Chapter 46
Sudga had two vice-Gods, Brihat and Visvasrij. Next to these was Sudga’s heavenly chief marshal, Atma, who had four thousand marshals under him, and equally divided among them to command, were one billion heavenly warring angels. Atma had authority over thirty thousand generals and captains, to whom two billion angels were allotted.
Chief of the heavenly generals were: Shahara, Vasyam, Suchchi, Dev, Nasakij, Tvara, Watka, Shan, Dorh, Hudhup, Nikish, Hajara, Hwassggarom, Viji, Yatamas, Brahma, Goska, Fulowski, M’Dhuhitri, Yaya-mich-ma, Hijavar, Duth, Lob-yam, Hi-gup, and Vowiska. And these falsely assumed the names of the ancient Gods and Lords of thousands of years before.
Sudga had said to them: So that my age may be magnified before the newborn in heaven, you shall also magnify your own names by taking the names of Gods and Lords who are revered in heaven and earth, for all things are free to you. But I give privilege to none others to choose the names of the ancients.
Sudga then made the following his Private Council: Plow-ya, Vazista, Kiro, Cpenista, Visper, E-shong, Bog-wi, Lowtha, Brihat, Gai-ya, Sa-mern, Nais-wiche, Yube, Sol, Don, Mung-jo, Urvash, Cpenta-mainyus, and Vanaiti; and to each of them ten thousand attendants.
Then Sudga made two great captains, Varsa and Baktu, and he said to them: Two billion angels I have allotted to go down to the earth, to the land of Vind’yu, to subdue mortals and have dominion over them permanently, and I divide the two billion between you two. But all other angels shall remain in my heavenly kingdom and work for me, and embellish it, and beautify my heavenly cities, especially my holy capital.
Now, when you two are permanent on the earth, and secured in the temples and oracles, you shall survey all the lands of Vind’yu, including the cities, large and small, and all the people. And, behold, all men shall be subdued to my two names, Sudga and Dyaus; and when a city stands, in which the people worship any other Gods or Lords, you shall destroy that city and all its people. It shall be city against city and man against man; for as I am the all highest God of heaven, so will I be the God of earth, and its Lord. And when finding two cities to be destroyed, the two of you shall divide, one going with his angel warriors to one city, and the other to the other city; and you shall inspire them against each other until death; and when they are laid low, you shall bring my worshippers into the place, to inhabit it.
Thus the two destroying captain Gods, Varsa and Baktu, with their two billion angel warriors, descended to the earth. And they spread out over the land of Vind’yu, where there were many kingdoms and thousands of cities; and they came to mortals asleep or awake, and inspired them to havoc and destruction, for Sudga’s sake.
And in twelve years, four thousand cities were laid in ruins, of which thirty-seven were great cities. And chief of these were Yadom, Watchada, Cvalaka, Hoce-te, Hlumivi, Ctdar, and Yigam, each of which contained more than one million souls, and some of them two million.
In all of these there were places of great learning, and schools, and temples of sacrifice (worship). In Ctdar the roof of the temple was made of silver, copper and gold; and it had one thousand columns of polished stone, and five hundred pillars to support the roof. The walls were covered with tapestry, painted with written words and histories of heaven and earth, and of the Gods, Lords and Saviors of the ancients. Within the temple were seven altars of sacrifice, and four thousand basins of holy water for baptismal rites. Within the walls of the temple were niches for five hundred priests, for the confession of sins, and for receiving the money, cloth and fruits of the earth, contributed by the penitent for the remission of their sins. Through the central passage within the temple the king drove in his golden chariot, when he came for sacrifice; and the floor of this passage was laid with silver and gold.
In the center of the temple floor was a basin filled with water, and the diameter of the basin was equal to twenty lengths of a man. In the middle of the basin was a fountain throwing up water. And at the east, west, north and south sides of the basin were four pillars of polished stone, with stairs within them; and the tops of these pillars were connected by beams of inlaid wood of many colors, polished finely, which were called the Holy Arch of Suhhadga. On the summit of the arch was a small house called the Voice of the Oracle, for here sat the king’s interpreter of heaven and earth, the reader of visions. And the spirits of the dead appeared in the spray of the fountain, sometimes as stars of light and sometimes in their own forms and features, and were witnessed by the multitude.
Within each of the five hundred pillars was a sacred chamber, for the benefit of the priests communing with angels. In the east pillar was an opening from top to bottom, a slatway, so the multitude could see into the pillar, which was hollow its entire height. This was occupied by the king’s high priest or priestess, as the case might be, and this person had attained to adeptship, so that the angels could carry him up and down within the pillar, even to its top, which was equal to fifty lengths of a man. And the multitude thus saw him ascending and descending.
In the west pillar was the library of the temple, which contained a history of its important events for a period of eight hundred years; of the priest and high priests, and of the kings of the city.
Next to the Temple, which was called Tryista, stood the House of Learning, where the wise men and women congregated, being skilled in philosophy, music, astronomy and mineralogy. The House was made of polished stone and wood interlocked, and its front had one hundred and forty columns of polished stone and wood. The house contained the skins and bones of thousands of creatures, ancient and modern, which were classified and named; and with these were books of philosophy and history, all of which were free to the public one day in seven. Next to the House of Learning was the Temple of Death, dedicated to all kinds of battles, battles between lions and men, tigers and men, and between lions and tigers, and elephants, and between man and man. And so great was the Temple of Death that its seats could accommodate three hundred thousand men, women and children. The temple was circular, and without a roof over the arena. But the greatest of all buildings in Ctdar was the king’s palace, commonly called TEMPLE OF THE SUN. This was also made of polished stone; and on the four sides had eight hundred columns of polished stone; and next to the columns were fifty pillars, on every side connected by arches twelve lengths high, on which rested a roof of wood and stone; and yet on this was surmounted another row of four hundred columns of polished wood, inlaid with silver and gold, and these were connected on the top by other arches ten lengths high, and on these another roof, and on the top of this a dome covered with gold, silver and copper. From the arena to the dome the height was twenty-eight lengths, and the base of the dome across was sixteen lengths. Entering the temple from the west was a chariot roadway, so that the king and his visitors could drive up into the arena of the palace in their chariots. But as for the interior of the king’s palace, a whole book could be written to describe it, and yet not tell half its richness, beauty and magnificence.
Besides these great buildings there were four hundred and fifty Temples of Darkness, dedicated to the spirits of the dead. These were without any opening except the door; and when the communers were within, and the door shut, they were without light. Within these temples, spirits and mortals congregated, and the spirits taught mortals the art of magic; of making seeds grow into trees and flowers; of producing serpents by force of the will; of carrying things through the air; casting sweet perfumes, and casting foul smells; of casting virus to one’s enemy, and inoculating him with poison, causing death; of finding things lost; of bringing money to the poor, and flowers and food to the sick; of entering the dead sleep, and of becoming unconscious to pain by force of the will.
Nor could any man or woman attain to be a priest in the Temple of Tryista until he mastered all the degrees in the Temples of Darkness.
The angels of Sudga decided to destroy this city (Ctdar); and, accordingly, they inspired a war between it and the city of Yadom, which was a close second to it in magnificence, possessing temples and palaces like it. Indeed, to describe one of these great cities was to describe the other, as to mortal glory. For seven hundred years these cities had been at peace with each other, only half a day’s journey apart, on the great river, Euvisij, in the Valley of Rajawichta.
And the captain God, Varsa, chose one city, and the captain God, Baktu, chose the other city; and each of them took from their billion angel warriors a sufficient number, and inspired the two great cities to everlasting destruction. As mortals turn savage beasts into an arena, to watch them tear and flay each other, even so sat these captain Gods in their heavenly chariots, witnessing the two great cities in mortal combat. And when one had too much advantage, the angel hosts would turn the tide, or let them rest awhile; then urge them to it again, holding the game in such even balance as would ensure the greatest possible havoc to both.
Eight years these battles lasted; and hundreds of thousands of men, women and children were slain; and when the great cities were thus reduced, the Gods let loose THE BAND OF DEATH, whose angel office was to carry poison virus from the rotten dead and inoculate the breath of the living; and then make mortals in desperate madness set fire to their cities, to keep them from falling into other hands. And in eight years the great cities, with their mighty temples, were turned to ruin and dust; and of the people left, only the ignorant few, starving, helpless wanderers, could tell the tale of what had been.
Sudga had said: All knowledge among mortals is inimical to the Gods in heaven; therefore I will destroy all knowledge on the earth. And this was the same doctrine maintained by Te-in, God of Jaffeth.
The captain Gods of Sudga proceeded in that manner, over all the land of Vind’yu, laying low all kingdoms, cities, places of sacrifice, and places of learning. And in one hundred years the mighty people of Vind’yu were reduced to beggary and scattered tribes of wanderers. The great canals were destroyed, and the upper and lower country became places of famine and barrenness. And in the valleys and on the mountains, in the abandoned fields and in the wildernesses, lay the bones and skulls of millions of the human dead. And lions and tigers came and prowled about in the ruined walls of the fallen temples and palaces. Nor was there left in all the land a single library, or book, or the art of making books, or anything to show what the great history had been.
Thus perished the Vedic language, the language of song, poetry and great oratory. Except in a small degree, such as that preserved by the remnant of Faithists who had escaped through all these generations, still worshipping in secret the Great Spirit.
Hear next of Osiris and his dominions, and of Arabin’ya, Par’si’e and Heleste: