Session 14 August 2016

herondancer said:
Hi Leonal,

That's a pretty cryptic post. Could you explain what you mean?

Well it´s not cryptic just a little humor.

I ´ve asked the crystals, appealing to charity because I'm really in a very precarious financial situation (and the damn dollar that continues the devaluation of mexican peso) . And I felt somewhat alone yesterday.

:(

I have not had much time to participate in the forum... but recently had a sync !! I was studying the Nefertiti, Amarna, Akhenaton bussines I was stuck with the Scythians, rereading the "Jupiter Nostradamus Edgar Cayce and the Return of the Mongols" series, and then i read this session that gave me a new direction.

I wonder if the Hurrian connection connects us with Mitanni and the princess Taduhepa that some researchers believe belonged to the harem of Akhenaten. Taduhepa became Nefertiti aka Sa-Ra. (Daughter of Ra-Sun).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadukhipa

Thank you all.
 
Leonel said:
herondancer said:
Hi Leonal,

That's a pretty cryptic post. Could you explain what you mean?

Well it´s not cryptic just a little humor.

I ´ve asked the crystals, appealing to charity because I'm really in a very precarious financial situation (and the damn dollar that continues the devaluation of mexican peso) . And I felt somewhat alone yesterday.

:(
Thanks for clarifying. I'm sorry to hear of your predicament. Financial pressures are hard, especially when they stem from sources outside your control. I hope you are feeling a little better today. Maybe your research will help give you a mental break from your concerns. Sometimes when the conscious mind is working on one thing, the unconscious mind can be looking for solutions to other problems like your financial issues.

Hang in there!
 
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Hi leonel...
You know I'm from Mexico also, and that's why I didn't order my cristal,and didn't buy yet books from laura, because no one maybe believe me that is not easy to get her books here, and if you don't have debit or credit card is almost imposible,but I never complaint in the chat....it seems like you need attention, or wish if hey can send you for free a crystal,or just want to talk about all your readings? As I see you know many names ....keep reading my friend....saludos
 
Just a reminder that not being able to make a donation is not a reason for not asking for the crystals - as was said early on by Laura/chateau crew. Many who can, make extra donations to cover those who can't.
 
Quote c.a

Re: Session 14 August 2016
« Reply #88 on: August 19, 2016, 10:24:54 PM »


Zurvan - And we find him in Mithraic religion as a mysterious naked lion-headed (leontocephaline) figure often found in Mithraic temples. He is entwined by a serpent, (or two serpents, like a caduceus) with the snake's head often resting on the lion's head.
[b][color=red]http://oldeuropeancul...ime as it evolved into a sacred myth.[/quote]
 

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Merlin said:
Zurvan - And we find him in Mithraic religion as a mysterious naked lion-headed (leontocephaline) figure often found in Mithraic temples. He is entwined by a serpent, (or two serpents, like a caduceus) with the snake's head often resting on the lion's head.

Amateur astronomer Wayne Herschel argues that images of animal headed deities were those of ‘alien astronauts, as pointed out by Erich Von Daniken, a pioneer on the subject. The animal heads were masks:

Yes, I'm aware of this speculative notion and don't consider it to be very compelling. Thing is, you have to spend enough time reading ALL the research and work being done in these fields to get a real idea of what is or is not most likely. If I was going to speculate that Zurvan represented a real world figure, I would say it would be most likely a comet - read "Comets and the Horns of Moses" for some additional concepts that support this idea more than the "alien astronaut" concept.
 
If I was going to speculate that Zurvan represented a real world figure, I would say it would be most likely a comet - read "Comets and the Horns of Moses" for some additional concepts that support this idea more than the "alien astronaut" concept.

Thanx Laura, I will . . . still waiting for my copy to be shipped . . .
 
Hello all, I haven’t been on the forum in awhile and just happened to read about the crystals… I’m going to follow the instructions today! Thank you to Laura and everyone on the forum.

you can find the information in this thread.
Quote from: Chu on July 19, 2016, 01:25:46 PM
I just posted this on the latest session thread but am pasting this here too, because from the PMs and emails we're getting, it seems that it's not very clear for everyone:

IMPORTANT IF YOU HAVEN'T ORDERED CRYSTALS YET

It seems that a few of you might not have caught up with the last discussions on the 7 May session, so for those who are wondering if it's too late to order crystals, the answer is no, it's not too late. And here is what we need from you plus details about the crystal package:
 
Laura on: November 03, 2016, 07:21:51 AM

If I was going to speculate that Zurvan represented a real world figure, I would say it would be most likely a comet - read "Comets and the Horns of Moses" for some additional concepts that support this idea more than the "alien astronaut" concept.

Awwww, I feel so stupid and dumb. You’ve explained it so clearly on pg 106, Horns of Moses - similarities between plasma shapes and ancient stone engravings . . .
 

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Merlin said:
Laura on: November 03, 2016, 07:21:51 AM

If I was going to speculate that Zurvan represented a real world figure, I would say it would be most likely a comet - read "Comets and the Horns of Moses" for some additional concepts that support this idea more than the "alien astronaut" concept.

Awwww, I feel so stupid and dumb. You’ve explained it so clearly on pg 106, Horns of Moses - similarities between plasma shapes and ancient stone engravings . . .

Imagine something like that forming between a very large charged comet and the surface of the earth... imagine the electrical sounds, snapping, crackling... booming... imagine the fried landscape... rains of bolides...

There's god for ya. And I daresay that when it happens again, people will have the same reactions.
 
Laura on: November 21, 2016, 09:02:16 PM
Imagine something like that forming between a very large charged comet and the surface of the earth... imagine the electrical sounds, snapping, crackling... booming... imagine the fried landscape... rains of bolides...

There's god for ya. And I daresay that when it happens again, people will have the same reactions.

Thanx so much Laura - I'm on page 171, going really slow - I don't want this adventure to end :)

The Planisphere on pg 146 reminds me of the Landing Path of the Spaceship of the Gods immortalised by Zacharia Sitchin in The 12th Planet . . . Somehow it didn't gell - why would an ancient alien advanced civilisation use a 747 Glide Slope for their spacecraft ?

A comet makes it much more plausible . . .
 

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Couldn't help reading on page 47:-
I spent quite a bit of time reading some books that were about the problem of where Mount Sinai is.
I recall Robert Temple's article Who Was Moses where he speculates that Mount Sinai is
The sacred mountain at Serabit in Sinai, much further south, which I believe to be the biblical Mount Horeb . . . A magnificent ruined Temple of Hathor survives at the top, which dates from the middle Kingdom period. It is known that the site was shared between the Jews and the Egyptians.
Since I couldn't find his name in the bibliography, here's the link www.robert-temple.com/articles/moses_new_dawn.pdf
 
Laura said:
Session Date: August 14th 2016

Q: (L) I thought I had checked that pretty deeply. I guess I could read some more. Now, there are those who say that Zurvanism was an attempt to deal with some of the dangling problems that Zoroaster left in terms of his dualism. One of his hymns describes Ahura Mazda and Ahriman as twins, so, they came up with Zurvanism, the ultimate god of space/time as father to the twins to explain this. Is that in fact the case?

A: No. Zurvan was the ancient god of the steppes and the Indo-Aryan peoples.

Q: (L) Okay, I've got a paper here... It seems that Zurvan was perceived as the god of infinite time and space, and was described as, "One Alone, a transcendental neutral god, and without passion. One for whom there was no distinction between good and evil. So, Zurvan had a varied history... So, the problem I want to get to right now is the idea that Zurvan was represented as the lion-headed god. There was a lion man figure found in Hohlenstein-Stadel, which is a German cave. It's carved out of ivory, and it's THE oldest known zoomorphic animal sculpture in the world, and the oldest known uncontested example of figurative art. It has been determined to be about - ready? 40,000 years old!! That was by carbon dating the material which was in the same layer where the figure was found. It was associated with the Aurignacian culture and it was 29cm in height, carved out of mammoth ivory using a flint stone knife. Seven parallel, transverse, carved gouges are on the left arm. The figure of Zurvan is often represented with a serpent coiled around him seven times. It is said that the sculpture shares certain similarities with French cave wall paintings which also show hybrid creatures. The Lion man is several thousand years older. Anyhow, this artifact seems to resemble very closely the lion man figure that was described as being the representation of Zurvan. So, I guess my question is: Are we talking about the same religion or religious ideas or perceptions that were common to the cultures that produced the cave art in Western Europe?

A: Yes

.....
Q: (L) And what had it been corrupted to?

A: The Indian Vedas will give clues.


This is very fascinating as there is a remarkably similar theme and imagery in the Hindu texts. There are many similarities as follows:

1. Vishnu (considered to be the supreme god in many Hindu texts like Bhagavat Purana), incarnates in the form of part lion and part man to destroy evil, end religious persecution and calamity on earth, thereby restoring Dharma. This incarnation is called Narasimha/Man-Lion (Man/Nara -Simha/Lion). Zurvan is depicted as a lion-headed god.

2. Vishnu is often depicted as resting on the serpent, Ananta(Endless) Shesha(that which remains). Ananta Shesha means endless and remaining in existence even after the end of the Kalpa, when the whole universe is destroyed. (a Kalpa is the period of time between the creation and recreation of a world or universe. The definition of a kalpa equaling 4.32 billion years is found in the Puranas—specifically Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana. The cyclical nature of time and creation is another fascinating idea in the Hindu texts). Ananta Shesha floats coiled in space, shown as five-headed or seven-headed, but more commonly as a many thousand-headed serpent, as Vishnu "dreams the universe into reality". When Adi-Shesa or Ananta Shesha uncoils, time moves forward and creation takes place; when he coils back, the universe ceases to exist. Zurvan has a serpent coiled around him seven times. Ahura Mazda has the seven hoods of a serpent in the background of his chariot, arching like an umbrella.

3. Vishnu's chariot is the half-eagle like bird, half-man Garuda and Ahura Mazda is also depicted flying on an eagle or himself being half-man half eagle.

4. If you look closely in the second pic I have attached, Ahura Mazda is holding a disc in his hand and so does Vishnu who holds the Sudarshan Chakra!

These four elements (Lion, Serpent, Eagle and Disk) are highly similar physical characteristics and it cannot just be a coincidence. Here is an extract on the presence of the same theme and imagery across diverse ancient cultures from "The Serpent, The Eagle, The Lion and The Disk" by Brannon Parker, page 5 onwards (keep in mind that Vishnu is also called Vasu-Deva and his incarnation Krishna described as "Time, the devourer of worlds". His female consort is Goddess Laksmi who accompanies him on the Ananta Shesha):
Whenever and wherever we find descriptions of 'God as Time' he is displayed in the same exact manner. He is "Lion or Monster Headed", "All-Devouring", "Many instances blue hued", "Eagle winged and at times eagle-headed or clawed", "surrounded by serpents frequently spitting fire" and "Holding a Wheel, A Globe or a Disc". These are all unique characteristics that correspond exactly with Vishnu Narayana Hari. This same Vishnu is always accompanied by the Serpent Ananta Shesha, the Eagle Garuda, he is time represented by the lion and the Disc known as Sudarshan.

....

This wrathful form of God was recognized in the Western religious traditions as well. Again, this Lord of Time was seen as the "Devourer of Worlds". Significantly Krishna or Vishnu's Lion-Man form which is the Sphinx was also known by the name of Kala or Time. The ancient Jewish tradition recognized Time as a Lion headed form of Eli/Hari in his form of Time Personified. This form was seen throughout the ancient world as 'leontocephalos time', 'chronus', 'Kronos', 'saturnos', 'zervan' and 'apadamek'. This form of God was worshipped throughout the ancient world. In the Indian Vedic tradition he is related to Narsingha or Nara Hari. Both of these names mean Man-Lion. Significantly Hari means 'Lion' in both Hebrew and Sanskrit. This Narsingha or Man-Lion form of God as Time was known as Apademak to the African people of Meroe. He was worshipped as the wrathful form of Heri-amun (ra) at the Southern Egyptian capital of Thebes. The southern Egyptian supreme god Heru-Asu, as Amen-Ra was also represented as the wrathful form of Time. He was also known as Wasu Theos by the Greeks. This is almost pure Sanskrit for Wasu is Vasu and Theos is Deva. (Remark: Vasudeva = Vishnu) He had human body and a lion's head and he was considered to be the 'Father of all the Gods.'

Evidence of this is found on the famous Metternich Stella. There he is at the very top depicted as the origin of all the gods. This same Lion-headed form of God as Time, Nara Hari of the Indian and the Judaic tradition is Kalah (Time) and he was called Zervan by the Persians. He was worshipped as Jupiter Saturnus in Rome and Zeus Chronus in Greece. Amen Ra as 'Time' and Wasu Theos of South Egypt were known as Yahu, Tzabaoth the lord of the heavenly hosts and he was the patron protector of Israel and Judah. He was specifically worshipped by the Jewish warriors who often wore amulets for protection depicting him as a lion-headed man. The lion headed form of the Jewish deity was also seen on many official royal state seats of the Jewish kingdoms of both Israel and Judah.

The English language has recorded many aspects of ancient religion and tradition. A clear example of this can be found in the word 'Eon'. This word comes from 'Aion' an ancient name of God as Time. In the Zoroastrian tradition God as Time was represented as a Lion-headed man wrapped in the coils of a serpent. This is clearly a representation of Vishnu and Ananta Shesha. To the ancient Persians he was called Aion - Zurvan Akarana. Zurvan (Zervan) means 'Time" and refers to the finite time of history. Zurvana Akarana or 'Boundless Time' symbolizes infinity. According to the Zoroastrian text, the 'Avesta', Zurvan Akarana (Zeroana Akerne) 'has always existed, his glory is exalted, his light is resplendent; he is beyond human intellect and comprehension. Everything that has ever existed emanates from Zurvan Akarana.' Zurvan Akarana is the 'duration in a circle'. The circle is a form of God as Ananta (Endless) and it symbolized that which is without beginning or end. Zurvan Akarana corresponds to the Jewish 'Ain Soph Aur' as well. This is another verification of God's representation as the Disc. Zurvan Akarana as the duration in a circle symbolizes that which is without beginning or end, and the unknown Zurvan Akarana is thus equivalent to God in his form as Ananta Shesha, the eternal and unending Godhead in the form of the Divine Serpent. Ultimately they are all rooted in Lord Krishna's declaration as 'Time the devourer of Worlds'.

It is important to note that within Zurvan we have all three forms of God Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi and the First Expansion of God-Baladeva. Zurvan was both male and female and existed eternally. Zurvan Akarana was Aion of the Greeks and the Alexandrian god of Eternity. This same Lion-headed God as Time was the Supreme God of the divine hierarchy in Mithraism. Aion deified as Time, regulated the revolutions of the stars and was the absolute master of all things. Aion was often depicted as a nude male figure with a lion's head, with a serpent coiled six times around his body. The head of the serpent, like the Ananta of Vishnu, stood umbrella like above his head. Aion had up-turned and down-turned wings to symbolize the swiftness of time and is also a symbol of the divine eagle, Garuda. He carried a scepter and lightning as the Sovereign God and held in each had a key as master of the heavens. His body was covered withh zodiacal signs and the emblems of the seasons. The recurring ancient representations of God as Helios at the center of Zodias are an obvious clue identifying Helios with the Lion-headed Aion/Zurvan and they are all representatives of Krishna who is Hari.

An interesting aspect and direct link to the Vedic traditions found within Lion-headed Zervan worship is noted by an ancient writer. Amobius, writing in about AD 295, alludes to the lion god: 'We observe amidst your gods one with the terrifying wild head of a lion, besmeared with pure minium (red-lead)'. This same vermilion is used in India to this day as deities of the Hindus are smeared with red vermillion as part of their daily worship ritual.

The scholar MJ Vermaseren highlighted the identity of Aion/Zervan in his book 'Mithras, the Secret God'. He wrote of an inscription on an icon of Aion. It was found at Eleusis and was dedicated during the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus. It states,"To the might of Rome and perpetuation of the mysteries. He, who by his divine nature, remains ever the same in the same things. He who is and was and shall be, without beginning, middle or end, free from change, universal craftsman of the eternal divine nature."

In an ancient papyrus now in Paris, Aion appears as the god of fire and light and is identified as the god of light who is none other than Helios; and this very same Helios is identified with Mithras. This Mithras is the Supreme God of Mithraism. Here we find Helios identified as a Supreme God of yet another allegedly 'separate' religious tradition. as revealed later, the evidence is clear that Helios, rather than being the Sun God, was once worshipped and recognized as God. He is Hari of India, HR of Egypt, Arius of the Romans and he is Eli of the Hebrews. He was worshipped as the Supreme God of gods by the ancients of not just one ethnic group but by every God-centered tradition of ancient Middle Earth more familiarly known as the Mediterranean world. Misidentified as a mere animist solar deity, the four horsed chariot driving God is in fact Hari, the same Hari or Krishna who drove the four horsed chariot of his friend Arjuna. As the divine charioteer Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita and revealed himself as 'Time the destroyer of worlds.' During the Kurukshetra war Krishna guided Arjuna through the perilous killing fields of Kurukshetra. This compelling image of a loving God guiding his devotee and friend is intrinsically connected to God's revelation as Time and is at the root of ancient religion. The colossal impact of Krishna's revelation encoded within the Bhagavad Gita and the display of his Universal Form cannot be overestimated. It was global in scope and it is the template for the revelatory and devotional tradition at the foundation of all religion.

....

Again and again we find that chief deity at the head of the pantheon of gods throughout the entire world is always associated with serpents, eagles, lions and disc. The evidence confirming this is reinforced when we learn that Aion is intimately connected to the Goddess Kore. As noted later, Kore is the Divine Goddess corresponding to Kouros. The 'Divine Couple' archetype is obvious when recognize that Kore is Radha/Lakshmi and Kouros is Krishna/Vishnu. While scholars attempt to reinforce their theories of competing religions by highlighting the dissimilarities in ritual and sacred legend, we find the same exact divinities at the very core of these allegedly disparate traditions. St. Epiphanius stated that in in Alexandria, the birth of Aion, was celebrated on the night before 6 January with a festival before the image of Kore. It ended with bringing forth from beneath the earth the image of Aion, which was carried seven times around the inner sanctuary of Kore's temple. At the height of the ceremony the announcement was made "Today at this hour the virgin Kore" has given birth to Aion."

....

And linking them all we find once again God as "Lion of Time". In the words of the scholar MJ Vermaseren, "Aion is represented as a god with a lion's head, a globe and whip in left hand, encircled by a snake, the snake of eternity."

....

Within the ancient Coptic Nubian tradition we find God as Time as well. He was called Mandulis. This very name is most likely related to Mandala which means 'Circle'. Circle is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Chakra' meaning Disc. Again Mandulis, whose worship was centered in Northern Nubia, is misidentified as another animistic sun god. However the iconography is related is clear and should be obvious. Mandulis is generally portrayed wearing a crown of ram horns. God as Fire or the Ram-riding Agni, (Krishna states that he is Agni) surmounted by high plumes and Cobras (Ananta) encirclingd a Disc. At an ancient Temple located in Kalabsha in southern egypt there is a temple dedicated to Mandulis, God as Time. Again we see he is depicted as a Hawk-bodied being bedecked with Serpents holding disks upon their heads. Along with this engraving this ancient temple to 'God as Time' in his form of Mandulis we find the familiar disc resting upon a two headed serpent balancing disks upon his hoods.

I would recommend reading this book as it has a lot more info than I can quote here and cool images as well.

Also, since Sanskrit (language of the Vedas and ancient India) and the language of Avesta of ancient Iran are so remarkably similar, they probably evolved from the same culture at one point. The Avestan word zruvan is etymologically related to the late (post-Vedic) Sanskrit word sarva, meaning "all, entire".
Here is an individual's response on comparing Zoroastrinism and Vedas on Quora:
The Avestan language and Vedic language (language of Rig Veda) are so close to each other that they are almost mutually intelligible. For example, let me write a phrase in Avestan, and corresponding Vedic Sanskrit, and the reader can look the similarity :

Av :
"yo vo Apo va(n)uhis yazaite
ahurANIs ahurahe
vahistAbyo zaotrAbyo"

Vedic :
"yo vo Apo vasvIS yajAte
asurANIh asurasya
vasiSThAbhyo hotrAbhyo"


That is, the Avestan "z" becomes "h" in Skt, and Sanskrit "s" becomes "h" in Avesta.
Avestan "ai" corresponds to "A" in Skt, ("airya" - "Arya"), and the grammar and morphology is almost the same for both the languages.

Now, I will get into the main point.

As of the religions, it is a misconception that both Vedic culture and Zoroastrianism are equal or similar. Though almost all Vedic deity names are found in Avesta too, and the language and the soma culture is common, the core religion is highly anti-Vedic, to tell the truth.
The reason for this is usually attributed to the political and cultural split among the Indo Iranians that occurred around the Dasarajna battle period.
The Avestan Airyans were actually against the Indo Aryans for some obvious reasons, and the religion was actually born through open fight against the Vedic and the Indo European ideals.
The innovations that occurred are :
Avesta created a division between the "asura" and "deva" word, which was actually of comparable divinity in Early Rig Vedic period. Avestan people maintained that the "ahuras" are the "divine beings" and "daevas" are the false gods and demons.
Thus, more prominent Vedic God names like Indra were picturised as "false gods" in Zoroastrianism.
A new "Ahura mazda" (Sanskrit : Asura-medha) replaced the older "Dyaus" and "Indra" of the Indo European pantheon. The Iranians also borrowed the concept of an adversary Satan from the contemporary Semitic and middle eastern beliefs, and incorporated it into the system as "Angra Mainyu" (Sanskrit: Angiras Manyu)
It is to be noted that Avestan religion was always demeaning the Indo European pantheon and many divine concepts, esp. targeting the contemporary Indian religion.
The "Angiras" is interestingly the name of a semidivine sage, usually attributed to Agni, after whom the Angirasa tribe is named. The word is cognate to "angelos" (Greek, meaning angel), English Angel, and even the word "Anglican" and "English". It was applied to a monstrous Satan of the new Avestan religion, calling him "Angra Mainyu".
The Yajna of Vedas is paralleled by the "Yasna" of Avesta, but the chief difference is that Yasna is more of a water rite than Yajna or other Indo European rituals that are centered around fire.
Indo Aryans considered the fire to be sacred, and thus, maintained that the best was cremation, since Agni purifies the body and soul, and the body is "offered" to Agni.
Avestans also considered fire to be sacred, and thus maintained that dead body is an impure thing that is not fit to be offered in fire. Thus, they give the dead bodies to vultures.
Similarly, there are cultural differences apart from the linguistic and historical unity.
The soma cult of the later Vedic period was an important thing in the Avestan religion too, and is paralleled by "haoma" cult. The only difference is that Indians used sarcostemma acidum, while Avestans chose "ephedra".
The Avestan religion, unlike the Vedic panentheism, inclines more to a Abrahamic style of monotheism. The religion shows significant influence of Abrahamic ideas.
The Zoroastrians have also the sacred thread, corresponding to the Hindu sacred thread, and have many resembling customs.
After the split of Iranian Airyans from Indo Aryans, a strong sense of cold war existed in the philosophy, whereby Indians responded by demonising Asura, and glorifying devas as the prime "gods". The Iranians never accepted Indians as Aryans, nor did Indians accept Iranians as Aryans. It was a "proto Partition" of Indo Iranian scape.
Avesta, but honours the other Indo European concepts, like Mithra (equivalent of Vedic Mitra), the Vrethragna (Skt "Vrtraghna", an epithet of Indra in Vedas, but independent of Indra in Avesta) ...

This paper by Subhash Kak talks about Vedic elements in Zoroastrinism: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f120/16f680c39ccddf90ad46c42b62c62db113a9.pdf


Finally, Vishnu has another incarnation - Krishna, as referenced earlier. This is how Krishna's real Universal Cosmic form is described by Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11) -

Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes. It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and arrayed in many garbs. He was garlanded gloriously, and there were many scents smeared over His body. All was magnificent, all-expanding, unlimited. If hundreds of thousands of suns rose up at once into the sky, they might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form. At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands. Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna began to pray with folded hands, offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord. Arjuna said: My dear Lord Krsna, I see assembled together in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahma sitting on the lotus flower as well as Lord Siva and many sages and divine serpents. O Lord of the universe, I see in Your universal body many, many forms-bellies, mouths, eyes-expanded without limit. There is no end, there is no beginning, and there is no middle to all this. Your form, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs, is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, which is fiery and immeasurable like the sun. You are the supreme primal objective; You are the best in all the universes; You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest; You are the maintainer of religion, the eternal Personality of Godhead. You are the origin without beginning, middle or end. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are among Your great unlimited eyes. By Your own radiance You are heating this entire universe. Although You are one, You are spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, as I behold this terrible form, I see that all the planetary systems are perplexed. All the demigods are surrendering and entering into You. They are very much afraid, and with folded hands they are singing the Vedic hymns. The different manifestations of Lord Siva, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Visvadevas, the two Asvins, the Maruts, the forefathers and the Gandharvas, the Yaksas, Asuras, and all perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.
O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your many faces, eyes, arms, bellies and legs and Your terrible teeth, and as they are disturbed, so am I. O all-pervading Visnu, I can no longer maintain my equilibrium. Seeing Your radiant colors fill the skies and beholding Your eyes and mouths, I am afraid. O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered. All the sons of Dhrtarastra along with their allied kings, and Bhisma, Drona and Karna, and all our soldiers are rushing into Your mouths, their heads smashed by Your fearful teeth. I see that some are being crushed between Your teeth as well. As the rivers flow into the sea, so all these great warriors enter Your blazing mouths and perish. I see all people rushing with full speed into Your mouths as moths dash into a blazing fire. O Visnu, I see You devouring all people in Your flaming mouths and covering the universe with Your immeasurable rays. Scorching the worlds, You are manifest. O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances unto You; please be gracious to me. I do not know what Your mission is, and I desire to hear of it.

Krishna said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain. Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasacin, can be but an instrument in the fight. All the great warriors-Drona, Bhisma, Jayadratha, Karna-are already destroyed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies.

Arjuna: O Hrsikesa, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done. O great one, who stands above even Brahma, You are the original master. Why should they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one? O refuge of the universe, You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation. You are the original Personality, the Godhead. You are the only sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You know everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You! You are air, fire, water, and You are the moon! You are the supreme controller and the grandfather. Thus I offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again! Obeisances from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless, might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything! I have in the past addressed You as O Krsna, O Yadava, O my friend, without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses. You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, the worshippable chief, the spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. Within the three worlds, You are immeasurable. You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respects and ask Your mercy. Please tolerate the wrongs that I may have done to You and bear with me as a father with his son, or a friend with his friend, or a lover with his beloved. After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe. O universal Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.

Krishna said: My dear Arjuna, happily do I show you this universal form within the material world by My internal potency. No one before you has ever seen this unlimited and glaringly effulgent form. O best of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charities or similar activities can this form be seen. Only you have seen this. Your mind has been perturbed upon seeing this horrible feature of Mine. Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free from all disturbance. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.

Sanjaya said to Dhrtarastra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, while speaking thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form, and at last He showed him His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna. When Arjuna thus saw Krsna in His original form, he said: Seeing this humanlike form, so very beautiful, my mind is now pacified, and I am restored to my original nature.

Krishna said: My dear Arjuna, the form which you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form which is so dear. The form which you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am. My dear Arjuna, only by undivided selfless service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding. My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged in pure selfless service, free from the contaminations of previous activities and from mental speculation, who is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me.

This description as well as Krishna's own words in this Chapter and elsewhere in the Bhagavad Gita, depict him as an impartial, endless, omniscient One without another beyond space and time - similar to Zurvan and what is referred to as the seventh density/Divine Cosmic Mind by Cassiopaeans. In fact, Bhagavad Gita itself has multiple ideas that are strikingly similar to what the Cs talk about - doing your duty selflessly, reincarnation and indestructible nature of soul, balance between good and evil and so on.

Indeed it seems that the ancient world was highly connected in its ideas and had a deep grasp of metaphysical concepts and also perhaps intertwined it with symbolism for cometary bombardment. Definitely need to do more research on this exciting topic but am time-strapped as of now. :(
 

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Another interesting article on the Vedas and Zoroastrinism which references Subhash Kak's paper I mentioned in the previous post: (source: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/zoroastrianism/indoiranian.asp)
The ancient Indians and ancient Iranians had many in things in common. They worshipped many identical gods, spoke languages of common origin, performed rituals that had many things in common both in the method and manner in which they were performed and the purpose for which they were performed. Their religious beliefs and practices drew inspiration from similar sources. The ancient Iranians spoke Avestan which was a sister language of Sanskrit, spoken by the vedic Indians.

Both groups worshipped several gods and performed elaborate sacrificial rituals (yagnas or yasnas) at the end of which they feasted and drank an intoxicating drink called Soma in India or Haoma in Iran. The Iranians recited verses to invoke ancient gods just as the Indians performed rituals to invoke the deities of the heavenly region. Some of the deities they worshipped had similar names, such as Airyaman, apam Napat, Atharvan/Atar/Agni, Sraosa/Brihapsati, Mitra/Mithra, Vauy/Wayu, Tvastar/Thworeshter, Datar/dadar, Indra/Werethragna, Varuna/Rashnu. Usha/Usa, Yama/Yima, Vayu/Vay, and so on. Both groups believed in the existence of a three tier cosmos consisting of an upper heavenly region, a middle atmospheric region and the earth. Some of the terminology they used in the practice of rituals was also similar such as zaotar and hotar, athaurwan and atharvan, manthra and mantra, asha and arta and so on.

Incidentally, at some stage in their development, both groups parted their ways and developed differences. Some of the differences may be attributed to the geography and some to the new political and social developments that took place in the respective regions. They also came into contact with new religions and new religious ideas of other traditions that came from across the borders through conquests or through traders, merchants and immigrants or grew indegenously. While the vedic Indians interacted with the pre-vedic traditions of India, dating back to the Indus period and even earlier, the ancient Iranian religion which was rooted in the vedic beliefs, faced opposition from Zoroastrianism, which was gradually emerging in the region as the most organized and appealing religion of ancient Iran, backed by the support of some rulers and the teachings of Zoroaster who clamed he had a direct communication with God and obtained the seal of approval to spread the new ideas. Zoroaster elevated Ahura Mazda as the highest God and introduced the element of monotheism in an otherwise polytheistic religion of ancient Iran. He introduced the practice of worshipping one God, (Madayasna), in contrast to the vedic practice of worshipping multiple divinities (devayagna). He laid more emphasis on ethical living rather than on ritual purity and sacrificial ceremonies as the dominant theme of religious practice. There was no place in his teachings for the old practice of sacrificial rituals involving animal and human sacrifices, which were deemed agonizing and cruel and antithetical to the revelations received by him. He brought into focus a dynamic universal God as a protector of the righteous and opposed to evil, in place of an enigmatic and passive God who remained in the background while the divinities battled with various dark forces and claimed divine authority to themselves. However he did not discard old religion entirely. He retained those ideas, divinities, practices and doctrines that fitted well in his new teachings and declared the rest to be antithetical to the new dogma. As a result most of the erstwhile devas, who were found to be in direct opposition to the principles represented by God, were categorized as demonic spirits and unworthy of honor and worship.

Zoroaster brought into focus the ethical dualism perceived in the entire creation as an ongoing conflict between the forces of good and evil, a conflict that was already perceived in the ancient religion but interpreted rather anecdotally. He shifted the focus of the religion from ritual purity to ethical purity and from individual divinities to a central God, who combined within Himself all the qualities represented by them as their lord, creator and sustainer. His teachings portrayed the conflict between good and evil beyond the known theological speculation, as an ethical battle of universal proportions between the creative forces of good led by God and the destructive forces of evil led by an anti-God principle. This ethical view of religion as the means to maintain the spiritual purity of not just men but the entire creation, resulted in the polarization of the classical deities into two groups, the followers of Truth (ashawan) and the followers of falsehood (drugwant), the former portrayed as benign and beneficial, representing the ideals to be cultivated by men; and the latter as evil, harmful and destructive forces, representing the dangers to which humanity might succumb if they were careless. What the ancient Iranians practiced was a tradition that was grounded in the history of their ancestors and their beliefs, without being inimical to new ideas. What the new prophet taught was an uncompromising new dogma that had elements of intolerance and rigidity, which was so characteristic of the new religions that descended upon earth a few centuries later in the Mediterranean and engulfed nation after nation obliterating all traces of ancient religions.

In the process of this social and religious churning in the ancient Iran, some well known popular divinities of the ancient world, like Indra, Natasya (Naonhaitya) and Rudra (Saurva) lost their status as recipients of ritual honors. The reasons are not difficult to find. All the gods, who lost their status as divinities in the new religion, possessed qualities and indulged in actions that could not be categorized strictly as pure and virtuous according to Zoroastrian values. From a purely ethical point of view, they had qualities with shades of gray, suggestive of contamination, which would disqualify them, in the new religion, as beings of pure light or forces of a just and righteous God. In a religion that rested on the foundation of uncompromising purity and an unambiguous approach towards good and evil, it was not possible to continue their worship and still convince the new converts about the importance of purity and righteousness. So all the popular divinities of the old tradition that seemingly possessed questionable qualities were pushed into the dark side and disqualified from receiving sacrificial offerings. Those who fitted into the new pantheon with their exemplary qualities, such as Mithra and Yama (Yima), continued to receive the honors as forces of light. In a move that smacked of religious intolerance, but for reasons understandable from a Zoroastrian perspective, Zoroaster declared that impure gods should not be worshipped and no sacrifices should be offered to them. He introduced new rules for the sacrificial rituals, prohibiting certain old methods and practices which were used to invoke them, such as the haoma rituals involving intoxicating drinks, which were pleasing to the daevas.

The Indo Iranian connection in a different perspective

Subhash K. Kak, a noted Indologist, draws some parallels between the Indian and Iranian religions and presents the developments in Zoroastrianism in a new perspective. In his research paper entitled, "Vedic Elements in Ancient Iranian Religion" he provides a comprehensive list of deities present in both traditions who had identical names with some phonetic variations to present the view that both religions had many things in common. He then goes on to argue that the Vedic and the Zarathushtrian systems were much less different than was generally supposed and that the three way division of devas, asuras and daevas was not an entirely unknown classification to the Indian tradition as it was familiar to the inhabitants of Kashmir who had contacts with both. He believes that subsequently the Indian writers brought into focus the same dichotomy between the divine and evil forces in the Puranas, with Vishnu or Siva as a Supreme Being, acting as an adjudicator between the two, in a terminology that was familiar to the Indians. Before concluding that the even after the Zoroastrian reform, the basic system in ancient Iran remained unchanged, he makes the following observations.
The list of common deities and concepts will make it clear that the Zoroastrian system is essentially the same as the Vedic one. The presence of Indra in the list of the daevas seems to mirror the relegation of Indra that started in the Puranic times where instead of connecting to Svar through the intermediate region of which Indra is lord, a direct worship of the Great Lord (Vishnu or Siva) was stressed. This innovation is not counter to the Vedic system since the triple division is a recursive order. The devas are a part of the good forces in the Zoroastrian system under the label of yazata (yajatra, the adored- ones). The Zoroasatrian mythology remembers the Vedic sages and heroes such as Kavi Susravah (Kay Khosrau), Kavi Usanas (Kay Us). The names Ksatra Virya (Shahriyar) and Suvarn ah (Khwarrah, Farrah) helped the logic of late Persian names. The daeva in modern Persian are known as deev.

The commonality of the fire ritual is well known. Less known is the ritual of the nine-nights (barashnom i noshab) which is like the Indian ritual of the same name (navaratri). The No Roz occurs on the day of the spring equinox just as the festival of Indra.

Conclusion

Due to the geographical proximity, there was a regular exchange of ideas and practices between India and Iran from the early vedic period till the Mughal period. As early as 1400 BC, the Hittites and the Mittanis were familiar with the Sanskrit names of many Indian gods. Their kings bore Sanskrit names. Like the ancient Iranians, they probably followed a religion that bore many resemblances with the vedic religion of ancient Indians. Afghanisthan and Baluchistan acted as the connecting link between the two regions. India was known to the Persians, in the Avestan, as Hapta Hindu (Sapta Sindhu), a land that existed beyond Kubha (Kabul), Kurmu (Kurrum) and Gomti (Gomal). King Darius ruled an empire which included parts of India. He employed an Indian army that was well equipped and fit to fight, with infantry, archers, cavalry and chariots. The Persians continued to hold their sway on parts of India till Darius III (300 BC). The invasion of Alexander contributed further to the cultural exchanges. The continued presence of Persians on the Indian soil led to the intermingling of ideas and practices. Indian goods were popular in Persia. So was the knowledge of metallurgy and other sciences, while elements of Persian architecture found their way into many monuments constructed curing the Mauryan rule. The Mauryan emperor Chandragupta employed women bodyguards of probably Persian origin and adapted the hair washing ceremony of the Persian kings. In the religious sphere a number of new developments took place in the Indian subcontinent. The vedic religion transformed itself into a complex religion incorporating the best of all the prevailing ideas of the time, challenged by Buddhism and Jainism and other rival traditions. In Persia the opposite happened. Zoroastrianism developed into an organized religion. Its strict adherence to the teachings of Zoroaster, intolerance of other religions and puritanical approach to religious practice, made any changes in its basic fabric impossible, till it met its own match in Islam several centuries later and was completely wiped out from Iran.
 
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