On the Seven Entities Accompanying the Chariot of the Sun

 

The lobar bronchial conduit is drawn by the smaller bronchi deep into the lung. The bronchial conduit is accompanied on its journey towards the farthest reaches (the respiratory zone) of the lung by the pulmonary artery, the bronchial artery and the neural entities. It is this anatomical landscape that is presented in the Puranas as the journey of the sun's chariot (see manuscript painting representation below). 

The system of bronchial conduits (see above) of the lung are presented as a chariot (with horses), bearing the sun-god (chief innervator). The  personalities accompanying the chariot of the sun are the various anatomical entities found within the lung. 

The seven entities associated with the chariot of the sun alongwith their possible identities [tentative, subject to revision]:

1. The yaksas are said to work in the goldmines. Kubera, the god of "riches," is their lord. As it is the oxygenated blood that stands for gold in the microcosmic code, therefore it must either be the pulmonary veins or the bronchial arteries that are meant by "goldmines." The yaksas therefore must be the neural entities that innervate either the pulmonary veins or the bronchial arteries. Note in this connection that the yaksa "damsels" are said to be the "attendants" of Parvati, who partake of Arunoda, the bronchial artery.

2. The nagas accompanying the sun on his journey are without doubt the pulmonary arterial conduits.

3. The rsis and the sun-gods are also without doubt neural entities. The rsis probably are the sensory (afferent) neural entities. 

4. The apsaras seem to be the bronchial arteries. These arteries offer oxygenated blood, the soma drink, to the neural entities.

5. The raksas could refer to the neural entities innervating the pulmonary arterial conduits.

6. The gandharvas are the husbands of the apsarases. So their identity would be deciphered by knowing what the term "husband" means. One possible meaning could be an entity that is paired with or corresponds to a particular ("wife") entity. The gandharvas appear to represent the efferent neural entities functioning under the main neural entity. They operate on the bronchial conduits in the manner of musicians playing on various musical instruments. As the efferent nerve fibers pierce and penetrate into the conduits, the motor entities may also be likened to warriors. And thus we have the gandharvas, the expert musicians, doubling up also as great warriors.