Adil J. Govadia
Ancient religions are known to use allegory* as a powerful literary tool to convey complex ideas and ethical lessons through exemplary representations. (An allegory is a parable that displays a deeper moral lesson like the ‘Hare and Tortoise’ story which underlines a hidden message – ‘slow and steady wins the race’!) By using characters, events and situations as symbols and metaphors, ancient Vedic and Zoroastrian religious texts go beyond the literal interpretation, encouraging readers to delve deeper into the symbolic meaning of the stories.
But why use allegories at all? Allegories are often used to create an underlying message within a story, offering its followers a profound spiritual experience. Ancient religious texts use cosmic and worldly elements like the sun, moon, mountains and rivers as symbols of spiritual principles. The sun represents radiance and enlightenment while the moon signifies the mind; the cosmic rivers symbolize the flow of life and the journey towards spiritual progress. Thus, with the help of divine embodiments, incredible geographical imageries and galactic encounters, different religious texts tend to impart invaluable lessons of morality, virtue and ethical principles of life, thereby unlocking the divine wisdom passed down through generations.
In the Ramayana, Lord Ram, the personification of Lord Vishnu, symbolizes dharma (righteousness), demonstrating the triumph of good over evil. In turn, his avatar, Krishna, in the Mahabharata, embodies godly love, wisdom and morality that essentially are the core values of the Vedic religion and philosophy. Thus, allegorical narratives in these two great epics serve as a window into deeper realities, guiding seekers onto the path of self-discovery.
The larger-than-life epic battles between good and evil allegorically explains man’s inner struggle between virtue and vice; the battles of the gods and demons represent the eternal conflict between positive and negative forces in the entire cosmos. Thus, the blind King Dhritarashtra, is allegorically construed as brain which is visually unsighted, the hundred Kauravas are interpreted as the negative emotions that often play on people, while the five Pandavas are the five-senses that help in defeating life’s negative influences! Similarly, the ‘chariot’ drawn by 5-horses is seen as life drawn by 5-senses which, if left unbridled or unrestrained, can destroy the chariot (life)!
Likewise, the Avestan scriptures too are replete with allegorical orientations: scriptural references made to topographical features like mountains, rivers, animals and trees are to be understood metaphorically. For example, Zoroastrian scriptures command its followers to worship a River named ‘Ardvi Sur Anahita’, described as ‘the biggest, covering seven continents, having one thousand branches and carrying water equal to all waters of the world that also purifies man’s semen and woman’s womb, besides helping every mother to produce milk’; it is not only health-giving and but also combats against the dark-forces’!
Now, of course, this defies world geography, notwithstanding a sense of exaggerated irrationality, especially as there’s no such river that ‘covers seven continents’ and is capable of including ‘all waters of the entire world’! But when viewed allegorically, the meaning and its spiritual significance could transform as the geographical topography like mountains, rivers and its branches refer to specific human organs like the brain, plexus, glands and nerves respectively. Metaphorically, “entire world” could mean ‘complete human body’ including its unseen etheric vital currents. As is known, every human body has seven important plexuses (chakras) that are associated with seven major glands (‘Seven Continents’)!
Also, the dual forces of Spenta (good) and Angra (evil) are inter-related and cannot be destroyed as, at best, Angra Mainyu (matter) can only be alchemized into other forms of energy by following the path of ASHA (Yasna 30). Thus, the very purpose of creation and evolution is to convert ‘Angra’ (matter) into ‘Spenta’ (spiritual energy) that helps in progression towards Frasho-kereiti (Liberation).
Similarly, Haoma, the plant in Zoroastrian scriptures, is described as having ‘its roots above and its branches hanging below’ and its extract is said to ‘broaden one’s intellect, promote wisdom and even grant immortality’. When viewed literally, the description of the plant seems a mere fiction, but when understood allegorically the meaning transforms into an insightful appreciation of the human anatomy having ‘roots’ (brain) above with its branches (nerves) hanging below!
Likewise, in Zoroastrianism, numerological ciphers (zeros) have their own distinctive significance which is not to be understood in numerical sense. Thus, the enigmatic references of “100 horses”, “1000 bulls” and “10,000 sheep are not to be interpreted as sacrifice or massacre of several animals. Or scriptural references like “a fish with wonderful eyesight”, “a three-legged ass”, “a city with fifty gates”, “Fire, a teacher having the spirit of a warrior that blesses those who offer frankincense and oblation” or Prophet Zarathushtra praying for a reward of “ten mares, one horse and a camel” are all references that relate to the development of great spiritual powers of purity, philanthropy or the divine knowledge attained by certain Pardhats (Law-givers) like Gayomard, Shah Jamshed, Hoshang, Vistasp, etc in order to smite the negative forces of evil. All these are but differing hints for inner occult centers and astrological phenomenon which need to be understood in the right perspective.
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