Dance of the Planets 1 Earth

By Angiras


INDRA WAS MARS


The Rig Veda corroborates Velikovsky's conclusion that there were two epochs during Vedic times. The first, discussed in the previous chapters, involved the birth of Venus as Aditi, and the subsequent close encounters of Venus with the Earth, originally as Agni (fire), as Mitra-Varuna, and the lesser deities. This was the most devastating period, in which most hominid and animals on the face of the Earth were killed. The Rig Veda implies that it lasted less than a hundred years. Although Venus remained in an eccentric orbit for thousands of years, it was no longer the primary threat to the Vedic people, but it still played a pivotal role in the unfolding of cosmic events involving Mars and the Earth.

As amazing as the events involving proto-Venus were, those of the second part of the Vedic period were even more incredible, because they required the synchronization of the orbits of three planets, the Earth, Venus and Mars. This was the period dominated by the worship of Indra, in the Rig Veda.

There are more hymns in praise of Indra in the Rig-Veda than any other deity with the exception of Soma. This is primarily due to the large number of close encounters between Mars and the Earth and their long durations. Although Indra was the predominant Vedic deity, the penchant of the rishis to apply different names to the same physical planet still causes great confusion. Other names for Mars in the Rig Veda are Hari, Yama, Rudra, and Vishnu.

It was due to the genius of Velikovsky that we have come to understand the cosmic nature of
the knowledge stored in ancient myth. But our understanding of the nature of Indra as Mars
signals the departure of the V/A theory, from that of Velikovsky. Although he was sure there
were multiple interactions between Mars and the Earth, he never really figured out the most
amazing aspects of these interactions. It is most likely that no one ever would have gained this
understanding if it were not for the Rig Veda and Hindu mythology.


THE CONFLICT OF AGNI AND VARUNA WITH INDRA


The interactions between these deities began very early in the Vedic period and extended into
the second period. This is evidenced by many passages in which relationships between Varuna
and Indra are described. Some of these are stated directly in the Rig Veda, and are recognized by many scholars. Others are identified for the first time herein. The reason why these have not been recognized is the old habit of the rishis of giving different names to one and the same
physical body. Assuming our planetary scenario is correct, there could have been one and only
one causative agent in the mythical 'birth' of Indra (Mars), and that is Venus. The following
quote shows that the rishis understood this:


Two periods, of different complexions, revolve for their own purposes, and each in succession
severally nourishes a son; in one Hari is the receiver of oblations, in the other, the brilliant Agni is beheld.

Here the author explains that there were just two heavenly bodies circulating at the same time,
Agni (Venus) and Hari (Mars), and that each had its characteristic period of revolution. The
conflict of Varuna and Indra is described in the following passages from the Rig Veda:

Signs of this conflict are already apparent in the Rig-Veda. Between the two great gods, Indra
and Varuna, there is cooperation at first, but cooperation soon turns to rivalry, and rivalry to
discomfiture of the Asura king. In R.V. 7.82-85 the two gods work together, but their functions
are contrasted...In another hymn (R.V.4-42), however, the rivalry between the (two) comes to the
surface: Varuna addresses Indra and asserts his absolute sovereignty:

"I Varuna, am king,' he says, `To me was the dignity of asura first assigned...I Varuna, am
Indra [too]. I, knowing the two wide, deep firmly established areas of space in all their grandeur, [knowing] all creatures as their fashioner, I have set in motion both the worlds and maintain them. I made the dripping waters swell forth; in the seat of the law did I establish the heavens. By virtue of the law is the son of Aditi (Varuna) possessed of the law, and threefold has he extended the Earth."

Venus, had indeed set the worlds in motion, that is, created chaos, when it burst into the inner
solar system. It also maintained the pattern of chaotic planetary motion, for some three thousand years, by influencing the interactions between Mars and the Earth.

Older translations use the term 'demons' for asura, because they were seen to be in conflict
with the suras, or gods. This was based on the Sanskrit convention of negation by prefixing an
'a.' In other words asuras were 'not gods,' and therefore were demons. This term, which Varuna
proudly applies to himself, is currently thought to be derived from the word asu which means
'breath' or 'spirit.' We claim that in the Rig Veda this word is used to describe bodies with
'atmospheres,' which is closely related to 'breath.' In other words, an asura was a body that had visible gaseous envelope or a tail associated with it. But there is another more physical
interpretation along the lines of the old translation. The word suras, literally means 'glowing' -
and because these glowing bodies wreaked havoc, this became synonymous with gods. But the
presence of an atmosphere tended to accelerate its forming a crust and thereby suppressed the
glow of the body. Thus the interpretation of asura as 'not glowing,' fit the observation perfectly. In other words asura may have been a cleverly crafted word with two meanings, both of which fit the bodies being described.

Varuna staked his claim to sovereignty on law (rta, the counterpart of the later dharma)
whereas Indra appealed only to naked force:

"It is I whom heroes (narah), rivaling each other in riding their goodly horses, invoke when they
are surrounded in battle. I, Indra, the widely generous, stir up the battle. I, Indra, raise up the dust. I whose might is overwhelming. All this have I done; no power of the gods can restrain me, for I am invincible. Once the Soma and the hymns have made me drunk, then are both
immeasurable worlds struck with terror."

We interpret the mysterious rta as the gravitational force of a celestial body, which is directly
proportional to its mass. Due to its greater mass, Venus impressed the rishis with the intensity of the earthquake activity it generated even when much more distant than Mars. The red planet had to swoop down much closer to the Earth to have the same effect as Venus.