Perhaps modern readers interested in Rock Music have heard of the Stairway to Heaven the iconic hit by the Band Led Zepellin. The song is unfortunately said to be related to Satanic Worship.
The Stairway Reference is found of course in the Bible as well and is often related to Jacob's Ladder. For readers of my book, "The H-Source of the Bible", the relationship between Jacob or Israel and King Bharata might have come as a surprise. The name Israel literally implies "He who wrestles with God". King Bharata even when he was very small is said to have subdued wild animals and was therefore named Sarvadamana by Sage Kanva.
Jacob similarly is said to have wrestled with a mysterious being, or angelic form. In addition to this, there is also the peculiar story of Jacob's ladder. Jacob while fleeing from Canaan out of fear for Esau, journeys to a place near Haran and lays down at a spot.
The story above is followed by a story of Astavakra a few verses later, and we see that interpretation of Dreams of the King (in this case Janaka) also in the story of Joseph who is also an expert interpreter of Dreams and rises to power from interpreting the Pharaoh's dreams.
The Stairway Reference is found of course in the Bible as well and is often related to Jacob's Ladder. For readers of my book, "The H-Source of the Bible", the relationship between Jacob or Israel and King Bharata might have come as a surprise. The name Israel literally implies "He who wrestles with God". King Bharata even when he was very small is said to have subdued wild animals and was therefore named Sarvadamana by Sage Kanva.
Jacob similarly is said to have wrestled with a mysterious being, or angelic form. In addition to this, there is also the peculiar story of Jacob's ladder. Jacob while fleeing from Canaan out of fear for Esau, journeys to a place near Haran and lays down at a spot.
Biblical Reference
Wikipedia quotes Genesis as follows, "Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to the place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it [or "beside him"] and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south;and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it." And he was afraid, and said, "This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."Mahabharata Reference
This reference to a stairway to Heaven is also found in the Vanaparva of the Mahabharata, and is called Plakshavatarana. Here is a translation, "Hear what a Pisacha woman (she-goblin), who was decked with pestles for her ornaments, said (to a Brahmana woman), as I was reciting here the table of genealogy. (She said), "Having eaten curd in Yugandhara, and lived in Achutasthala, and also bathed in Bhutilaya, thou shouldst live with thy sons. Having passed a single night here, if thou wilt spend the second, the events of the night will be different from those that have happened to thee in the day-time, O most righteous of Bharata's race! Today we shall spend the night at this very spot. O scion of Bharata's race! this is the threshold of the field of the Kurus. O king! At this very spot, the monarch Yayati, son of Nahusha, performed sacrificial rites, and made gifts of an abundance of gems. And Indra was pleased with those sacred rites. This is an excellent holy bathing-place on the river Yamuna, known as Plakshavatarana (descent of the banian tree). Men of cultured minds call it the entrance to the region of heaven. O respected sir! here, after having performed sacrificial rites of the Saraswata king, and making use of the sacrificial stake for their pestle, the highest order of saints performed the holy plunge prescribed at the end of a sacred ceremony. O monarch! King Bharata here performed sacrificial rites. To celebrate the horse-sacrifice, he here set free the horse who was the intended victim. That monarch had won the sovereignty of the earth by righteousness. The horse? he let go more than once were of a colour checkered with black. O tiger among men! it was here that Marutta sheltered by Samvartta, leader of saints, succeeded in performing excellent sacrifices. O sovereign of kings! Having taken his bath at this spot, one can behold all the worlds, and is purified from his evil deeds. Do thou, therefore, bathe at this spot.'"Astavakra and Joseph
The story above is followed by a story of Astavakra a few verses later, and we see that interpretation of Dreams of the King (in this case Janaka) also in the story of Joseph who is also an expert interpreter of Dreams and rises to power from interpreting the Pharaoh's dreams.
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