THE BOSNIAN PYRAMIDS AND TOPRAKALIA HILL - THE SANSKRIT CONNECT -

At the point where the Fojnica River flows into Bosnia into the Visoko valley, a complex of five gigantic pyramids in a valley (since named 'Valley of the Pyramids'), have been discovered by amateur archaeologist Muris Osmanagic. 

Adjacent to this Valley of Five Pyramids is a hill by the name Toprakalia. Toprakalia is hypothesised to be the site of a yet unexcavated tumulus - a mound constructed over a burial site - perhaps for one of the ancient builders of the pyramids. The five pyramids as well as the Toprakalia are still being excavated, and though there is a doubt whether the pyramids are natural formations or man-made, the site is extraordinary, nevertheless. Three of the five pyramids are known to be aligned to the cardinal points, and that alone is taken as evidence by some  scholars that the pyramids may not be natural formations. Toprakalia hill is no less significant either for reasons cited later.

Pyramid of the Sun is aligned to the cardinal points.

Of the name Toprakalia Muris Osmanagic says that it is a "strange, non-Slavic name". Its meaning is unknown. Some have conjectured that the name may have Turkish origins - 'toprak' is Turkish for 'ground'. Others say that Toprakalia was the name of a Turkish soldier from the times of the Ottoman rule in Bosnia. But if the name has more ancient origins, one may look at decoding it with the help of Sanskrit.

In Sanskrit, the root word 'tap' (तप्) means austerity, penance and is often used in reference to penance performed by sages and their sacred sites. In the ancient times, and this is true even today, sages and rishis retire to the hills and mountains for 'tap' (meditation). The sacred sites are known as 'tapovan(s)' or 'tapod(s)'.

Cognates of the Sanskrit 'tap' appear in names of many ancient holy hills and mountain names in South America, especially in Mexico. Some of these are Tepatit·n, Tuxtepec, Tepec, Tepic, Mazatepec, Tepetatas, Tepantita, Tepetzintla, Tepuste, Tepetlix and Tepetlalco. (These names are from the research done by Gene Matlock).

Distortions of 'tap' appear in the names of Goebekli Tepe in Turkey. The Turkish word 'tepe' is commonly translated as 'hill'. But the word 'tepe' also appears in the name of another ancient site called Gonur Tepe in Turkmenistan which is not a hill or a mound. In both these cases 'Tepe' refers to a sacred scientific site where it can be safely assumed much contemplation must have taken place in ancient times. And this is exactly what the Sanskrit 'tap' means.

Scholars such as Gene Matlock have linked the word 'tepe' to the Sanskrit 'stupa' (स्तूप) which means a 'heap' or a 'pile' or a 'mound'. Interestingly, in the Bosnian language the word for 'mound' is 'tup'.

The second Sanskrit word that appears in many ancient- site names, especially those which are thought to have been observatories is 'kala' (काल), which means 'time' or 'death' or 'black'. Examples include the Kalasasaya megalithic site in Bolivia and Callanish in Scotland. It is the same word that has made its way into the English word 'calendar', where it appears as the prefix.

With this as the background, one may interpret the name Toprakalia as a site where studies and research was done to study 'kala' or 'time'. The Pyramids of Bosnia may have been observatories constructed at strategic sites the significance of which is unknown at this time.

Osmanagic Muris has described Toprakalia as a "place of a powerful magnetic pole" where compasses do not respond. Rather than a tomb for the dead Toprakalia may well be a place for ascension. The names Visoko and Vratnica, the site of the pyramids and other temple structures, translate as 'free from sorrow' and 'worship' from Sanskrit.

A replica of a pyramid from the Neolithic age dated to 6000-3000 BCE, has recently been excavated from Donje Mostre region of the Valley of the Pyramids. Richard Merrick, an acoustical engineer and alternative researcher is of the opinion that several votive pyramids excavated in Greece and Bulgaria are taken as evidence of Vedic Cosmology having been brought into Old Europe and the theological motivation for the construction of the pyramids in Bosnia. Click here for more on this subject.

A votive-pyramid artefact dated to 6000-3000BC discovered
at the Donje Mostre site at the Valley of the Pyramids, Bosnia
Picture Courtesy: www.s8mint.com 

Suggested Links: 

1.Another Evidence of Bosnian Pyramids
2. Vratnice - The Court and Cult of the Dead Rulers
3 Tombs, megaliths and mysterious symbols
4. Neolithic pyramid shaped artifact

BOANERGES, SONS OF THUNDERBOLT OF THE BIBLE - THE SRI KRISHNA CONNECTION

The Gospel of Mark gives an account of when Jesus recruits His disciples. It states, "He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means ‘Sons of Thunder’)…” (Mark 3: 14-17 NIV).

The common method of interpretation of 'Boanarges' is to compare the forceful actions and utterances of James and John with 'thunder'. There is no debate that Mark tells us to equate the transliterated Semitic word 'Boanarges' with 'Sons of Thunder '. Most scholars find the appellation 'Boanarges' peculiar and have been unable to decode the word.

In his book 'Boanerges', Rendel Harris explores Hebrew and Arabic as possible sources of the word 'Boanerges'. Thunder in Hebrew is re'em, so Harris deduces that re'em should explain the second part of the word 'boanerges'.

Another possibility Harris says is that the second part of the word 'Boanarges may have a link to the Arabic 'ragasa' which means 'to roar aloud'. That has a link to the Sanskrit 'raga' (राग), which has the same meaning.

An attempt to trace the word 'boan' in any known language as the equivalent of 'son' does not give any satisfactory results. So that still leaves the question as to how Boanarges came to mean 'sons of thunder' unanswered.

Can we find 'sons of thunder' mentioned as 'Boanarges' or as its cognate in any other text? Can we find the concept of 'sons of the sky,' or ' sons of lightning,' as parallels to the Boanerges in any scripture?

Here is a look at the Sanskrit word 'vajra' which is relevant in this context and means 'thunderbolt'. It is relevant because one of the most common occurrences of sound shift in languages derived from Sanskrit is the shift from the sound 'v' to 'b'. Hence 'vajra' (वज्र) changes to 'bajra' in Sanskrit-derived languages. In fact, in India, 'v' & 'b' are used interchangeably, especially where names are concerned.

'Vajra' is a versatile word and has many meanings such as 'invincible', 'mighty', 'hard' or 'diamond'. It is also the name of Lord Indra's weapon 'the thunderbolt' and Sri Krishna's weapon, 'the discus'.

Vajra also appears as the first syllable in words such as 'vajrangi' (वज्राङ्गी) or 'thunderbolt-bodied'; 'vajrabRht' (वज्रभृत्) which means 'wielding the thunderbolt', 'vajravega' (वज्रवेग) or 'swift like the thunderbolt'. A shift from the sound 'v' to 'b' in any of these names can generate a name such as 'Boanarges'.

'Vajra' is a versatile word and has many meanings such as 'invincible', 'mighty', 'hard' or 'diamond'. It is also the name of Lord Indra's weapon, 'the thunderbolt ', and Sri Krishna's weapon 'the discuss'. 'Vajrangi or 'thunderbolt-bodied', is a name that was not unknown in Central Asia. 

A Silk-route ancient city by the name Nish,apur (निशापुर) which is located in present-day Iran was established in the 3rd century AD by the Sasanian King Shapur, who was the son of King Ardashir. (In Sanskrit, 'Ardasi' (अर्धासि) means a 'dagger'). Probably his name was derived from a given name like 'the sworded one'. Shapur's father's name was Sassan who was married to a lady by the name 'Ram Behest' (राम विहस्त), meaning 'completely absorbed in the thought of Ram'. She was the daughter of the chief of a tribe named 'Bazrangi', an obvious distortion of the Sanskrit word 'Vajrangi' (वज्रङ्गी)!

To answer Rendel Harris's question as to whether we can find either 'sons of the sky' or ' sons of lightning' as parallels to the Boanerges, indeed we can. The names listed above are from Vedic stories.

In Buddhist lore, the name 'Vajraputra' appears fleetingly. Vajraputra was a lion hunter who, after he attained enlightenment, was befriended by a little lion who was grateful to him for giving up the life of killing lions, thus sparing its parents and brothers. The lion, with its earth-shaking roar, symbolises the invincible might of Buddhism. Though in this case the name 'Vajraputra' (वज्रपुत्र) is translated as 'man of lions', its true meaning from Sanskrit still remains 'son of the invincible' or 'son of thunderbolt'. The thunderbolt occupies an important place in Buddhist symbolism. It also gives its name to one of the three great phases of the development of Buddhism in India- the Vajrayana.

'Vajraputra' of the Buddhist Tradition

Many have linked the lore of Sri Krishna with that of Jesus Christ - what with the likenesses in their stories. To begin with the two names are pretty close cognates, second Krishna was born to a cowherd, Christ to a shepherd, Krishna spent his early life in Mathura, Christ is believed to have spent his childhood in the city of Maturea in Egypt and so on as put forth by Godfrey Higgins in his book 'Anacalypsis'.

According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas, one of the great-grandson's of Sri Krishna was 'Vajranabh' (वज्रनाभ्). Vajranabh succeeded his father King Aniruddha to the throne of Mathur. Vajranabh was the great grandson of Shri Krishna and the grandson of Pradyumna. Vajranabh is the equivalent of 'born of Vajra' or 'born of the thunderbolt'. 'Boanarges' may then well be a distortion of 'Vajranabh'.

Sri Krishna's great-grandson Vajranabh is said to have
 built the original Dwarkadish Temple.
'Vajranabh' translates as 'born of thunderbolt' and
hence may reveal the meaning of 'Boanerges'.

As an aside, Pradyumna is believed to have laid the foundation of a city by the name of Vajrapur - which is identified as the Por Bajin of Siberia. For more on Por Bajin and the Sri Krishna connection to Por Bijin, click here and here.

Suggested Reading:

1. 'Boanerges' by Rendel Harris

2. Indian antiquities vol.I : Maurice, Thomas : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

3. Anacalypsis, an attempt to draw aside the veil of the Saitic Isis; or, An inquiry into the origin of languages, nations, and religions. : Higgins, Godfrey, 1773-1833 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive