D. The Septenary In The Exoteric Works.
We may now examine other ancient scriptures and see whether they contain the septenary classification, and, if so, to what degree.
Scattered about in thousands of other Sanskrit texts, some still unopened, others yet unknown, as well as in all the Purânas, as much as, if not much more than, even in the Jewish Bible, the numbers seven and forty-nine (7 × 7) play a most prominent part. In the Purânas they are found from the seven Creations, in the first chapters, down to the seven Rays of the Sun at the final Pralaya, which expand into [pg 647] seven Suns and absorb the material of the whole Universe. Thus the Matsya Purâna has:
For the sake of promulgating the Vedas, Vishnu, in the beginning of a Kalpa, related to Manu the story of Narasimha and the events of seven Kalpas.[1466]
Then again the same Purâna shows that:
In all the Manvantaras, classes of Rishis[1467] appear by seven and seven, and having established a code of law and morality depart to felicity.[1468]
The Rishis, however, represent many other things besides living sages.
In Dr. Muir's translation of the Atharva Veda, we read:
1. Time carries (us) forward, a steed, with seven rays, a thousand eyes, undecaying, full of fecundity. On him intelligent sages mount; his wheels are all the worlds.
2. Thus Time moves on seven wheels; he has seven naves; immortality is his axle. He is at present all these worlds. Time hastens onward the first God.