tliat now cover the earth have been converted by the fire of misery The above is only one

s only one of the instances in which the scientific

and sorrow, of painful effort and sustained aspiration, into hard value of the Hindu Vedas has been brought to light. The above
and shining bricks, fit to build a temple to the living God. text itself is in support of two more discoveries of modern times;—
the one is the greater attraction which the sun exerts upon planets
causing them to bend and move in their orbits instead of flying
TH E E L L IP T IC A L FO RM OF TH E E A R T H S O R B IT . off in a tangential course; and the other is the solar spectrum, by
which the solar ray is found to be composed of rays of 7 different
T HEthegeneral notion is that the discovery of the elliptical form of
planetary orbit is wholly due to modern times. Indeed,
colors— violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Varaha
Mihera in his Brihat Samhita defines the rainbow as follows :
Hindu astronomers make no mention of the true nature of such “ The many colored rays of the sun falling upon the clouds and
orbits. According to them the orbits of the planets are circles, being broken by the wind take the shape of the rainbow the sky.”
though from the nature of certain samsharas (corrections) which Indeed the solar ray is in reality composed of rays of an infinite
they apply to the mean places of the planets, they would seem to variety of tints, though it is customary to distinguish but 7 different
make a near approach to the true form of such planetary orbits. colors. Again modern scientists suspect that our universe is
In other words, there would be no necessity for these corrections if revolving round Alcyone, the brightest of the Pleiades— the
the true character of the orbits were known. Such being the case, Hindu constellation of Krittika, which is stated in the Vedas as the
there will be no small surprise in the modern scientific world, at tho Nabhi (centre) of the universe. Again the Vedic origin of the
announcement that the true form of the earth’s orbit is given in tho moon as resulting from the churning of Mount Meru (the North
Vedas, though Yedic commentators as well as Hindu astronomers Pole of the earth) tallies with the modern scientific creed that the
have failed to rightly understand it. The 8 th verse of the 11th moon was at one time part and parcel of our earth, and that a
Anuvaka, 3rd Prasna, Aranyaka, of the Black Yajur Yeda, reads as portion went off from it in consequence of its tremendous velocity
follow s: of rotation. The bright moon, again, is described in the Vedas as
5 II I I ‘ Suryarasmi’—the (reflected) solar light. More instances might
be quoted.
II ii N. C h i d a m b a r a m I y e r .
The above is interpreted thus by Vidyaranya :
“ The seven (colored) rays (of the sun) cause to rotate tho one
Kalachakra (ecliptic) as so many horses; the one powerful Sun
whose seven (colored) rays cause (the planets) to bend* in their N A T U R E ’S F IN E R FO RCES .
course support the undying, and the ever moving Kalachakra by Yoga ; the S o u l; the Spirit.
which the universe is maintained and of which the 3 centres are
either the 3 gunas, viz., Satva, Raja and Tama, or the 3 kalas, viz.,
the past, present and future.” T HEbrain,
five etherial currents of sensation are focused in the
and from these five centres of force motion is trans­
Here is a clear text of the sacred book made a fine mess of by mitted to the mental principle. These various foci serve as con­
Vidyaranya in spite of his really immense learning. The same necting links between the mental and the life-principles. The
text appears as the 2nd Rik, 8 th Sukta, 22nd Anuvaka, 2nd visual currents produce in the mind the capability of becoming
Ashtaka of the Rigveda. In this case the term Trinabhi Chakra conscious of colour. In other words they produce eyes in the
is interpreted to mean a circle whose centres are either the 3 mind. Similarly does the mind g et the capability of receiving the
Sandhayakalas or the 3 Pities (seasons) viz., Greeshma, Varsha impressions of the four remaining sensations. This capability is
and Hemanta! acquired after the exposure of ages. Cycles upon cycles pass on,
The simple phrase “ Trinabhi Chakra” means literally (c the circle and the mind is not yet capable of receiving these tatwic vibra­
of 3 centres,”—the two foci and the point of intersection of tions. The wave of life begins its organized journey upon earth,
the minor axes. Of course such a circle was one difficult to con­ with vegetable forms. Since that time the external tatwic cur­
ceive, and the result is that Vedic commentators have felt them­ rents begin to affect the vegetable organism, and this is the begin­
selves compelled to put some curious interpretations upon it, and ning of what we call sensation. The modifications of the external
even eminent Hindu astronomers have failed to realize the true tatwas, through the individualized vegetable life, strike the chords
character of the orbit of the earth. That an ellipse is one of the conic of the latent mind, but it will not yet respond. It is not in sym­
sections, and that these sections are a point, a straight line, an iso- pathy. Higher and higher through vegetable forms, the life
celes triangle, a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, and a hyperbola are, wave travels; greater and greater is the force with which it strikes
without doubt, discoveries of modern times. the mental chords, and better is the capability of that principle
to respond to the tatwic calls of life. W hen we reach the
# From the root ‘ m un/ to bend or dcflect, animal kingdom, the external tatwic foci are just visible. These
 are the sensuous organs wliich, each of them, has the capability of Intuition has four stages.
focusing into itself its own peculiar tatwic rays. In the lowest 1 . Sa-vitarka = verbal.
forms of animal life they are just visible, and this is a sign that 2 . N ir-vitarka= wordless.
the mental principle is then in a comparatively high state of per­ 3. Sa-vichara = meditative.
fection; it has somewhat begun to respond to the external tatwic call. 4. N ir-vichara= nltra-meditative.
Longer and longer is now the exposure of this animal life to the The state of intuition has been likened to a bright, pure, trans­
external tatw as; greater and greater every day is the strength of parent, colourless crystal. Place whatever you will behind'such a
these in their various fo c i; higher and higher is the formation of crystal, it will most readily show itself in the colour of that
these fo c i; stronger and stronger is the external call upon tho object. And so does the mind behave in this state. Let fall
mind, and more and more perfect is the mental response. A time on it the tatwic rays which constitute the objective world it
comes in the progress of this evolution, when the five mental senses shows itself in the colours of the objective world. Let those
are perfectly developed, as is marked by the development of the colours be removed, it is again as pure as crystal, ready to show
external senses. The action of the five mental senses we call the itself in any other colours that might be presented to it. Think of
phenomenon of perception. On the manifestation of this percep­ the elementary forces of nature,— the tatw as;—think of the gross
tion is raised the mighty fabric of those mental manifestations, objects where they work; think of the organs of sense, their
which I have tried to discuss in the essay on Mind. The way in genesis, and the method of their work ; think of the soul,—liberated
which this evolution takes place is sketched there too. or bound the mind readily falls into each of these states. It retains
The external tatwas of gross matter create gross foci in a gross no particular colour, which might oppose or vitiate any other colour
body from whence to send their currents. The soul does the same. entering it. The first stage of intuition is the verbal. It is the
The tatwic currents of the external soul—Iswara— create similar most common m this age, and therefore the most easily intelligible.
centres of action in connection with the mind. But the tatwic Let the reader think of a mind in which no colour is evoked at the
vibrations of the soul are finer than those of the life-principle. sound of scientific words. Let him think of thousands of those
The mental matter takes longer time to respond to the call of men in whose minds the sound of their own language, full of high
Iswara, than it does to answer the call of Prana. It is not and great ideas, is as strange as Hebrew. Take an uneducated
till the life-wave reaches humanity, that the vibrations of the Jlinglish peasant and read to him Comus. Do you think those
soul begin to show themselves in the mind. The foci of psychic beautiful words will carry to him all they are intended to convey ?
currents are located in what is called the Vijnanamaya Kosha, the But why an uneducated peasant? Did that great Johnson
psychic coil. A.t the time of the beginning of human life, the psychic himself understand the beauties of Milton ? Take again a com­
foci are in that state of perfection, in which are the animal mon school-boy, and read to him in his own language the truths
foci—the senses—at the time when the life-wave begins its journey ol philosophy. Does that language, even if you give him its
in the animal species. These psychic foci go on gaining strength lexicographical meaning, convey any idea to his mind ? Take the
race after race, till we reach the point which I have called the awaken­ Upanishads and read them to any pandit, who can u n d e r s ta n d
ing of the soul. The process of evolution from that point upward banskrit, grammatically and lexicographically, tolerably well.
formed the subject of the last two of my articles on the subject. Does any one doubt— I do not— that he does not understand all
That process ends in the confirmation of the state of para-vairagya. that those noble words convey. With such a mind let him compare
From this state there are only a few steps to power of what has been the mmd of a really educated man, a mind which,—what shall we
called ulterior or psychic perception. Our former perception we call it but almost intuitively takes in the true sense of words.
may now call animal perception. And just as on the basis of Io take m the full sense which words are intended to convey is not
animal perception has been raised the mighty fabric of inference an easy task, even for the highly educated. Prejudice, deep
and verbal authority, so also might be, as indeed it has been, raised seated antagonistic theories, the strength of one’s own convictions
by the ancient Aryan sages a more mighty fabric of inference and and perhaps some other characteristics of the mind, prove an
verbal authority, on the basis of psychic perception. W e shall unmistakable obstacle. Even a John Stuart Mill could not
come to that by and by. In the meantime let us resume our properly understand the philosophy of Sir William Hamilton.
subject from where we left it. One of greatest Oriental scholars says, that Patanjali’s system is
As practice confirms into the Y ogi’s mind the state of para- no philosophy at a l l ! Another has expressed himself to the effect,
vairagya , it gets the most perfect calm. It is open to all sorts of that Patanjali’s aphorisms in Yoga are mere fanaticism ! ! There
tatwic influences without any sensuous disturbance. The next are many tantras, of which, though we might translate them into
power that consequently shows itself is called samapatti . I shall any language, very few of us really know the meaning. This is a
translate this word by intuition, and define it as that mental very grave shortcoming, and sometimes much to be regretted. It
state in which it becomes capable of receiving the reflection of the disappears only with the manifestation of verbal intuition. In this
subjective and the objective worlds, and the means of knowledge, state the Yogi is at once en rapport with the author of the book •
at the slightest motion anyhow irrmarted.. aud this is because his mind is free from every blinding prejudice^
and is, in fact, a pure, bright, colourless crystal, ready to show any these senses is supreme with us, so far as the gross world is con­
phase of colour that might come in contact with it. cerned. In a similar way there is left for us no room to doubt
The next stage of intuition is the wordless. In this you no the truth of the knowledgo wliich our psychic senses bring us.
longer stand in need of books to initiate yourselves into the secrets This high power of knowing every supersensuous truth with per­
of nature. Your mind becomes capable of deriving these truths fect certainty, is kuown as Ritambhara, or what I have in English
from their fountain head— the true pictures of everything in every called Psychic Perception.
state of the objective world, which, through the agency of Prana, The knowledge which psychic perception gives us, is by no
are represented in the universal mind— pictures which are the souls means to be confounded with the knowledge obtained through
of these things, their own true selves— pregnant with every state inference, imagination, or the records of others’ experience.
in which the thing has passed, or has to pass— the realities of the Inference, imagination, and verbal authority based 011 animal
various and varying phases of the phenomenal world— the thing perception, can only work upon knowledge obtained through
which, in a table, a glass, a pen, and, in fact, in any and every animal senses. But psychic perception, and inference based upon
thing, is hard or soft, long or short, white or black. that, has for its object things of the supersensuous world—the
These states have for their object the gross phenomenal world. realities which underlie the phenomenal existence we are familiar
The next two stages of intuition have for their object tho world with. That perception takes in the fact of the existence, and the
of forces, which lies at the root of the changes of the gross world nature of Prakriti itself, the subtlest state of matter, just as animal
— the world, that is to say, of subtile bodies. The meditative perception takes in gross matter.
intuition has for its object only the present manifestation of the Animal perception draws the mind towards gross matter, the
currents of the subtile body—the forces which are already showing, world that has given it birth. So does psychic perception draw
or going to show themselves. In this state, for example, the Yogi the mind towards the soul. The practice of objective samadhi)
knows, intuitively the present forces of the atmospheric Prana, as destroys itself. The mind takes in so much of the higher energy
they are gathering strength enough to give us a shower of rain, of the soul, that it loses its mental consistency. The soul then lives
hail-stones, snow or hoar frost; but he does not know what has in herself, and not as now in the mind.
given them present activity, or whether the potential will W ith this the greater part of my work is done. It is now clear
ever become the actual, and if yes, to what extent. He knows the that what we call man lives chiefly in the mind. The mind has two
forces that are working at the present moment in that tree, that entities to affect it. The one is the life-principle, the other the
horse, that-m an,— the powers that keep those things in th e state psychic principle—the one producing certain changes in the mind
they are in ; but he does not know the antecedents and consequents from below, the other from above. These changes have been record­
of that state. ed, and it has been found that the dominion of the soul is more
The next state has for its object all the three states of tho desirable than that of the life-principle. When the mind loses itself
subtile bodies. The present state is of course known, but with it, entirely in the soul, man becomes a god.
the Yogi draws in the whole history of the object from beginning The object of these articles has been roughly to portray the nature,
to end. Place before him that rose, and he knows its subtile function, and mutual relation of the principles. This has been
principle, in all its states, antecedent and consequent. H e is fami­ briefly done. A good deal more remains to be said about the powers
liar with the little beginnings of the tree, and its growth in various latent in the Prana, and the mind, which show themselves in special
states; he knows how the budding began ; he knows how the bud departments with the progress of man. That need not however
opened, and how it grew into that beautiful flower. He knows form part of the present series, and therefore with some descrip­
what shall be its end, how shall it perish, and when. H e knows tion of the first and last principle of the cosmos,—the spirit,—I
when again shall that same flower energize gross matter. Put shall close this series.
before him a closed letter. He knows not only what that lettor T he S p ir it .
contains ; he can also trace those thoughts to the brain whence they This is the Anandamaya Kosha, literally the coil of bliss, of the
proceeded, to the hand which traced those lines, the room in which Vedantis. With the power of psychic perception, the soul knows
they were written, and so on. It is in this state too that mind the existence of this entity, but in the present stage of human
knows mind, without the medium of words. development, it has hardly made its presence directly felt in the
I have, I hope, sufficiently explained these four states. They human constitution. The characteristic difference between the soul
constitute what is called the objective trance (Savija samadhi). and the spirit is the absence in the latter of the “ I ”
Occasionally these powers show themselves in many minds. But It is the dawn of the day of evolution. It is the first setting-in
that simply shows that the favoured mortal is on the right track* of the positive current of the great breath. It is the first state of
He must make sure of the point if he would win. cosmic activity after the might of Mahapralaya. As we have seen
When the last stage of this samadhi is confirmed in the mind, the breath in every state of existence has three states— the positive,
our psychic senses gain the power of that amount of certain know­ the negative, and the susumna . The susumna is pregnant with
ledge, which is the portion of our animal senses. The authority of cither of these two states. This is the state. which is described in
 the P aram esh th i S u p ta of the R ig v ed a f i s n e ith e r sat (positive) nor
asat (negative). This is the p rim a ry s ta te of P a ra b ra h m a , in which nions a n d such persons a re to be found in every n atio n alitv in
tlie whole universe lies h idden like a tre e in th e seed. A s billows ev ery religion and in ev ery w alk of life. I t is also as a T heosophist
rise an d lose them selves in an ocean, th e tw o sta te s of evolution and a n d n o t as a Fellow of th e Society, still less as th e m em ber of a
involution tak e th e ir rise in th is sta te , a n d a re in due tim e lo st in bectio n o r a B ran ch , th a t each one m ust u n d e rta k e th e w ork of
th e same. W h a t is P ra k riti itself in th is sta te of p o te n tia l om ni­ selt p u rificatio n a n d sp iritu a l developm ent. T he la tte r qualifica­
potence ? The phenom ena of P r a k riti owe th e ir o rigin a n d existence tions will g iv e o p p o rtu n itie s a n d a d v a n ta g e s w hich an o u tsid e r does
to the m odifications of th e g r e a t b re a th . W h e n th a t g r e a t b re a th not possess, b u t diplom as a n d certificates are useless unless one has
is in the sta te of susumna, can we n o t say th a t P ra k r iti itse lf is held in him , qua T heosophist, th e elem ents of success in in d iv id u al cul­
in th a t sta te b y susumna ? I t is in fa c t P a ra b ra h m a th a t is all in all. tu re in d e p e n d e n tly of all ad v en titio u s aids.
P ra k riti is only th e shadow of th a t su b stan ce, a n d like a shadow it ,, th e Society th e d u ties of each are altru istic. By
follows th e m odifications of th is g re a t b re a th . The first m odifica­ th e ta c t of his F ello w sh ip he has becom e a soldier of T ru th of
tion of th e g r e a t b re a th is th e s e ttin g in of th e ev o lu tio n ary c u rre n t. M ercy, a n d of Love, a n d a s e rv a n t of Ju stic e . W hen he accepts
In th is sta te P r a k r iti is re a d y to m odify in to th e e th e rs of th e first the so c ie ty s diplom a, he en lists in a n arm y , which, in religious
d eg ree, w hich m ak e up th e atm o sp h ere from w hich Isw ara draw s p arlan c e, w ould be called th e A rm y of th e L o rd , because th e good
life. T h e I is la te n t in th is sta te . N a tu ra lly enough, b ecau se it is 0 18 P ictu re d as le a d in g his follow ers to b a ttle a g a in s t the
differen tiatio n w hich gives b irth to th e I. B u t w h a t is th is sta te ? pow ers of d a rk n e ss vice a n d ig n o ran ce. The Theosophical
M u st m an be an n ih ilated , b efore he re ach es th is sta te of w 'hat, from i ocie y j s now th e sta n d a rd ro u n d w hich a re b eg in n in g to c o n g re g a te
th e sta n d p o in t of m an, is called nirvana, or paranirvana. T h e re is those w hose h ig h e r a sp ira tio n s a re not held in check by personal
no reason to suppose th a t it is th e sta te of ann ih ilatio n , a n y m ore prejudices a n d local tra d itio n s. Soon it will become a citadel fo r the
th a n a c e rta in am ount of la te n t h e a t is a n n ih ila te d in w a te r. The stro n g a n d place of re fu g e fo r th e w eak, w hose w alls no tru m p e t
sim ple fa c t is th a t th e colour w hich co n stitu tes th e ego, becom es blasts o i b ig o try can sh ak e, no arro w s of m alice can e n te r- a n d
la te n t in th e sp irit’s h ig h e r form of e n e rg y . I t is a s ta te of con­ trom w hose g a te s will issue fo rth apostles an d m issionaries w ho will
sciousness or know ledge above self, n o t c e rta in ly d e stro y in g it. p e n e tra te th e d a rk e st a n d coldest places in life, b ea rin g th e lio-ht of
W h e n th e life p rinciple becomes la te n t, it is n o t d estro y ed , the K now ledge an d th e w arm th of H ope, to b en ig h ted a n d d e sp a irin g
p e rso n a lity rem ain s th ere. W h en h ig h e r still, th e m ind becom es H u m a n ity . P eople som etim es a sk : “ W h a t w ould I g a in b y ioin-
la te n t, it i s . n o t d e stro y e d ; th e p e rso n a lity is th ere. W h e n the mg e rh e o so p h ic a l Society ?” L e t such persons first an sw er the
soul finally becom es la te n t, it is n o t d estro y ed ; th e p e rso n ality is question ; W h a t w ould I g a in b y m an n in g a lifeboat to rescue a
th e re . I t is a sta te of p e rfe c t know ledge, of p e rfe c t conform ity sh ip w recked crew c lin g in g to a w ave-w ashed ro ck ?” T hey w ould earn
w ith tim e a n d space, of absolute freedom , w hich is p e rfe c t bliss th e ir ow n self-resp ect; th e y w ould g a in th e love of e v e ry o n e in th e
(A n a n d a ). visible a n d invisible u n iv erse c ap ab le of a p p re c ia tin g a courageous
R am a P rasad . a n d unselfish a c tio n ; th e y w ould g a in th e rig h t to be h elp e d in
th e ir tu r n b y o thers. Those w ho e n te r th e Theosophical Society
lave th e o p p o rtu n ity of m a k in g sim ilar g ain s on a h ig h e r plane
— ot la y in g up tre a su re s in th e heav en of th e ir own h e a rts— as
F O U R A S P E C T S OF F E L L O W S H IP . m uch g re a te r th a n those a c c ru in g from th e m an n in g of a life-bo.it
T I I H E R E are four aspects in w hich ev ery F ellow of th e Theoso- as th e salv atio n of a w orld is g re a te r th a n th e sav in g of a few
JL p h ical Society should re g a rd him self a n d every o th e r F ellow . , ‘3 ' f w u a l eU° : ° f S ociety it is th e d u ty of each one to be
F irs t, as a T h e o so p h ist; second, as a F ellow of th e T heosophical loyal to th e Society a n d help its w ork in every way in his pow er.
S o c ie ty ; th ird , as th e m em ber of a S e c tio n ; a n d fo u rth , as the I t is n o t g iv en to all th e Fellow s to personally b ear th e b u rd e n of
m em ber of a B ran ch , in case h e b e lo n g s to one. In each of those th e w ork upon th e ir own shoulders, b u t every one of th em , even
q u alities a Fellow h a s se p a ra te a n d d istin c t fu n ctio n s a n d d u tie s, the h u m b lest, can give th e S ociety m oral a n d m aterial s u p p o r t; an d
w h ich need n o t a n d should n o t conflict w ith one a n o th e r, b u t all sh o u ld rem em b er th a t th e S o ciety is w h at th e Fellow s in d iv i­
w h ich h av e n o t h ith e rto b een k e p t d istin c t in th e m ind, an d the dually m ak e it. I f th ey are stro n g , courageous, p atie n t, w ise and
co n fo u n d in g of w hich to g e th e r h a s le d to m ost of th e tro u b le s in generous, th e Society as a w hole w ill reflect these qualities, if th e y
th e S ociety. are q u a rre lle rs, cow ards a n d n ig g a rd s , the Society will be in te r­
A s a T h eoso p h ist, every F ello w of th e Society is re a lly in sym­ nally diseased, a by -w o rd in th e w o rld ’s m outh, a n d a standing'
p a th y , w h e th e r he knows it o r ack now ledges it or not, w ith ev ery­ rep ro ac h to its Fellow s them selves.
th in g th eo so p h ical in all o th e r p eo p le’s id eas a n d actions, a n d in As th e m em ber of a Section th e d u ty of ev ery Fellow is to ta k e
m ore o r less in tim ate fra te rn a l re la tio n , sp iritu a lly a n d in a p a rt in aH th e Ih e o so p h ica l a c tiv itie s of th a t Section. I t is here
g re a t m easu re psychically, w ith ev ery one who is a T h eo so p h ist in a t is fo und th e field fo r th e d isp lay of o rganized en erg y upon a
m ind a n d life, w h a te v e r be his p ro fessed creed or ex p ressed opi­ la rg e r scale th a n is afforded by th e B ranch. Each Section of th e
ociety will probably do its w ork a fte r its own fashion, according to