The Purusha Sukta─Part II

Summer 2009

Zachary F. Lansdowne

Abstract Christianity that the disciples of Christ form his body. For example, the Apostle Paul writes his article continues the analysis of the in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27: “For as the body is TPurusha Sukta, an ancient Hindu hymn one, and hath many members, and all the that celebrates the sacrifice of a God-like entity members of that one body, being many, are called “Purusha,” focusing on the final six one body: so also is Christ … Now ye are the verses. A theosophical interpretation is given, body of Christ, and members in particular.”2 showing that Purusha corresponds to the con- If we accept that all human beings are incorpo- cept of the Planetary Logos. rated into the physical body of the Planetary Background Logos, then it seems reasonable to think that a group of similar human beings would form an he Purusha Sukta consists of sixteen organ or part within that macrocosmic body. Tverses and was originally composed in Bailey has a similar notion when she says, Sanskrit as a hymn in the Rig Veda. The com- “The human atom is a part of a group or center mentary below first gives each of the remain- in the body of a heavenly Man, a Planetary ing six verses of the hymn in English, using Logos.”3 Here, the term “human atom” signi- the Myers translation,1 followed by an inter- fies a human being who is regarded as a unit pretation in italics and then a detailed analysis within a greater body. of the symbols in that verse. The first ten Assuming that Purusha (or Purusa) corre- verses were analyzed in Part I of this article, sponds to the Planetary Logos, the above verse which appeared in the Spring 2009 issue of says that the physical body of the Planetary The Esoteric Quarterly. Logos is divided into separate parts. Let us The Characteristics of Purusha suppose that this division is based on the stages of human evolution because evolution is erses 11 through 16 present, for our con- a major theme in the Purusha Sukta. Similarly, V sideration, some prescriptive models of the division of the animal kingdom in the human evolution. eighth verse is based on the stages of animal evolution. Let us also suppose that all people at 11. When they divided Purusa, how many the same stage of evolution have a function ways did they apportion him? What that is analogous to that of a body part belong- was his mouth? What were his arms? ing to a human being, so we can say that those What were his thighs, his feet declared to be? What are the stages of human evolution, and what body parts of the Planetary Lo- About the Author gos consist of human beings in those Zachary F. Lansdowne, Ph.D., who served as stages? President of the Theosophical Society in Boston, has been a frequent contributor to The Esoteric The first, third, and fourth verses include the Quarterly. His book The Revelation of Saint John, idea that the physical body of the Planetary which provides a verse-by-verse analysis of the Logos incorporates all human beings living on entire Revelation, was reviewed in the Fall 2006 our planet. This idea is similar to the notion in issue. He can be reached at [email protected].

Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly 47 The Esoteric Quarterly people form that same part within the body of be a sudra by nature. And a peasant, some- the Planetary Logos. Given these supposi- times, is a real saint.4 tions, what body parts of the Planetary Logos Yogananda regards the four castes as symbols consist of human beings in their various for the stages of spiritual refinement and pro- stages? vides the following interpretation of them: 12. His mouth was the Brahman [caste], his 1. Sudra. “At his lowest level of refinement, arms were the Rajanaya [Kshatriya man thinks not only of, but with, his physi- caste], his thighs the Vaisya [caste]; cal body. Tradition typifies him as a farm from his feet the Sudra [caste] was laborer, though that is simplistic.” born. 2. Vaisya. “When a person begins to use his People polarized in their causal body are intellect, he first does so strictly for per- like priests and act as the mouth of the sonal gain, thinking always, ‘What’s in Planetary Logos; people polarized in this for me?’ The obvious example of such their mental body are like soldiers and act a person is a greedy merchant.” as His arms; people polarized in their 3. Kshatriya. “When one develops further in emotional body are like merchants and spiritual refinement, he inclines to use his act as His thighs; and people polarized in intelligence for the general good rather their physical body are like servants and than only for his own benefit. Such a per- act as His feet. son is typified as the soldier—not the ma- rauding sort, but one who readily sacrifices The Purusha Sukta is the oldest extant text that his own life, if need be, for the sake of oth- mentions the four traditional castes (or classes) ers.” of Hindu society, and it is the only hymn in the Rig Veda that mentions them. These four 4. Brahmin. “Finally, when the individual castes are: Brahmins, or priests; Kshatriyas, or evolves spiritually to the point where he warriors; Vaisyas, or merchants; and Sudras, wants only God, he is like idealized im- or servants and laborers. Although discrimina- ages of a priest.”5 tion based on caste is against the law under the Bailey describes four polarizations of con- Indian Constitution, caste distinctions based on sciousness that are quite similar to birth unfortunately continue to play a socially Yogananda’s stages: destructive role in India even today. Paramahansa Yogananda, a teacher and writer 1. “During this [first] period, the man is po- on Hinduism, states that the caste system larized in his physical body and is learning known today is quite different from the system to be controlled by his desire body, the that originated in Vedic times: body of feeling or of emotion. He has no aspirations save such as pander to the These [four castes] were symbolic desig- pleasures of the body; he lives for his nations of the stages of spiritual refine- physical nature and has no thought for ment. They were not intended as social aught that may be higher.” categories. And they were not intended to be hereditary. Things changed as the yugas 2. “The second period covers a point in de- [cycles of time] descended toward mental velopment when the polarization is largely darkness. People in the higher castes in the emotional body and when lower wanted to make sure their children were mind desire is being developed … He is accepted as members of their own caste. capable of a deep love for teachers and Thus, ego-identification caused them to guides wiser than himself, of a wild unrea- freeze the ancient classifications into what soning devotion for his environing associ- is called the “caste system.” Such was not ates, and of an equally wild and unreason- the original intention. In obvious fact, ing hatred, for the equilibrium that mind however, the offspring of a brahmin may achieves, and the balance that is the result

of mental action, is wanting in his make- castes, act as His feet, just as the feet provide up.” support and transportation for the rest of the body. 3. “Now, on entering the third period, comes the most vital point in the development of In conclusion, we consider Bailey’s four po- the man, that in which mind is developing larizations of consciousness to be essentially and the polarizing life shifts to the mental the same as the four stages described by unit … His desires turn upward instead of Yogananda, which in turn are symbolized by downward, and become transmuted into the four castes. Moreover, the function of the aspiration,—at first aspiration towards the people in each caste is analogous to that of the things of mind, and later towards that associated body part. which is more abstract and synthetic.” 4. “It is by meditation, or the reaching from 13. The moon was born from his mind; the concrete to the abstract, that the causal from his eye the sun was born; from his consciousness is entered, and man—during mouth both Indra and Agni [fire]; from this final period—becomes the Higher self his breath Vayu [wind] was born. and not the Personality … At the close of By being mentally receptive, human be- that period, liberation is complete, and the 6 ings may grasp the vision of their essen- man is set free.” tial divine nature; they then may build a “Causal consciousness,” mentioned in the last thoughtform of themselves as the ideal quotation, takes place when the polarization of person and use the will that comes from consciousness shifts from the mental body to their illumination, along with pranayama, the causal body. The concept of the causal to transmit this thoughtform into their body is not in contemporary Western psychol- lower nature. ogy but is in Hinduism. Sri Aurobindo, a Hindu philosopher and teacher, shows that The above verse can be interpreted on either a symbols of the causal body are incorporated macrocosmic or microcosmic scale. On a mac- elsewhere in the Rig Veda7 and gives this de- rocosmic scale, the verse symbolically depicts scription of causal consciousness: “But this the steps of the Planetary Logos in His own causal body is, as we may say, little developed creative process. According to the second in the majority of men and to live in it or to verse, the Planetary Logos is the prototype for ascend to the supramental planes, as distin- human beings; and so the steps that the Plane- guished from corresponding sub-planes in the tary Logos pursues are also steps that human mental being, or still more to dwell con- beings could pursue on a microcosmic scale. In sciously upon them is the most difficult thing what follows, only the microcosmic meaning of all for the human being.”8 of those steps is considered, which requires every symbol in the verse to be understood as Next, let us consider how the four castes are though it represented some aspect of human allegorically related to the body parts listed in life. the above verse. The Brahmins, who are the teachers of humanity, act as the mouth of the Aurobindo states, “The [Rig] Veda is a book of Planetary Logos, just as the mouth is the organ esoteric symbols, almost of spiritual formulae, of speech in the human body. The Kshatriyas, which masks itself as a collection of ritual po- who are the defenders of society, act as His ems.”9 Aurobindo did not publish a commen- arms, just as the human body uses its arms for tary on the Purusha Sukta but did give com- self-defense. The Vaisyas, who buy food from mentaries on several other hymns in the Rig farmers and then sell it to the rest of the com- Veda. The verse mentions three deities that munity, act as His thighs, just as the thighs appear in those other hymns: Indra, Agni, and receive digested food from the stomach and Vayu. To understand the microcosmic mean- then store it for the rest of the body. The ing of these Vedic deities, we draw upon Sudras, who are the servants for the other Aurobindo’s insights.

Indra is the King of Heaven in Hindu mythol- vision of one’s own divine nature because, as ogy. Several hymns in the Rig Veda describe Blavatsky also says, “The Sun is … the symbol the battle between Indra, the leader of lumi- of Divinity.”14 nous beings, and Vritra, the leader of ignorant Bailey gives the essential microcosmic mean- and evil forces. This timeless battle between ing of the verse, describing the steps that a good and evil, however, has a psychological human being could follow to achieve his or her interpretation because it could be thought of as spiritual perfection: “He begins to grasp the taking place between the good and evil aspects vision of the spiritual man, as he is in essence. within every human being. Aurobindo gives He realizes the virtues and reactions which that the meaning of Indra within this psychological spiritual man would evidence in physical plane context: “The principle that Indra represents is life. He builds a thoughtform of himself as the Mind-Power released from the limits and ob- ideal man, the true server, the perfect master scurations of the nervous consciousness. It is … He creates a pattern in his mind that hews this enlightened Intelligence that fashions right as true as he can make it to the prototype and or perfect forms of thought or of action not that serves to model the lower man and force deformed by the nervous impulses, not ham- conformity to the ideal. As he perfects his pered by the falsehoods of sense.”10 technique, he finds a transmuting, transforming Agni is the Hindu god of fire. The Rig Veda power at work upon the energies that constitute frequently characterizes Agni with the Sanskrit his lower nature until all is subordinated and word kavikratuh, which means “will of the he becomes in practical manifestation what he seer.” Because of this characterization, is esoterically and essentially.”15 Bailey also Aurobindo concludes, “Psychologically, then, mentions the role of pranayama: “The power we may take Agni to be the divine will per- and subtlety of the pranayama process lies in fectly inspired by divine Wisdom, and indeed the potency of the thought behind the act of one with it, which is the active or effective breathing and not at all really in the inflation power of the Truth-consciousness.”11 In other and deflation of the torso.”16 words, Agni is the purpose, or intention, that comes from illumined consciousness in which 14. From his navel arose the air; from his there is no misapprehension or error. head the heaven evolved; from his feet Vayu is the Hindu god of wind. In Sanskrit the earth; the [four] directions from his literature, vayu is used more commonly in the ear. Thus, they fashioned the worlds. sense of physical wind or air, but is sometimes From transmuting emotional sensitivity, a synonym for prana, which is a vital, life- human beings become intuitively aware of sustaining force that flows through the human the spiritual world; from being focused in vital body. Pranayama is the practice of con- the head center, they become unified with trolling prana through controlling one’s breath- the spiritual world; from rendering ser- ing, and this practice is said to lead to an in- vice, they help the material world; from crease in vitality in the practitioner. With re- developing inner listening, they receive gard to the Rig Veda, Aurobindo observes, and can distinguish between mental im- “Vayu on the other hand is always associated pressions generated by their own subcon- with the Prana or Life-Energy that contributes scious mind, other human beings, their in- to the system all the ensemble of those nervous ner divine voice, and the spiritual king- activities that in man are the support of the 12 dom. Thus, they act as a bridge between mental energies governed by Indra.” the spiritual and material worlds. The verse incorporates two other celestial symbols: the moon, “which was born from his The above verse symbolically depicts certain mind,” is taken as mental receptivity because, qualities and powers of the Planetary Logos. as Blavatsky says, “The moon … shines only He, however, is the prototype for human be- by the reflected light of the sun”;13 and the sun, ings, so His qualities and powers are within the which was born “from his eye,” is taken as the reach of human beings. The Theosophical

Quarterly explains this key notion: “Through hold the consciousness at the highest possible what divine dispensations are these marvelous point.”21 Aurobindo describes its effects: “One attainments within the reach of every valorous must open the silent mental consciousness up- man and woman, disciples and lay disciples of ward to all that is above mind. After a time one either sex? Here, if our understanding be justly feels the consciousness rising upward, and in based, is the essence of the whole matter. the end it rises beyond the lid that has so long These graces and spiritual treasures are within kept it tied in the body and finds a center our reach because they are the qualities and above the head where it is liberated into the powers, the very being, of the heavenly Pu- Infinite. There it begins to come into contact rusha, the Divine Man, the Logos; they are with the universal Self, the Divine Peace, within our reach, because the Heavenly Man, Light, Power, Knowledge, Bliss, to enter into who might have dwelt apart in celestial soli- that and become that, to feel the descent of tude, submitted instead to sacrifice, offering these things into the nature.”22 Here, “a center his life and being, giving above the head” is the head that life as the sustenance The Planetary Logos for center, or chakra, which is of many.”17 located in the vital body our planet participates in and is just above the top of Next, consideration is the head in the dense physi- given only to the micro- a group sacrifice with the cal body.23 cosmic meaning of the other Planetary Logoi to verse, which provides a carry out the will of the The third phrase says, description of potential “from his feet the earth.” qualities and powers of Solar Logos, who in turn As in the twelfth verse, human beings and how sacrifices Himself to “feet” symbolizes service to they could be developed. carry out the will of a still other human beings. Bailey The first phrase says, writes, “But unless service “From his navel arose the greater composite Life. can be rendered from an air.” Bailey cites a quota- These sacrifices are pro- intuitive understanding of tion (attributed to Annie all the facts in the case, in- Besant) saying that “the totypes for human activ- terpreted intelligently, and ‘navel’ represents the so- ity. In this way, the Logoi applied in a spirit of love lar plexus, perhaps the and human beings can upon the physical plane, it most important plexus of fails to fulfill its mission the sympathetic sys- reach higher levels of adequately.”24 The service tem,”18 and considers achievement, which have depicted in this phrase is “air” to be a symbol of already been attained by effective because the earlier “the illumination of the phrases imply that it is ren- intuition.”19 Thus, this their ancient forerunners. dered from an intuitive un- phrase suggests that emo- derstanding and applied in a tional sensitivity, which is centered in the solar spirit of love. plexus, can be transmuted into intuitive aware- The fourth phrase says, “the [four] directions ness. Bailey also speaks of “the transmutation from his ear.” This phrase uses “ear” to sym- of the astral life into the buddhic conscious- bolize inner hearing and indicates that such ness,”20 where “astral” is a synonym for emo- hearing could take place in four directions. tional, and “buddhic” is a synonym for intui- Bailey also writes about four kinds of mental tive. impressions that can be inwardly heard: “The The second phrase says, “from his head the disciple is taught to be sensitive to ‘impres- heaven evolved,” which depicts a technique of sions’ coming from his own soul and, later, meditation and its effects. Bailey describes the from the Master and the Ashram. He is taught technique using phrases such as the following: to interpret these impressions correctly by “Raise the consciousness to the head center; means of his trained and illumined mind; he

Copyright @ The Esoteric Quarterly 51 The Esoteric Quarterly learns to distinguish between that which comes An altar stick burning with fire symbolizes an from his own subconscious nature, that which initiation ceremony that is taking place be- is telepathically recorded as coming from the cause, as Bailey says, “An initiation is a blaze world of thought and from the minds of other of illumination.”29 In the verse, the seven altar men, and that which comes from the world of sticks indicate that human beings face, or have spiritual being.”25 Here, “soul” denotes the as a prospect, seven initiations on their evolu- inner divine voice,26 and “the Master and the tionary journey. These altar sticks are not yet Ashram” represent the spiritual kingdom. burning, indicating that the seven initiations do not take place at the beginning of the evolu- The fifth phrase says, “Thus, they fashioned tionary journey but instead lie ahead. Bailey the worlds.” In other words, through fulfilling has the same time orientation when she writes, the earlier phrases, human beings connected “There are five initiations ahead of the disci- the spiritual and material worlds. Bailey speaks ple, with two more ahead of the Master, mak- of this ability: “Every human being who ing in all seven initiations.”30 After human be- reaches the goal of light and wisdom automati- ings undergo five initiations, they become a cally has a field of influence that extends both “Master,” which means that they have become up and down, and that reaches both inwards to a member of the spiritual kingdom and there- the source of light and outwards into the ‘fields fore a candidate for the two remaining initia- of darkness’ … When large numbers of the tions. sons of men can so act, then the human family will enter upon its destined work of planetary The verse says, “three times seven were the service. Its mission is to act as a bridge be- kindling bundles.” Here, the phrase “three tween the world of spirit and the world of ma- times seven” is the literal translation of the terial forms.”27 original Sanskrit words. Some translators carry out this multiplication and assume that the Sanskrit words denote the number “twenty- 15. Seven were his altar sticks, three times 31 seven were the kindling bundles, when one.” What else could the phrase “three times the gods, performing the sacrifice, seven” mean? bound the beast Purusa. The number seven has a symbolic meaning in the Rig Veda, as Aurobindo explains: “The Human beings, like their prototype, face number seven plays an exceedingly important seven inward initiations that are mile- part in the Vedic system, as in most very an- stones for three interrelated schemes of cient schools of thought. We find it recurring evolution, are subject to various hiero- constantly—the seven delights … ; the seven phants who administer these initiations, flames, tongues or rays of Agni … ; the seven and remain prisoners of the planet until forms of the Thought-principle … ; the seven they complete them. rivers … All these sets of seven depend, it seems to me, upon the Vedic classification of This verse is applicable to either human beings the fundamental principles, the tattvas, of exis- or the Planetary Logos. First, let us consider its tence … In the Veda, then, we find the number of the principles variously stated … But the application to human beings. Initiations, which 32 are mentioned in the commentary for the fifth full number ordinarily recognized is seven.” verse, occur during inward ceremonies. Bailey As in the sixth verse, “kindling” symbolizes writes, “This ceremony of initiation marks a the limitations that support the continuation of point of attainment. It does not bring about the evolutionary process. If we regard the attainment, as is so often the misconception. It number seven as a symbol of completion, then simply marks the recognition by the watching seven “kindling bundles” symbolize a com- Teachers of the race of a definite point in evo- plete scheme of evolution; so three sets of 28 lution reached by the pupil.” Thus, initiations seven kindling bundles symbolize three com- could be thought of as milestones for the evo- plete schemes of evolution. These multiple lutionary journey of human beings. schemes of evolution must refer to different

52 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2009 Summer 2009 vehicles of consciousness because more than cramps and distorts into one that provides ade- one scheme cannot be associated with the same quate conditions for the next development of vehicle. These schemes must be interrelated consciousness.”35 because they have common milestones. What The symbols in the above verse also apply to might these schemes be? Blavatsky writes, “It the Planetary Logos because Bailey states: now becomes plain that there exists in Nature a “Our Planetary Logos has for objective seven triple evolutionary scheme … or rather three initiations.”36 Bailey goes on to say that “the separate schemes of cycles in the evolution- evolution, which in ary process of all these our system are inex- Every human being who Entities [a Solar Logos, tricably interwoven reaches the goal of light and a Planetary Logos, and and interblended at wisdom automatically has a a human being] may be every point. These are divided mainly into the Monadic (or spiri- field of influence which extends three groups”37 and that tual), the intellectual, both up and down, and which “the ‘prisoners of the and the physical evo- 33 reaches both inwards to the planet’ … [include] the lutions.” 38 source of light and outwards Planetary Logos.” The word hierophant Further, she states that comes from the Greek into the “fields of darkness” … the hierophant is “a word (hierophantes) When large numbers of the Cosmic Logos in the that means “one who sons of men can so act, then the initiations of a Solar shows sacred things.” Logos, and of the three It was the title of the human family will enter upon major Planetary chief priest at the its destined work of planetary Logoi,” and is “a Solar Eleusinian Mysteries, Logos in the initiations which were outward service. Its mission is to act as of a Planetary Logos.”39 initiation ceremonies a bridge between the world of Here, “Cosmic Logos” held in ancient spirit and the world of material denotes a composite Greece. Bailey uses Life who is even this title to denote the forms. greater than the Solar chief officer at an in- Logos. ward initiation ceremony and says that the identity of this officer depends upon the initia- 16. The gods sacrificed with the sacrifice to tion being taken. For example, she writes, “At the sacrifice. These were the first rites. the seventh initiation … the Logos of our These powers reached the firmament, scheme on His own plane, becomes the Hiero- where the ancient demi-gods and the phant,”34 which means that the Planetary Lo- gods are. gos Himself administers the seventh initiation. The Planetary Logos for our planet par- A human being is a prisoner of the planet, but, ticipates in a group sacrifice with the other as Bailey explains, such a prison house enables Planetary Logoi to carry out the will of the evolution to occur: “Into the prison house of Solar Logos, who in turn sacrifices Him- form enter all that live; some enter consciously self to carry out the will of a still greater and some unconsciously, and this we call birth, composite Life. These sacrifices are proto- appearance, incarnation, manifestation … This types for human activity. In this way, the produces therefore in the world field of aware- Logoi and human beings can reach higher ness a gradual and slow growth towards self- levels of achievement, which have already expression, self-appreciation, and self- been attained by their ancient forerunners. realisation … Finally the time arrives when the Principle of Liberation becomes active and a Each human being is a composite life that in- transition is effected out of a prison house that corporates the lives of the many minuscule

Copyright @ The Esoteric Quarterly 53 The Esoteric Quarterly cells in his or her physical body. According to greater composite Life. Bailey makes similar the first, third, fourth, and twelfth verses, the points: “The Solar Logos expands His con- Planetary Logos is a composite life that incor- sciousness to include the desire of the Cos- porates the lives of the many human beings mic Logos. The Planetary Logos expands living on our planet. The seventh verse indi- His consciousness to measure up to the will cates that the Solar Logos is a composite life and purpose of the Solar Logos.”42 that incorporates the lives of all the Planetary The second sentence, “These were the first Logoi in our solar system. The above verse rites,” indicates that these sacrifices by the indicates that the Solar Logos is a corporate various Logoi are prototypes for human ac- part of a still greater composite Life. tivity. Accordingly, human beings must sac- These successive relations show that the Pu- rifice themselves to the perfection of what rusha Sukta is based on the philosophical prin- they conceive of as their surrounding com- ciple of hylozoism, as Bailey explains: posite whole. In other words, they must eliminate their limited ideals and forms of The hylozoistic theory … posits a living pride that would prevent them from working substance, composed of a multiplicity of in the best interests of their conceived whole. sentient lives that are continuously swept Moreover, their conceived whole becomes into expression by the ‘breath of the divine more inclusive over time, just as the con- Life.’ This theory recognizes no so-called ceived whole of the Solar Logos is more in- inorganic matter anywhere in the universe clusive than that of the Planetary Logos. For and emphasizes the fact that all forms are example, human beings might sacrifice built up of infinitesimal lives, which in themselves initially for their immediate fam- their totality—great or small—constitute a ily, then for their community and nation, and Life, and that these composite lives, in finally for the Planetary Logos. Bailey their turn, are a corporate part of a still speaks about that final step in which human greater Life. Thus eventually we have that beings are “turned toward the conscious sac- great scale of lives, manifesting in greater rifice of all to the furthering of the plans of expression and reaching all the way from the Planetary Logos, and to the carrying out the tiny life called the atom (with which of His purposes in group work.”43 science deals) up to that vast atomic life which we call a solar system.40 The final sentence of the verse indicates that each of these sacrifices leads to advance- The first sentence in the above verse, “The ment. Bailey makes a similar point: “Each gods sacrificed with the sacrifice to the sacri- step up is ever through the sacrifice of all fice,” may seem paradoxical. According to a that the heart holds dear on one plane or an- hylozoistic perspective, the first-mentioned other, and always must this sacrifice be vol- “sacrifice” is the Planetary Logos for our untary.”44 planet, the “gods” are the other Planetary Logoi in our solar system, and the second- mentioned “sacrifice” is the Solar Logos. Conclusion Blavatsky generalizes the first sentence with he Purusha Sukta gives an early account of this statement: “Life is built up by the sacri- Tthe history of our planet and how the uni- fice of the individual to the whole. Each cell verse operates. It also depicts the relationships in the living body must sacrifice itself to the between the Planetary Logos and human be- perfection of the whole; when it is otherwise, ings, the effects of divine sacrifice on the vari- disease and death enforce the lesson.”41 The ous forms on our planet, and models of human Planetary Logoi are part of the greater body evolution. Can we have confidence in what of the Solar Logos, so the Planetary Logoi this Hindu hymn is telling us? must sacrifice Themselves to the perfection Blavatsky states, “Theosophy is, then, the ar- of the Solar Logos, who in turn must sacri- chaic Wisdom-Religion, the esoteric doctrine fice Himself to the perfection of a still once known in every ancient country having

54 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2009 Summer 2009 claims to civilization,”45 and also, “the Rig Veda, the oldest of all the known ancient re- 15Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic (New cords, may be shown to corroborate the occult 46 York: Lucis Publishing, 1934), 252. teachings in almost every respect.” The two 16Alice A. Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. parts of this article have supported these claims 1 (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1944), 356. of Blavatsky by showing that the ancient Pu- 17Theosophical Quarterly, Vol. XXVIII (July 1930; rusha Sukta, which is in the Rig Veda, is con- reprint; Kila, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2003), 12. sistent—even in minute detail—with modern 18Alice A. Bailey, The Soul and Its Mechanism theosophical writings. (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1930), 123. 19Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire (New Paul, in 2 Corinthians 13:1, states: “In the York: Lucis Publishing, 1925), 269. mouth of two or three witnesses shall every 20Alice A. Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. word be established.” The ancient Purusha 2 (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1955), 468. Sukta and modern theosophical writings are 21Alice A. Bailey, The Rays and the Initiations (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1960), 487. two independent witnesses that corroborate 22 each other. Thus, we can have much greater Sri Aurobindo, The Integral Yoga (Pondicherry, confidence in their common propositions than India: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1993), 152. 23Alice A. Bailey, Telepathy and the Etheric Vehi- if we had a single witness. cle (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1950), 146. 24 Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, 537. 25Alice A. Bailey, The Unfinished Autobiography (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1951), 276-277. 26 1Paul Brians et al., Reading About the World, Vol. 1 Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Vol. 2 (3rd ed., Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College (New York: Lucis Publishing Company, 1942), Publishing, 2006), 128; http://www.wsu.edu/ 491-492. 27Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, 538. ~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/rig_ 28 veda.html (accessed Dec. 20, 2008). Alice A. Bailey, Initiation, Human and Solar 2 (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1922), 15. All Biblical verses are taken from the King James 29 Version. Alice A. Bailey, From Bethlehem to Calvary 3Alice A. Bailey, The Light of the Soul (New York: (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1937), 105. 30Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. 2, 309. Lucis Publishing, 1927), 130. 31 4Swami Kriyananda, Conversations with Steven J. Rosen, Essential Hinduism (Westport, Yogananda (Nevada City, CA: Crystal Clarity Pub- CT: Praeger, 2006), 56. 32Aurobindo, The Secret of the Veda, 97-98. lishers, 2004), 401. 33 5 Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Vol. I, 181. Ibid., 400. 34 6Alice A. Bailey, Letters on Occult Meditation Bailey, Initiation, Human and Solar, 92. 35Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, 533-534. (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1922), 24-26, 28. 36 7Sri Aurobindo, The Secret of the Veda (1914-1916; Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, 384. 37Ibid., 300. reprint; vol. 15 in The Complete Works of Sri 38 Aurobindo, Pondicherry, India: Sri Aurobindo Ash- Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, 530-531. 39Bailey, Initiation, Human and Solar, 126. ram, 1998), 288, 341. 40 8Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga (Pondi- Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Vol.1 (New York: Lucis Publishing, 1936), 149. cherry, India: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1957), 520. 41 9Aurobindo, The Secret of the Veda, 363. Helena P. Blavatsky, Collected Writings, Vol. 10Ibid., 262. VIII (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Society in Amer- 11 ica, 2002), 14. Ibid., 65-66. 42 12 Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, 1043. Ibid., 74. 43 13 Ibid., 821. Helena P. Blavatsky, Isis Unveiled, Vol. I (Pasa- 44 dena, CA: Theosophical University Press, 1877), Bailey, Initiation, Human and Solar, 82. 45Blavatsky, Collected Writings, Vol. II, 89. 264. 46 14H. P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Vol. I Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Vol. II, 606. (1888; reprint; Pasadena, CA: Theosophical Uni- versity Press, 1977), 479.