:

> > >

> > > WILL SIGNIFICANT HAPPENINGS OF TODAY BECOME MYTHOLOGIES OF

> > TOMORROW

> > > (IF TIME IS COMPRESSED)?

> > >

> > > IS THERE A COMMON THREAD IN SOME OF THE MYTHOLOGIES ACROSS THE

> > > WORLD? i.e., these mythologies are not unique to India?

> > > TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE DASAVATARS REFLECT EVOLUTION AFTER THE

> FIFTH

> > > AVATAR?

> > >

> > > VISHNU TOOK BIRTH AS OTHER AVATARS SUCH AS WELL SUCH AS

> DATTATREYA

> > > AND DHANVANTARI WHO ARE NOT INCLUDED AMONG THE FAMOUS 10 – IS

> > THERE

> > > A CLASSICAL REFERENCE TO THE 10 AVATARS OF VISHNU OR IS THIS A

> > LATER

> > > INVENTION?

> > >

> >

>