In an earlier article, I explained how Brahma is also symbolic of our conscious thoughts. In Hindu mythology, Brahma is described as the Universal Mind. And given the comparisons between the two gods, Prajapati is also symbolic of the Universal Mind.
In turn the Universal Mind is your mind, as you are the center of your own Universe. It makes sense that you have to be because you are the only person in the Universe experiencing your existence from your point of consciousness.
Although Prajapati is generally known today as “the god of the people,” a more accurate description would be God in man. He represents a state of higher-consciousness that is innate within each of us if we choose to search for it through the act of self-realization.
Prajapati is also associated with sacrifice and is honored in Hindu rituals as the god of fire. Fire of course is used to dissolve things we no longer want in our lives. We destroy old furniture and rubbish for fuel.
We can also do this symbolic act in a practical way by dissolving our ego and finding our path back to our true self. Furthermore, the element of fire in hermetic alchemy, which shares the same meanings as religious symbolism, represents passion and desire.
Sometimes, in order for us to evolve into our next stage of consciousness, we have to sacrifice things that we desire or have a passion for. We have to burn away values that we no longer need.
The dual nature of consciousness
Nature is governed by cosmic laws, one of which is the law of duality. The law of duality determines that everything has an opposite and a scale between the two. When nature finds balance, it flourishes.
The same is true of consciousness. We have a higher consciousness and a base consciousness. Hindu religion calls them Devas (higher consciousness) and Asuras (lower consciousness).
Prajapati is noted as a Supreme God, thus he can be identified as representing higher consciousness. But he is also associated with animals which represents the lower consciousness of man – because we are by nature animals. It is only our ability to attain higher states of consciousness that human beings are superior to animals.
So when Prajapati is described as a bird, he represents the higher self. The tortoise represents the lower consciousness of the reptilian brain which controls our need to survive, and goats, bulls and oxen represent ignorance of our slavery.
We therefore have choices to make; to follow the path of our divine consciousness and become like gods, or stay rooted in ignorance and slavery like cattle. Do you ever wonder where the term ‘sheeple’ might have come from?
Like all Hindu Gods, Prajapati is an aspect of ourselves. He is our conscious thoughts that evolve to become reality. And the thoughts you choose to act upon come from either your higher consciousness, or your lower consciousness. So pay attention to your actions.
