Muluk-Taoos

The term "Muluk-Taoos" is derived from Arabic, combining "Muluk" (kings, rulers) and "Taoos" (peacock). It is linked to ancient Semitic root words for ruler and messenger, suggesting a celestial authority. The peacock itself is a recurring symbol of wisdom across various cultures.

From Maluh, "Ruler", a later form of IMoloch, Melek, Malayak and Malachim, "messengers", angels. It is the Deity worshipped by the Yczidis, a sect in Persia, kindly called by Christian theology "devil worshippers", under the form of a peacock. The Lord "Peacock" is not Satan, nor is it the devil; for it is simply the symbol of the hundred eyed Wisdom ; the bird of Saraswati, goddess of Wisdom; of Karttikeya the Kumdra, the Virgin celebate of the Mysteries of Juno, and all the gods and goddesses connected Avith the secret learning. Mummy. The name for human bodies embalmed and preserved according to the ancient Egyptian method. The process of mummification is a rite of extreme antiquity in the land of the Pharaohs, and was considered as one of the most sacred ceremonies. It was, moreover, a process showing considerable learning in chemistry and surgery. Mummies 5,000 years old and more, reappear among us as preserved and fresh as when they first came from the hands of the Parashistes. Mumukshatwa (8k.). Desire for liberation (from reincarnation and thraldom of matter). Mundakya Upanishad (SI-.). Lit., the "Mundaka esoteric doctrine", a work of liigli antiquity. It has been tran.slated by Raja Rammohun Roy. Mundane Ef/g or Tree, or any other such sym])olical object in the world Mythologies. 3Icru is a "Mundane Mountain"; the Bodhi Tree, or Ficus religiosa, is the Mundane Tree of the Buddhists; just as the Yggdrasil is the ''Mundane Tree" of the Scandinavians or Norsemen.

The figure of Muluk-Taoos, the Peacock Angel, offers a potent counterpoint to the often rigid theological landscapes of Abrahamic faiths. Blavatsky's definition, though embedded within her encyclopedic scope, correctly identifies the Yazidi veneration of this entity as distinct from devil worship. The peacock, a creature of striking beauty and an ancient symbol of royalty and divine vision, is here elevated to represent not a fallen angel, but a celestial being embodying "the hundred-eyed Wisdom." This echoes the ancient Greek notion of Argus Panoptes, whose many eyes symbolized omnipresent awareness, and connects to the Indian reverence for the peacock as the mount of Kartikeya and an attribute of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge.

The misinterpretation of Muluk-Taoos by some external observers, labeling Yazidi practice as "devil worship," is a recurring pattern in the history of religious encounters, where unfamiliar symbolism is often projected with fear and misunderstanding. Mircea Eliade, in his studies of comparative religion, often highlighted how sacred symbols carry multifaceted meanings that can be lost when viewed through a single, dogmatic lens. The Yazidi tradition, in its reverence for the Peacock Angel, invites us to consider a divine principle that is not defined by opposition or condemnation, but by radiant beauty and profound, all-seeing wisdom. It suggests a cosmic order where divine manifestations can be multifaceted, and where the "messenger" or "ruler" is associated with light and understanding, rather than darkness and malevolence. This perspective encourages a more nuanced appreciation of the diverse ways in which humanity has sought to understand and connect with the sacred, recognizing the potential for profound spiritual insight in symbols that might otherwise be overlooked or condemned. The very existence of such a figure challenges us to question our inherited assumptions about the nature of good and evil in the spiritual realm.