Yama, with his twin sister Yami, are children of Vivasvat, the Sun. They thus represent the Solar Pitris, the conscious and intelligent souls of mankind. They are represented as twins, perhaps to indicate the early races which were two-sexed, before the separation of the sexes. And the tradition that Yama was wedded to his twin sister Yami, no doubt refers to the period after the separation of the sexes, when sex union began; the epoch of the later Third Race. The fact that Yama is also called Lord of the South may likewise refer to this Third Race, which had its chief development on the southern continent, as the Second Race seems to have had its chief development on the northern continent.

Yama was also the first, according to tradition, who died a physical death; another reference to the same period of the later Third Race. When the time for death came, Yama, as king of the men of that time, volunteered to be the first to taste of death, to descend into the world of darkness. Therefore Yama became Lord of the House of Death, and Judge of the dead. According to their deeds, they were sent to one or another of the twenty-one provinces of Yama; and, when they had received the reward of good works, or the punishment of evil works, they were born again.

This tradition will explain the various names of Yama: Son of the Sun, Lord of Death, Lord of Judgment. As Son of the Sun, representative of the spiritual nature in man, Yama is also the great Initiator, who reveals to men their spiritual powers. Therefore, he is both the host of Nachiketas, as Lord of the realm of Death, and his Initiator, as Son of the Sun, which here, as so often, is the symbol of the Logos, the Sun of Righteousness.

**It would be easy to draw parallels with the traditions of Egypt, where Ra is the Sun, while Amen-Ra, the hidden Sun, the sun after sunset, is the Lord of the realm of Death. So also Osiris, the great sacrificial victim, is Lord of the realm of Death and Judge of the dead, and is, at the same time, Lord of the hidden wisdom, Lord of Initiation.

After the passage of three nights, which, as has been shown, stand for the "three times," past, present, future, the forms taken by Eternity in this our place of pilgrimage, Yama, at last greeting his guest, speaks thus to Nachiketas:

Because thou hast dwelt three nights in my house without eating, a sacred guest, worthy of reverence-reverence to thee, holy one, and may it be well with me-therefore, in return do thou choose three wishes.

Nachiketas answers:

That the descendant of Gotama, my father, may be of quiet heart, well-minded, without resentment towards me, O Death, when I am sent forth by Thee; that he may address me gladly-this I choose as the first wish of my three!

Yama replies:

As before, Uddalaka Aruni's son will be well-disposed toward thee through my grace. Happily by night he will sleep with resentment gone, having beheld thee released from the mouth of Death.

There are different shades of meaning in this first wish, according to the different layers of the allegorical story. First, taking the story as a simple narrative of the father, Vajashravasa, who, because of his son's insistence, was forced to sacrifice him to Death, there is the simple wish that that father should be without resentment toward his son, without sorrow; that he should receive his son with all his former love. Then there is the deeper meaning, where the Son is a symbol of the soul which has descended into the world of death; that the Father should once more receive this Son, taking him to himself with love as of old. This is the meaning indicated in the parable of the Prodigal. And there is a third meaning, having to do with the disciple, the candidate for initiation. The father here represents the whole past Karma of the disciple; the web of limitations which he has imposed upon himself by his past acts and faults. After his initiation, a part of his task is, to conquer these limitations, to bring order out of this web of confusion, to bring reconciliation between the past and the new future which is illumined by the light of initiation.

The name of Uddalaka Aruni deserves comment. In a passage in the Chhandogya Upanishad, it is said that: "This sacred teaching Brahma declared to Prajapati, Prajapati to Manu, Manu to his offspring. This sacred truth was declared by his father to his eldest son, Uddalaka Aruni." Shankaracharya, or the disciple who writes in his name, thus interprets this: "Brahma Hiranyagarbha declared it to Prajapati Viraj; he to Manu; and Manu declared it to Ikshvaku and the others."

We may compare with this the passage at the beginning of the fourth book of the Bhagavad Gita. "This everlasting teaching of Union I declared to the Solar Lord; the Solar Lord declared it to Manu; Manu revealed it to Ikshvaku. Thus handed down by spiritual succession, the Rajanya sages received this revelation."

We are concerned here with the succession of the Divine Hierarchy, guardians of the greater Mysteries and revealers of the great Initiation. Having its heart and origin in the Logos, it is imparted to the Regent of the Solar Pitris, who are the bearers of the souls of men; the Solar Lord reveals it to the humanity of our own race, to whom it comes through the line of the Solar Kings, at the head of which traditionally stands Ikshvaku. And from the Solar Kings come the Upanishads, as they themselves abundantly testify.

Therefore the name, son of Uddalaka Aruni, given to the father of Nachiketas, would appear to point directly to the line of transmission of the greater Mysteries, and clearly to indicate that this story is a document of the greater Mysteries: the thought with which the present interpretation is undertaken. C. J.

I

"WHY DO I FAIL?"

F you know a man who thoroughly believes that he is a really perfect husband, you have the misfortune to know an unmitigated cad. If you know a man convinced that he is letter-perfect in the knowledge and in the conduct of his business, his art, or his profession, you know him now, or you will know him soon, as a recognized failure—in addition to his being already an unalloyed ass. If you think that you know of a saint or a mystic, who did not feel that he or she was a failure, you have been wasting your time upon one who is an impostor-according to all rules and to all teachings.

Yet thousands of wives know that there are good husbands, who do make their homes happy. Thousands of successful men-in business, in the arts and in the professions-attest that consciousness of imperfection is not incompatible with achievement. The lives of the great saints and the great mystics cry aloud that there is power in humility and its consciousness of self-helplessness; indeed, that from humility alone does power spring.

Hence, consciousness of imperfection is not incompatible with progress, or even with a degree of success. The husband who does fail is the one who quits trying to be better than he knows he is. The man in the world, who refuses to strive, just because he does not attain to his ideals, does fail. The aspirant who does not feel the "fear of God," as he measures his own life, has yet to take the first step on the Path. What the world calls success in any direction seems to rest upon consciousness of imperfection on the part of the one acclaimed successful.

The first rudimentary animal that felt fear for itself, in the face of a superior force, perhaps attained the first step in self-consciousness. True, it was only reacting to what biologists call "the first law"-that of self-preservation. Whether it acted from instinct, or from initiative, is immaterial. It acted in itself, as itself, and for itself.

The first rudimentary animal that fought for its own mate, offspring or ally-parental or tribal-took the first step in consideration of others. It had enlarged its self-consciousness to include another. It had taken the first step towards universal brotherhood. Biologists would say it had followed their "second law"-that of the preservation of the species.

It is interesting-perhaps it may be suggestive and helpful-to note that the rudimentary species that stressed the first law, and slighted the second law, became extinct. Only the species that followed and obeyed both laws, survived. If we rest inactive in the consciousness of failure, perhaps there is nothing immortal in us-we fail utterly. If we use the fear that the consequences of our failures will fall upon others, perhaps the second law of biology will prove as operative today, as it

has in the past, and our "species" will survive-a first step taken towards immortality. Whom do we hurt when we fail?

However slightly we touch it, however much of a load or drag upon it we may be, yet we know that we are part and parcel of the great Theosophical Movement. We sense its power: yet we see that even it seems to fail-perhaps because of us. Nevertheless it continues-wave after wave. Again, and again, and yet again, the impulse is received by the world. The world rouses; tries; fails. Then again the impulse is given. Charlemagne's sons disrupted his kingdom, set back France, found no successors for the Paladins-but France lived. Ignatius gave himself as the spear-head. Neglected, as he lay dying, his cold corpse was glorified and the Jesuits were already off the track. Yet Christ did not give up the fight. To St. Margaret Mary was soon revealed the sacred heart to be received by the world with sleepy apathy. Incident after incident may be enumerated. They will prove repeated failures. This is true. Also is it true that they will also prove the unflagging will and inflexible determination that failure upon failure shall not result in giving-up, in quitting, in surrender to odds, however great they may be. The Master himself remains undismayed; and fighting. The work of Madame Blavatsky and Mr. Judge has not stopped-the T. S. still functions after their death.

Perhaps there is danger in this thought that failure has been recurrent. It is dangerous if it be allowed to destroy will. How dangerous it is the recent war has already shown, and, alas, may have yet to show. France failed to hold back the Germans, but France fought on. Belgium, England, Serbia, Italy and other Allies failed in turn. But each fought

on.

America failed at first even to awake. Awakened at last, America began to fight. The Germans felt their own failure in France's will to fight on. The Germans stopped fighting. They offered surrender. The Allies refused to carry-on to complete and uncompromising victory. They themselves surrendered in accepting the proffered German peace. The people of the Allies cried aloud that war is failure. The demand became that war be stopped, not that victory be won. The world may yet pay a fearful price for accepting the pacifist dictum that war is the worst of evils; that war in itself is the final failure. Are we, who are in the Movement, to come, also, to regard continued necessity for combat as failure? Is it not opportunity?

So much for some of the universal aspects of our problem. How about the particular-where it affects you and me? I echo your plaint, "Oh! why do I fail?" If I did not recognize that I have failed I would not be for I could not be-with you in the great Movement. Together do we seek guides, adjusters, teachers, and the Path. We do not belong here, if we do not see ourselves in each other-and thus find the truth about ourselves. How does Light on the Path put it?

"9. Regard earnestly all the life that surrounds you.

10. Learn to look intelligently into the hearts of men.
11. Regard most earnestly your own heart."

And, in the "Note" to "10," we shall find:

"From an absolutely impersonal point of view, otherwise your sight is coloured. Therefore impersonality must first be understood.

"Intelligence is impartial: no man is your enemy: no man is your friend. All alike are your teachers. Your enemy becomes a mystery that must be solved, even though it take ages: for man must be understood. Your friend becomes a part of yourself, an extension of yourself, a riddle hard to read. Only one thing is more difficult to know-your own heart. Not until the bonds of personality are loosed can that profound mystery of self begin to be seen. Not till you stand aside from it will it in any way reveal itself to your understanding. Then, and not till then, can you grasp and guide it. Then, and not till then, can you use all its powers, and devote them to a worthy service."

Is not the first step, in knowledge of our own hearts, that first step of the rudimentary animal-fear in the face of a superior force? We simply cannot beat God, or the Absolute, or Karma, or the Divine Law. [What difference does it make by what name we call "That”? How often men go astray through words-mere trifling masks of basic ideas. Let us always try to get hold of what is within-not grab at the flimsy trappings.] God does know what is best for us. He does know what is best for each of us. Let us make the best of what He gives ushere and now; just as we are; and especially-just exactly as we are circumstanced-call it circumscribed, if you like. Our personal opinions will not move God. He has given us what He knows is best for us, and for each of us.

If we linger too long in the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Failure), surely we shall stay there. "Fear is a force to be used." It is not a force to be allowed to master us, as it mastered the Germans, for a time, and now threatens to master the democracies of the world. Remember that the species that used fear only for self-preservation, ultimately became extinct. The only immortality lies in the power of the fear of hurting others. Hence Socialism will not survive. Perhaps we had better swallow some painful truths about ourselves, making them pith and fibre of our substance.

Truth (or food) first: In one sense, it is utterly unimportant whether our personalities fail or not. It is, indeed, quite likely that they ought not to survive. The Universe managed, somehow, to exist a year or two, at the least, before our personalities appeared upon the scene. It is a fair assumption that it will so continue, when they are gone. Yet, while our personalities are so utterly unimportant, the use or misuse we make of them may be vitally important to others. According to the