| 590 | 590 |
We must not close this Part on the Symbolism of Archaic History, without an attempt to explain the perpetual recurrence of this truly mystic number in every scripture known to the Orientalists. As every religion, from the oldest to the latest, claims its presence, and explains it on its own grounds agreeably with its own special dogmas, this is no easy task. We can, therefore, do no better or more explanatory work than to give a bird’s-eye view of all. These sacred numbers (3, 4, 7) are the sacred numbers of Light, Life, and Union — especially in this present manvantara, our Life-cycle ; of which number seven is the special representative, or the Factor number. This has now to be demonstrated. If one happened to ask a Brahmin learned in the Upanishads — so full of the secret wisdom of old, why “ he, of whom seven forefathers have drunk the juice of the moon-plant, is trisuparna,” as Bopaveda is credited with saying ; and why the Somapa Pitris should be worshipped by the Brahmin trisuparna — very few could answer the question ; or, if they knew, they would still less satisfy one’s curiosity. Let us, then, hold to what the old Esoteric doctrine teaches.
“ When the first ‘ Seven ’ appeared on earth, they threw the seed of everything that grows on the land into the soil. First came three, and four were added to these as soon as stone was transformed into plant. Then came the second ‘ Seven,’ who, guiding the Jivas of the plants, produced the middle (intermediate) natures between plant and moving living animal. The third ‘ Seven ’ evolved their Chhâyas. The fifth ‘Seven’imprisoned their Essence. . . . Thus man became a Saptaparna.” (Commentary.)