On the Three Lokas of the Lungs

 The three lokas of bhur, bhuvar and svar in all probability denote the three portions of the lung:

1. Bhu loka: the acinus, the productive portion of the lung

2. Bhuvar loka: the bronchiolar region, the region of the birds

3. Svar loka: the central axial, the bronchial region. 

Principal Happenings at the Time of Destruction

 The metaphors discussed earlier in the chapter on the motifs and metaphors and the strategies discussed in the chapter on concepts and strategies, should help us to decipher and decode the events and the happenings such as those described during creation and destruction of the universe. 

The principal happenings at the time of destruction:

1. Seven suns scorching the earth

2. Crops wither [Wither (of plants and flowers) is to dry up, shrink, wilt, fade, whether as a natural process or as the result of exposure to excessive heat or drought: Plants withered in the hot sun. (Dictionary.com). ]

3. Ananta breathing fire which incinerates

4. Rudra piercing the elephants of the quarters with his trident (this may be the innervating trunks). 

5. The earth finally getting submerged by water. 

Real Happenings Not Metaphors

 The following are literal happenings not metaphors:

1. splitting, branching, dividing (dichotomizing)

2. Piercing

3. Changing, transmutation, transformation

4. Supplying, distributing [in the case of the bronchial arteries]

Not only are the entities themselves real but also their anatomical (and also, physiological) behavior is real. The tales of the Puranas, therefore, although certainly not history, are not myths either or something completely fictitious. They are founded in reality. 

A set of entities with certain properties and features does exist. The bronchial conduits along with the other structures do emanate from one another, divide at each level and travel through the sphere of the lung. The neural entities do pierce these conduits and the flow of deoxygenated blood does transform into an oxygenated flow. A set of fundamental truths regarding the peculiar structure and design of these anatomical structures (and their features) is woven, therefore, alongwith metaphor, into a rich narrative. The poet-anatomist simply has allowed metaphor to accrete and accumulate around these core scientific facts.

 

For example, the change or the transformation of the deoxygenated blood into the oxygenated flow may be used to construct the story of transformation of the nature of a being from a demonic to a benign one. It may serve as the pivot around which the story of creation and destruction of the world revolves, with the mutually opposing character of the two flows representing these two stages. Similarly, in the case of substances, this fact may be used to weave a tale of magical, alchemical transmutation involving loss and gain of properties (which is really happening).  

The Concept of Congealing

In the Puranas, the moon (pulmonary vein) is said to be "congealed water" and the sun (lobar bronchus) is referred to as "congealed heat," alluding to its expiratory role. 

 In simple terms, this indicates a movement from the distal ends of the lungs towards its hilum. This "involutionary" or "reverse evolutionary" movement  is termed as "congealing." In respect of the waters (the oxygenated flow), it occurs when the smaller pulmonary venous conduits lump together, as it were, into bigger and bigger conduits; the tiny venules congeal into the bigger veins and this occurs for several generations of conduits until finally all the veins merge together, as if, into the primary pulmonary veins. This (congealing)  is therefore a reverse anatomical movement. A similar congealing can occur in respect of the other conduits. 

Several Ways to Express the Relationship between Entities

 There are several ways in which the relationship between entities belonging to successive levels may be expressed. The higher level entity may be considered as the same as the lower one. Alternatively, the two entities may be considered different. The lower level entity may be considered as only a form of the higher level entity in the light of the underlying philosophy in which an evolute arises due to a rearranging of the particles in the primary matter. Again the primary entity may be viewed as containing within it in potential (unrealised) form all the entities that proceed from it ; which collectively may be seen as making up an entity. And so in this way the primary entity may be referred to by the name of that entity. So there is extreme fluidity when it comes to specifying the relationship between the entities. The constructors of the puranic narratives have made use of such a fluidity and would justify it on philosophico-scientific grounds. Based on different angles of vision the same entity can be considered in different ways. 

For example the entire chariot of the sun may be represented by the bronchi at different levels. Or, the different bronchi may stand only for the (individual) components of the chariot. 

The Concept of "Islands" (dvipa)

The dichotomous branching model of the bronchial tree is utilised by the ancient anatomists to construct a mandala representation in which the primary bronchus (Mt Meru) is placed at the centre. 

The concept of "islands" (dvipa) in the Puranas relates to the anatomical arrangement of the lung. Such an "island" is a lung in miniature--a segment bounded by the “ocean” of the pulmonary vein. These “islands” become more numerous as the airways branch dichotomously.

Bounded by the pulmonary veins on all sides (represented by the bronchi), each segment of the lung is like an island.

 "Jambudvipa" is a region of the lung. "Jambu" is the bronchial "tree" that grows, as it were, on the top of the lobar bronchus.

The bronchi represent the different sides or the directions of and within a particular continent. Each continent is like an island because in whichever "direction" one chooses to travel, one finds oneself surrounded by the "ocean" of the pulmonary vein. All "sides" are bounded or enclosed by the pulmonary vein. It is this fact that is represented in abstracted form in a mandala diagram. Each ocean in reality is a collection of oceans bounding a collection of islands. 

There appears to be a lack of consensus among anatomicians and researchers as to whether the branching pattern of the human bronchial tree is dichotomous or monopodial. The anatomists of the Puranas seem to have accommodated diverse viewpoints. While they seem to recognise that the branching within the bronchial region is quite irregular and varied with a number of peculiar configurations – some of which give rise to interesting metaphors, when it comes to the less discernible bronchiolar region, they have unhesitatingly opted for a regular dichotomous model. And the latter has found expression in the well-known concentric circular diagram of the seven island-continents. 

The Weapons that Pierce

 The weapons that pierce (like spears and arrows) -- nerve fibres acting on the conduits. The slaying (of asuras etc.) by the neural controllers seems to refer to the splitting and bifurcation of the conduits (esp. the p. artery?). The hyaline cartilage seems to act like armature. 

The trident appears to be a symbol for the nerves and the innervating mechanism. Siva's trident pierces the world-elephants. In some images, the trident is shown having lotuses fitted to its ends. This seems to stand for the innervation (piercing) of the bronchial tree. Indra's vajra also seems to be this innervating mechanism. Its association with Dadhici (it was derived from his bones) also strengthens our contention as the rsis are certainly neural entities.