Supplement No. 19

Exposition of Apam Napat, Fountain-Source of Blissful Heavenly Current

Apam Napat is an Avestan technical term derived from Ap, water; and Napat, centre. Though these derivatives are correct still it is not known in philology as to what the term actually applies to Avestan dictionary tries to explain the term as under:

"that from which anything has its origin; source; a fountain head; Apam Napat literally means 'the source, the navel or the son of waters'. It is so called, because, the Arvand (the Tigris) takes its source from it; originally it is the fire of lightning, as produced in the clouds, like the Vedic Apam Napat. As an angel it is commonly known by the name of the Izad Borj (Av. Berezant) Berezant (tall, high)" an epithet of Apam Napat, became one of his names (Dar.)"

Khshnoom teaches that Apam Napat is the blissful current that effects reformation of the souls by investing them in elemental bodies and finally repatriates them to the centre of the heaven of Ahura Mazda, i.e., to the empyrean.

The Napat or centre of the empyrean is the fountain-source of perfection of divine knowledge, divine Wisdom and blissfulness. The current from that fountain-source flows constantly on the universe, first to the 8th heaven of the Zodiac (9th is the empyrean). This blissful current is allegorically referred to in Avesta as water by comparing the inconceivable heights of the above two topmost heavens with the top of a very high mountain, and the blissful current with water gliding down from that mountain top.

The 8th heaven of the Zodiac is referred to in Avesta (Yt. 12;35) as Anaghra Raochao, Endless Lights, where is situated the elliptical belt containing 27 constellations of fixed stars. These 27 constellations are allegorically depicted as the 27 apexes of the above-mentioned mountain. In one of these apexes, i.e., constellations, which is named Hukairya (Yt. 10,88) is the collection of the blissful current of Apam Napat. This blissful current flows down from the constellation of Hukairya, traverses the transitional regions (Zamrirs) betweeen each pair of the revolving planetary heavens, and mixes with the fire-energy called AtasheMino Karko operating on Miswane-Gatu, the intermediate region between the heaven of the Moon and the top of the Space, i.e., between the immortal and mortal worlds (vide chart in Introduction).

Owing to its mixing with the fire-energy of Atashe Mino Karko which is inferior to the fire-energies of the planetary world, the current of Apam Napat becomes diluted. This diluted current is called Gava Chithra, literally meaning Seeds (souls) possessing propensity to live and help others live.

It is stated above that the current of Gava Chithra is the diluted form of Apam Napat. From this Gava Chithra are produced the four elements, viz., fire, air, water and earth. Apam Napat is so named because these elements possess the quality of transmuting soul's Evil into Good and of transfiguring and repatriating the souls to Napat, the centre of Ahura Mazda's heaven.

Since this Apam Napat has the power of accelerating the reformation of the soul, it is referred to in Avesta (Yt. 19,52) as aurvat aspa, swift-footed steed, thus:

"We sacrifice unto the Son of Waters, the swift-horsed, the tall and shining lord. . . who made man, who shaped man, a god who lives beneath waters, and whose ear is the quickest to hear when he is worshipped."

(S.B.E. Vol XXIII)

We have seen in the exposition that when Apam Napat becomes diluted, it is called the current of Gava Chithra. It may be noted that Gava Chithra is the name of the saintly souls, belonging to the top of the invisible mortal world of Space, which (Gava Chithra) are almost immortal souls. In the above quotation it is said "who made man, who shaped man" because as stated above, "from Gava Chithra are produced the elements, and from elements are produced human body and human shape. Thus there is the gradation of 1) Apam Napat; 2) Gava Chithra; 3) formation of subtle elements and shape; and lastly 4) material body. The Gava Chithra souls are trailing down like the flowing of a current. Hence the diluted form of Apam Napat is said to be the current of Gava Chithra.

For the "composition of-the four elements and of the human physical body", please see Supplement No. 28.