Saturday 31 May 2014

THE RIVERS OF BIBLE & THEIR SANSKRIT NAMES.

'Vasudeva Kutumbakam' (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्) - "The entire world is a family"  is a philosophy which stems from a spiritual understanding that the whole of humanity is made of one life energy. It was the motto of the Vedic civilization. As one traces the ancient history of the world further back in time, the names of gods and goddess, the stories, mythology, language, place names (especially of mountains and rivers) around the world- all seem to converge, suggesting that their might have been only one world civilization in great antiquity. 

Here is a look at the names of significant rivers and streams of the Bible and their description in the scriptures through the prism of the Sanskrit language.

Biblical Rivers.
The names 'Kishon' and 'Kanah' stand out -
both are names of  Sri Krishna

River Arnon: The Arnon flowed through Moab to the mid point of the Dead Sea. In Sanskrit 'arna' (अर्ण) and 'arnA' (अर्णा) both mean 'river'!

Rivers of Damascus: (The 'Abana' and the 'Pharpar'). The Abana flowed through the city of Damascus and the Pharpar just to the south of it.

Abana is likely a distortion of the Sanskrit 'avana' or 'avani' (अवनि) which means 'stream' - the 'v' often changes to 'b' when languages begin to distort. The river is also sometimes known as 'Amana', that name too could be a distortion of  the Sanskrit 'amana
' (आमन) which means 'friendliness'.



The River Abana, now known as the Barada
flows through the city of Damascus.
Edward Pococke traced the name 'Damascus' to
Sanskrit 'Dharma' which distorts to 'Damma'
in the name  'Damascus'.


The etymology of 'Pharpar' is also unknown though Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary states that Pharpar is that which produces 'fruit'. Hence, the Sanskrit connection. In Sanskrit 'phala-apAra' (फल- अपार), 'phala' meaning 'fruit' or 'reward' and 'apAra' meaning 'boundless'.

River Kebar: The Kebar was a canal of the Euphrates in Babylon where the exiles gathered to pray. The word 'Kebar' also spelled as 'Khabur' may be a probably distortion of the Sanskrit 'Khavari' (खवारि) meaning 'vapor', 'dew' or 'rain water'.

River Kerith: The exact location of this Biblical river is uncertain, but it ran from the east into the Jordan or one of its tributaries. The word 'Ksharit' (क्षरित) in Sanskrit means 'flowing' and 'sarita' (सरित) means 'river'.

River Kishon: The Kishon flowed north-west across the Plain of Megiddo and could quickly flood as a result of storms. The name 'Kishon' might be a distortion of the name 'Kishen' (किशन)  or 'Krishan' (कृष्ण).

River Nile: The Nile flowed north some 3,500 miles (5,600 km) from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean, providing a natural irrigation system in the desert through its annual floodings. This river's name is said to be a distortion of the Sanskrit 'neel' (नील) meaning 'dark blue'.



Sir Francis Wilford traced the name of Nile to
the Sanskrit 'neel' (नील) meaning 'blue'.

River Tigris: The Tigris flowed from the Armenian mountains through Mesopotamia to join the Euphrates north of the Persian Gulf. The name Tigris is said to be a distortion of the Sanskrit 'vyagra' (व्याघ्र) meaning 'tiger' or 'Tivra' (तीव्र) meaning 'swift'.

River Euphrates: The Euphrates flowed through Mesopotamia for some 1,700 miles (2,700 km) from its source in eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf. Edward Pococke was of the view that Greek name Euphrates is derived either from the Sanskrit 'Su' and 'Bharat', after the name of the ancient king 'Bharat'. This may well have been so for the Akkadian name for the river was 'Purattu', probably a distortion of 'Bharat'.


River Jordan: The Jordan flows from the slopes of Mount Hermon through Lake Huleh and the Sea of Galilee, and on into the Dead Sea, providing a fertile basin on either side of the river. The name of the river is a probable distortion of the name 'Jaradhana'. The same may be said for the name 'Zered' - both related to the Sanskrit 'Jhara' (झर) meaning 'waterfall' or 'cascade'. For a detailed note on the Sanskrit connection to the name Jordon click here.

Suggested Links:

Sunday 25 May 2014

ANCIENT CITY OF 'RAVENNA', ITALY - THE RAMAYANA CONNECTION

Wikipedia states that the origin of the name of the Italian city of 'Ravenna' is unclear, although it is believed that the name is Etruscan, the ancient Italian civilization that pre-dates the rise of the Roman Empire and Christianity and is dated from 768 BC - 264 AD, if not earlier than 768 BC.

As is common in a major part of the world, the etymology of the names of ancient civilizations is forgotten and unknown. The same is true of the name of the Etruscan civilization itself, as of its cities of which 'Ravenna' is one.


Some have speculated that the name 'Ravenna' is related to 'Rasenna' (later 'Rasna'), the term that the Etruscans used for themselves, but there is no agreement on this point.

With the rise of the Romans all traces of the Etruscan civilization were either systematically removed or perished with time. What however has survived is a treasure trove of Etruscan paintings - now over 2000 years old. In these paintings lies a clue to where the name 'Ravenna' emerged.

Professor P.N.Oak states in his book 'World Vedic Heritage' that the name Ravenna derives from the name 'Ravana', the name of the principal adversary of Sri Rama in the Ramayana.

That the lore of Ramayana hand an influence on the west in ancient times is a reality has a growing support now, what with the revelations of newly excavated archaeological sites and artifacts and the impending death of the Aryan invasion theory. 


There is at least one ancient Etruscan sketch that proves that the Ramayana was not unheard of in ancient Italy. Other sketches prove that there was considerable influence of the Vedic culture, customs and attire in ancient Etruria which covered mainly the regions of present day Tuscany, Umbria and Latium.

Here is a sketch of an Etruscan painting which seems to portray the story of 'Sita Haran' of the Ramayana:


Ravana abducts Sita


This panel sketch depicts the story of the abduction of
Sita by Ravana. Centre: Notice the dead deer 'Marich' and a tussle 

between Ravana and Sita. On the right Ravana
takes Sita to Lanka via the aerial-route depicted by the winged-horse. 

Left: Is the bird 'Jatayu' who is slain by Ravana?

Part of the  original artifact from where the above sketch has been made:


This Etruscan artifact shows the tussle between Ravana and Sita.
Notice the dead deer Marich who plays an important
part in the Sita abduction saga.

Here is another Etruscan sketch that portrays the conversation between Ravana and Vibhishana. Vibhishana pleads with Ravana to release Sita and thereby avoid war with Sri Rama. In the sketch, notice Sita seated at the bottom right of the sketch.


Vibishana pleads with Ravana to release Sita
and avoid war with Ravana. Notice it is the same bearded
Ravana that one sees in the previous sketch.
Sita is seated with her head bowed.

Courtesy: stephen-knapp.com

Other ancient Etruscan paintings that are obvious portrayals of the story of Ramayana are collated here. This sketch is undeniably that of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshman. It is said that Rome is named after Sri Rama. One thing is certain -the ancient Etruscan were well versed with the Ramayana.



An ancient Etruscan sketch
of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshman of Ramayana.

For more on the Etruscan paintings and their link to Ramayana click here. The influence of India on Etruria is also visible in artifacts displayed at various museums.  


3rd century BC dish from Campania, Italy
depicting a elephant and calf unknown as a
war animal anywhere except India.
 

It is said that Europeans first came in contact with live elephants only in 327 BC, when Alexander the Great descended into India from the Hindu Kush. One of the earliest depictions of an elephant in Middle Eastern history appears on Shalmanezer's black obelisk dug up in Iraq and  dated to 860 BC. The illustration of the elephant and monkeys makes clear the artist was not familiar with these animals. While the elephant seems to have been unknown in the Middle East, it is known that from Indian records that the elephant was used in battle at least as early as 1100 B.C and this is not considering the mention of elephant in the Ramayana which is not a day younger than 5118 BC as established by the NASA Planetarium software and the position of the planets as detailed in the Ramayana.

Wednesday 21 May 2014

'MADABA' IN JORDON, 'CANAN' IN ISRAEL AND 'PARTHIA' IN IRAN- THE SRI KRISHNA CONNECTION

Professor P.N. Oak states in his book 'Vedic World Heritage' that, "The Jews, alias Judiast, alias Zionists had to migrate from Dwarka kingdom after the Mahabharata war because life there became impossible as a result of the nuclear explosion and anarchy."

He further states that 22 tribes left Dwarka in quick succession after the war disaster. Ten of these tribes quickly perished but of the 12 remaining, families began to settle in the region that we today know as Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Greek and Russia.

Some have completely rejected what Prof P. N. Oak has stated because misinformation and questionable theories such as Aryan Invasion are so engraved in the minds of most that it is not possible to easily accept a theory that questions them. However, if one investigates the Mahabharata, the culture of the times of Mahabharata and the movement of these tribes, much evidence springs up, that indicates that there is substance to Professor Oak's research.

The tribes moved westward from what is present day India. So is there any evidence of Sri Krishna, who was the foremost member of the Yadhu tribe and his followers in the above mentioned region. His followers must have set up cities and temples in his name.

The first evidence comes in the form of the ancient city of Madaba in Jordon best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. The etymology of its name is unknown, however to many the name Madava (माधव) as one of the names of Krishna is familiar.

It is said that underneath almost every house in Madaba lies a fine Byzantine mosaic. Many of these mosaics have been excavated and are on display in the town's museum. It is estimated that many more lie hidden waiting to be discovered. Here is a look at a few that have been excavated.


An ancient Madaba Mosaic.
Notice the 'tilak' between the brows.

Notice the mark on the forehead and 
the hand-gesture in this ancient Madaba Mosaic.

Could this mosaic be inspired from the
he lore of Radhha and Sri Krishna though

it is said that this is a mosaic of Ammon,
the Greek name of the Egyptian god Yamanu.

About 30 km from Madaba lay the well known city of Ammon, also in present day Jordon. The name 'Ammon' is a Greek form of the name of the Egyptian God 'Yamanu 'which is said to derive from Yam or Yamm, from the ancient Semitic word meaning 'sea'. 'Yam' is the name of the Canaanite god of rivers and the sea. But Yam (यम) is also the name of the Vedic God of death from which emerges the name of the river Yamuna, on whose banks the story of Sri Krishna unfolds.

A primary source for our knowledge concerning Yam is the Epic of Baal which describes the storm god Baal coming to ascendancy by defeating Yam, in the Canaanite (pre-Judaistic Israel) pantheon. Prof. P. N. Oak has argued that Baal is none other than Baleshwara or Sri Krishna and that the Canans were the people of Kanha or Sri Krishna. 

There is much debate on the origins of the name Canan, its etymology is unknown, but to those who are familiar with the Mahabharata it is obvious that the name Canan is a distortion of 'Kanha', considering that rivers by the name of 'Kishon' and 'Narabata' still flow in Israel, towns by the names Ramah and Ramathiam and Canan and Gitta still exist in Israel, and the memory of Baal refuses to fade away.

In Iraq too one sees traces of the story of Sri Krishna. Here is a series of stamps commemorated in Iraq in 1979 on the occasion of its spring festival called 'Mosul'. The name 'Mosul' is derived from the name of an ancient city called 'Mapshila' first mentioned by Xenophon in 401 BC, the same location where six centuries after Xenophon's report, the Sasanian Persian center of Budh-Ardhashīr was built. Notice the name 'Mapshila' - many ancient cities around the world have cities named with 'shila' as its last syllable - example 'Takshila' in India and 'Yaxshila' in present day Mexico.


A stamp series from Iraq celebrates 'Mosul'
and it is said that it depicts a 'girl' with a flute and
 peacock feathers in her hair- most likely originates from the story of Sri Krishna and Mahabharata.

And here is a bust excavated from the ancient city Susa, Iran belonging to the Parthian times (247 BC- 224 AD). 'Partha' is another name of 'Arjuna' - who is the third of the Pandava brothers, who, with Krishna is considered the main hero of Mahabharata.


Bust excavated from the ancient city of Susa, Iran
Notice the hair and what probably is a
representation of peacock feathers worn as crest.
Notice also the 'ties' on the 'angarakha' style garment.

The child Sri Krishna
or Baal-eshwara


Sri Krishna as a cowherd.


The Canan-ite God Baal with his Calf.
That's the same as Hindu God Kanha or Krishna
with his calf. There's a Baal-gad town (बाल - गढ़)
in Israel and even a River Kishon!

Sunday 18 May 2014

THE 'LOTUS' AND OTHER VEDIC SYMBOLS IN JERUSALEM

In the Vedic tradition, the hexagonal yantra or the Shatkona (षट्कोण) or the six-angled figure, consisting of two triangles, one pointing up called 'Om', the other pointing down known as 'hrim' are locked in harmonious embrace; the upward triangle symbolizes Shiva and represents the focused aspects of masculinity; the downward triangle symbolizes Shakti, the sacred embodiment of femininity. The mystical union of the two triangles represents Creation. The two locked triangles are also known as 'Shanmukha'—the six-faced, representing the six faces of Shiva & Shakti's progeny Kartikeya. This symbol is also a part of several yantras and has deep significance in Hindu ritual worship and history.


The Shatkona , a Hindu symbol, represents the union of
 the male and feminine form. It represents
Purusha (the supreme being) or Shiva,
and Prakriti (causal matter) or Shakti.


The Vedic Shatkona appears as star of David or the Seal of Solomon in Israel.



The hexagon on the Wall of Jerusalem
Also known as the 'Seal of Solomon'
and  'Star of David'. Solomon, also called Suleiman,
was the son of David. 

As per Professor P. N. Oak the city of Jerusalem, is the city of Sri Krishna, the term Jeru is the same as Yeru or Yadu. In his book, The World Vedic Heritage, P.N, Oak wrote that at the close of the Mahabharata War, the Yadhu tribe of Sri Krishna was forced to leave Dwarka and migrate westward, There are skeptics who say that this is not possible or plausible, yet we find that the name of the civilization in Israel prior to the Hebrew was known as 'Canan' (from Sri Krishna's other name 'Kanha'), one of the largest rivers in Israel is known as the Kishon, sometimes even referred to as the Kishen. The Sea of Galilee which is really a lake, is known as Ganne-sarat or Kanne-sarat, 'sarat' is Sanskrit for 'lake'. For more on this subject click here.

In fact the name Solomon itself is a Sanskrit name, its origin lies in the name 'Shala-manav', which means 'large' or 'tall' and was another name of 'Bharat's father, the same Bharat after which India was named 'Bharat'. P.N. Oak listed 22 tribes that had left India at the close of the Mahabharata war, 10 tribes perished, 12 settled in Russia, Syria, Greece, Palestine, Egypt and Israel. Even today 'Shalmanov' is a family name in Russia and you may even find a few people named 'Solomon Shalmanov'.

There were three kings of the Assyrian Empire in the 8th century BC, who bore the name Shal-Manesar, 'shal' (शाल ) means 'large' and 'mana' (मन) is mind' sara is 'lake', in this context it would mean 'large-minded'. 'Manasar' (मानसार) also means 'high degree of pride', an apt name for a king.

Professor Oak was of the view that the city of Jerusalem already existed in the era of the Canan civilization and hence the 'hexagonal' 'shatkona' was seen on the walls of the city of Jerusalem. It existed from the times of the Canan-ites, (the people of Kanha) when the city was still known as Yadhu-Ishalayam, Yadhu for the name of Sri Krishna's tribe, 'ish' (ईश) means 'god' and is the name of both Shiva and Rudra, 'alaya' (आलय) is 'home'.




The lions on the gate entrance of Jerusalem
and the lotus motif are Vedic symbols.
India's foremost sacred plant, the lotus,
symbolizes Creation



The Jagganath Temple at Puri
The 'Singh Dvar' or 'Lion's Gate'
is a common feature of ancient Indian temples.


Lotus Motif carving Bharut Stupa, 2nd century BC
Madhya Pradesh, India. The lotus was a common feature
 of Hindu temples and later of Buddhist Stupas.

The lotus has a cherished place in the Vedic tradition. The Lotus is as ever-present in the depictions of gods and sages. The lotus was a symbol of auspicious splendor and of divine self-generating birth . The earliest mention of the lotus in India is in the Rig Veda where it is called puskara. The Rig Veda says “O, Agni, in the beginning atharvan churned thee out of the lotus, the bearer of all.” (RV 6.16.13)



The lotus, in India, is the symbol of
the prolific earth and of Mount Meru. 



The gods and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon are  described as lotus-naveled or 'kanjanabh' (कञ्जनाभ), lotus-eyed or 'kamalaksh' (कमलाक्ष), having feet like the lotus or 'charankamal' (चरणकमल), or 'seated-on-the lotus', that is bearing a 'padma-asana' (पद्मासन) or a 'kamalasana' (कमलासन). The list of the mention of the lotus in Vedic sutras and strotrams, in epics and hymns is endless. In no literature anywhere in the world has the lotus been held in such reverence and sanctity as is done in the Vedic and Hindu ethos.

Vedic Gods also appear in the 'Canan' civilization of pre-Hebrew Israel. In his book 'India in Greece', Edward Pococke states, "When Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord and built them high places and groves, on every hill and under every tree, the object was Bal and the pillar was his symbol. It was on this altar they burned essence and sacrificed the calf on the 15th day of the month, the sacred Amavas of the Hindus. The calf of Israel is the bull of Baleshwara or Iswar. Bal alias Baleshwar or Krishna." And indeed, Bal also called Ba'al was the principle diety of the Cananites, or the people of 'Kanha' in where today flows the river Kishon. Israel still has places named Ramah and Ramathiam.


The Canan-ite God Baal with his Calf.
That's the same as Hindu God Kanha or Krishna
with his calf. There's a Baal-gad town (बाल - गढ़)
in Israel and even a River Kishon!
And here follows a picture of the Canan-nite God Hubayu. When the Christians came in and demonized paganism and all ancient religions, they gave the horns and tail of Hubayu to Satan!


The Canan-nite God 'Habayu'
looks like a mixed up figure
of the Vedic Shiva and his bull 'Nandi'.
The Cananite name 'Habayu' may well be a distortion of Shiva - the letter 's' often gets transformed to 'h', as in Hindu from Sindhu, the 'v' changes to 'b', as in 'vishvajeet' to 'bishvajit' and so on. Hence Habayu may well have been a distortion of Shivaya or Shiva.


Lord Shiva and Nandi


As mentioned above, it is said that the Christians gave the tail and horns to Satan, Satan was no other than the Cananite God 'Habayu' who in turn was a distorted representation of Shiva and nandi. For more on this click here.

In fact the map of Israel is the map of Kashmir of India. Click here for an interesting trip to ancient Israel.

Saturday 10 May 2014

THE RAMAYANA AND THE ROOTS OF PRE-CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION OF ITALY

Long before the days of the rise of the Roman Empire, Italy was home to the Etruscans - a people far more advanced, so it is believed, than the later Romans.

Scholars are of the opinion that the Etruscans were a seafaring people from Asia Minor. As early as 1200 B.C. they were living in Italy covering an area equivalent to modern Tuscany. They later embraced a large part of western Italy, including Rome. They were the forebearers of the Romans and lived in this region up to the beginning of their Roman conquest in 300 B.C.

The Romans intentionally obliterated the memories of this great civilization. The Etruscans vanished from recorded history, leaving behind them a vast treasure of sculpture with largely un-deciphered inscriptions, paintings and artifacts.

Legend states that at the beginning of the Etruscan Age, the city of Rome was founded by the twin sons of the war God Mars. Their names were Romulus and Remus. The boys had been abandoned by their divine father and Etruscan mother and were reared in the forest by a she-wolf. This is a slightly different version of the story of the Hindu epic Ramayana where the divine king Sri Rama abandons Sita and his twin sons, Luva and Kusha. The two boys were reared by their mother and Rishi Valmiki in his forest ashram.

In the Etruscan legend, the twins are raised by a she-wolf in the forest, but that probably emerges from a confusion between the Sanskrit terms 'rishi' (ऋषि) which means a 'sage' and the Sanskrit 'vriki' (वृकी) which means a 'she-wolf'. The fame of Sri Rama had already traversed west from India by the time of the Etruscans. A treasure trove of Etrsucan paintings bears out this argument.

Here is a look at the Etruscan paintings, artefacts and sketches. First a look at this sketch which has had historians baffled. If ever a picture spoke a thousand words, this is the one:

An Etruscan sketch that has baffled western historians...

.. and the Ramayana painting that
decodes the Etruscan sketch....

In one shot the Etruscan sketch, which for sure depicts Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana establishes that the fame and influence of Sri Rama was powerful enough to have reached the Western horizon. Throughout the Ramayana, Sri Rama is addressed as 'arya' (आर्य) , Sanskrit for 'the noble one'. There never was an 'Aryan' race. It was the aryan culture and customs, that travelled from India towards the West as it did towards the Far-east, along with the emigrants.

Sri Rama was born in Ayodhya in India not a year later than 5118 BC. The exact planetary positions at the time of his birth, recorded in the Valmiki Ramayana, have not occurred in the skies since 5118 BC - as proven by the Nasa Planetarium Software. For more on this subject click here.

There is more evidence that proves that the influence of Sri Rama and Indian ethos and culture had reached Etruria. The following painting of the Etruscan God 'Typhon' looks like another representation of Hanuman flying down Mount Rishabha from the Himalayas, on which grew the wonderful life restoring herb - the 'sanjivini bhuti'.


Etruscan Typhon
This mural seems to be representing
the Ramayanic legend when Hanuman encounters
Sarasa, the mother of all snakes as 
he is flying towards Lanka.

The snakes that one sees wrapped around Typhon's feet seems to be the representation of Hanuman's encounter with the serpent Surasa, who is regarded as the mother of all snakes. Hanuman dodges her when she wants to make him her food and orders him to enter his mouth, by saying that since his tail was quite alike a snake, she was his mother too. Surasa is not convinced; Hanuman then takes the form of a snake, but finally defeats Surasa by assuming a minute form, entering her mouth and exiting just as quick.

Sri Hanuma of Ramayana flies
down Mt. Rishabha



An Etruscan artefact depicts the scene of Sugreeva and Bali, the two vanara or monkey- chiefs, with Tara who was the wife of Bali:

An ancient Etruscan vase depicts Sugreeva
 and Bali, the monkey-chiefs vie for Tara

Another Etruscan artefact seems to depict the scene of the aswamedha yagya where Luv and Kush capture the yagya horse. In the Etruscan mythology Luva and Kusha were known as Romulus and Remus. It was common for some one to have his father's (or mother's) name reflected in his or her name, for example Sri Rama was addressed as Dasarath Putra, Sri Krishna was known as Devaki Nandan, the examples are numerous. It is therefore obvious that Luv and Kush  were also addressed as the sons of  Rama - hence Romulus and Remus.  


The twins Luv and Kush and
the 'asvamedha yagya' horse
of the Ramayana

This Etruscan sketch has been interpreted with the
help of Ramayana. Kaushalya and Kaikeyi,
the two queens of King Dasratha share the 

payasam or potion with Sumitra.

The features of the Etruscan men and women, especially their large eyes, and the attire were distinctly Asian as is evident from the many paintings and sculpture artifacts of the time.


The large eyes are a feature of
Hindu Gods and Goddesses

The covered head and the sari like garment
has Hindu influence



Notice the sari like attire in this Etruscan painting


Could this Etruscan  sketch be a depiction of the abduction of  Sita by Ravana. Centre: Notice the dead deer 'Marich' and a tussle between Ravana and Sita. On the right Ravana  takes Sita to Lanka via the aerial-route depicted by the winged-horse. Left:  Is the bird 'Jatayu' who is slain by Ravana?



In this Etruscan sculpture the attire is Indian
and so is the posture of the dancer/performer

Etruscan jewellery too seems to have borrowed from and much influenced by the Indian civilization.



As was common to most ancient civilizations, cremation of the dead was the accepted form of the disposal of the body. It was post the advent of Christianity that cremation was rejected along with other Pagan customs.


Notice the Garuda like winged-creature on the right. In Vedic scriptures Garuda's father was Rishi Kashyapa who had two wives Vinata and Kadru. In Etruscan mythology Charu or Karun was the guide of the souls of underworld often portrayed along with the winged goddess Vanth. In the Hindu tradition Garuda had the powers to remove all evils from the body. This sketch seems to portray the cremation
ceremony. Notice the priest at the funeral pyre.


Sri Garuda, the winged Hindu God.
The Garuda Purana describes the funeral
ceremony and the after world.

The ancient Etruscan houses were built around a central courtyard, much as the houses in India were. Etruscan temples were always elevated and had to be entered by climbing steps which is exactly as it was in India.

Suggested Links:
1. The Etruscan Civilization

Tuesday 6 May 2014

VEDIC 'SURYA DEV' AND 'SHIVA' - AT THE VATICAN

It is an accepted fact that the Vatican was built over the remains of a Pagan temple dedicated to the Sun God Mithira. It is also argued that St. Peter's Square is built on the pattern of a Pagan sun wheel - more specifically the Vedic sun wheel - also represented by the 'surya mandala'.

In the Vedic tradition Surya Deva is represented by a chariot driven by seven horses - each horse representing one of the seven days of the week. 


The Surya Deva rides a chariot
driven by seven horses

The sun temple of Konark is a representation of this concept.

The Sun Temple of Konark in Odisha, India is
a representation of the Chariot of the Sun God



The wheel of the Surya Deva's chariot
Konark Temple represents 
the cycle of time.

St. Peter's Square at the Vatican
is known to be designed on the
pattern of the Pagan or Vedic Sun Wheel.



In the Vedic tradition Surya is also known as 'Mitra' (मित्र) meaning 'friend'. In Gujarat, a clan of Surya-vanshi kings (Descendants of the sun) was also known as Mitra-vanshi kshatriyas. When the Iranians separated from their Indian kin, Mitra became known as 'Mithra' or 'Mihr', as he is called in Persian. 

In Babylon, 'Mithra' was identified with 'Shamash', the sun god, and he is also Bel, the Mesopotamian and Canaanite (the ancient pre-Judaistic Israel) solar deity. 



According to the Roman historian Plutarch (46-120 AD) , Mithraism began to be absorbed in Rome in  around 70 BC.



A Roman Coin of 3rd century AD
depicted the Sun God driven in a chariot 
like the Vedic Surya Deva



A mosaic found in the Vatican grottoes under
St. Peter's Basilica. It depicts Christ as the 

Greek sun-god Helios. Helios itself originates from
 the Sanskrit 'heli' (हेलि) meaning 'sun'.


It is after the Sanskrit 'heli' (हेलि) meaning 'sun' that the Hellenic civilization of Greece gets its name. The sun disc or wheel is also seen placed on the back of head of St. Peter's statue at the Vatican.

The statue of St. Peter's with the sun-disc
on it's head is said to be that of Pagna God Jupiter.
Jupiter and Peter can be traced to the Sanskrit 'Dev Pitr'

Etymological dictionaries trace the names Peter and Jupiter to the same source. Jupiter was the supreme deity of the ancient Romans, his name traced from Latin 'Iupeter', ultimately to the PIE 'dyeu-peter' or 'god father', however PIE is a re-constructed language which did not exist. We find that in Sanskrit 'dev-pitra' (देव पितृ) means 'God Father' and 'dyo-pitr' (द्यो पितृ) means 'Heavenly Father'. 

The Trident in Roman Sculpture is also associated with Jupiter though in the Vedic pantheon it is Lord Shiva who wields the Trident.


Jupiter with the Trident

Lord Shiva with his Trident 
The image of the sun is inscribed on the ceiling just above St. Peter' statue. The sun image is also inscribed on the altar and spiral pillars of the Basilica. In fact the word 'basilica' is itself connected to Sanskrit via Latin, Greek and Lydian. 

'Basilica' is derived from Latin 'basilica', which is 'a building of a court of justice' and, by extension, church built on the plan of a court. The Latin 'basilica' stems from the Greek 'basilike' which was ' the portico of the archon basileus, the official who dispensed justice in Athens. 'Basileus' means 'king' and comes from, it is conjectured, the Lydian 'battos' which also means 'king'. But that itself has its source in the Sanskrit 'bhatta' (भट्ट) which means 'venerable' or 'lord'.

Some have contented that the Vatican was a Shiva temple. This argument is based on the Shiva Linga which it is said was excavated from the Pagan Temple on which the Vatican was built. The Shiva Linga is the symbol of Shiva, the word 'linga' (लिङ्ग) meaning 'symbol' or 'sign'.


This is the 'Shiva Lingam of Etruria' on view in the Etruscan Museum at the Vatican. Etruria was the ancient name of Italy.

Other examples of Vedic symbols seen at the Vatican include the the pine-cone. 



Hindu Scupture with 'pine-cone'.
The 'pine-cone' is a representation
of the 'pineal' gland of the brain
also known as the 'third eye of Shiva'.


The pine cone at the Vatican was placed at Campus Martius prior to it  being moved to the Court of the Pigna. The Pine Cone of Vatican once served as a fountain, water gushing from holes in the scales of the cone - exactly as water emanates from the top-knot of Lord Shiva. The 'pineal gland' of the human brain which is considered as the seat of spiritual connect to the universe, is also represented by the top-knot of Shiva from which trickles the water of the Ganges. Hence, the Pine Cone Fountain of Vatican!

The Pine-Cone of Vatican was a fountain
from which water gushed out once

The 'top-knot' of Lord Shiva
is a representation of the 'pine-cone'
The pine-cone is shaped like the human pineal gland.
Water gushes out of Shiva's top knot.

The 'pineal gland', the seat of spiritualism and 'higher consciousness' represented by the 'Third eye of Shiva'


Suggested Links:
1. Mithra - Sun God
2. Surya Ashtakam - Lyrics

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