ARARAD ARATTA URARTU RTA MI-TRA

Rta, is the rhythm of constant flux and transformation in the universe. Rta is the union of R* and T* or one might say it is like the union of the R* representing eternal rhythmic flow with the T* representing a temporarily yet fixed beat.

Rta is best understood and described by me as the rhythm, of natural rhythms, rhythms of the universe, universal law if you like, thus the guide of all that we do – it is our very existence, all existence. Body rhythms today are called circadian rhythms. These signal and affect every aspect of our life, for example, they govern when to wake up, to sleep, to be active and they determine how much energy we have. The deeper concepts (life-cycles, laws of motion)  lie behind this search for the meaning of rta/natural rhythms, and all aspects of rta/rhythm are of particular concern to existence. The rhythm of constant flux and transformation in the universe.

Rta is said by some to be a mode of “Being” because it is said the gods, who are the ṛtajāta, are responsible for the phenomena, they provide/give light, green pastures, freedom, peace and stability, safety and security, surety, visions etc., all through their association with, and by means of the power of ṛta. - (besides the meaning of rta the most importantly point I am attempting to throw light on in my thesis is the fact that the rtajata 'give' light. 

Give is a transitory verb and light is the object and in Armenian 'Ar' is both the transitive verb 'take' and it is also the root phoneme which represents the phenomenon of 'light' an 'rta' 'given') - Rta is the foundation for all functions of gods and men. Through the help of wise men/Rishis entities maintain both their relation with rta as well as stay bound with the cosmos. The sacrifice also is identified with 'rta' because a rite that understands the rhythm and power of rta helps men to rhyme with the natural rhythm and get back their heart beat and breath, freedom, safety, security  and peace of mind, which is necessary for the continued trued  existence of men and the cosmos. 

Ṛta is related to all creatures of the universe and it may be defined as a kind of “force” or “power” or 'rhythm' or law of natural order which is the necessary precondition for the freedom, safety, security, truth, order, and law of the established cosmos.

 

Sacred speech is ṛta because it is the mark of the Rishis, the speech I speak of is the result of  supernormal vision of that which is true, real. The wise man, the Ṛishi brings his acts and intentions into conformity with ṛta in such a way that he, like gods, is able to seize upon ṛta as his mode of being. Therefore, ṛta may be regarded as the necessary pre-condition for the safety, freedom, reliability, truth, law, order of the sat which manifested through the intentions and acts of men and gods. .

In the Rig Veda there is remarkable insight on the notion of Rta or the Cosmic Order, the inflexible law of universal order and harmony whereby all disorders and chaos is restored to equilibrium.

In scholarship there is no common position about the origin of the concept of Ṛta. Similar concepts exist in many Indo-European cultures and the names can in addition be derived from an identical root word *h2r-tós. This is why some scholars take the position that the concepts in the Indo-European daughter cultures have a common ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European culture.

In contrast Hermann Oldenberg (1894) surmised that the concept of Ṛta originally arose in the Indo-Aryan period from a consideration of the natural order of the world and of the occurrences taking place within it as doing so with a kind of causal necessity.[10] Both Vedic Ṛta and Avestan aša were conceived of as having a tripartite function which manifested itself in the physical, ethical and ritual domains.[11] In the context of Vedic religion, those features of nature which either remain constant or which occur on a regular basis were seen to be a manifestation of the power of Ṛta in the physical cosmos.[12] In the human sphere, Ṛta was understood to manifest itself as the imperative force behind both the moral order of society as well as the correct performance of Vedic rituals.[13] The notion of a universal principle of natural order is by no means unique to the Vedas, and Ṛta has been compared to similar ideas in other cultures, such as Ma'at in Ancient Egyptian religion, Moira and the Logos in Greek paganism, and the Tao.

Vedic ṛtá and its Avestan equivalent aṣ̌a both derive from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hr̥tás "truth",[4] which in turn continues Proto-Indo-European *h2r-tós "properly joined, right, true", from a presumed root *h2er-. The derivative noun ṛta is defined as "fixed or settled order, rule, divine law or truth".

I agree with Mahony (1998) notes the term can be translated as "that which has moved in a fitting manner". I would slightly alter the translation to "that which moves in a true/right manner" as does a spinning wheel. Although this meaning is not actually cited by authoritative Sanskrit dictionaries it is a regular derivation from the verbal root ṛ, “to move” with ta, the suffix which he suggests as forming the past participle, so it can be regarded as the putative origin of the word, I suggest it is the T that has represented 'life eternal' from the beginning of the symbol. More abstractly, it is translated as "universal law" or "cosmic order", or simply as "truth". The latter meaning dominates in the Avestan cognate to Ṛta, aṣ̌a.

The proper Sanskrit pronunciation of the word is ṛta, the ṛ being a vocalic r, like that in pert or dirt, when pronounced with a rhotic r, e.g. as in Armenian, followed by a short a, meaning as pronounced as in the word fur. 

The term appears in Vedic texts and in post-Vedic texts, both as Ṛta and derivatives of the term. For example, in the 2nd-century BCE text Mahabhasya of Patanjali, he explains Ṛtaka to be the grammatically correct form of name for a son, where then the name would mean "truthling".

Rta is, in essence, the ordering principle of nature, which gives to everything from the vast galaxies, down to the nucleus of an atom, their nature and course. In the Vedic vision, this law of cosmic order is conceived to be manifesting at three levels: on the cosmic plane Rta governs the course of nature; on the socio-ethical level, Rta imparts justice; and on the religio-spiritual level, Rta mirrored the ritual performances of the sacrificial ritual (yajna). Rta contributes to the maintenance of balance between the micro and macro levels of existence. 

Righteousness is the quality or state of being morally correct and justifiable. It can be considered synonymous with "rightness" or being "upright". It can be found in Indian religions and Abrahamic traditions as a theological concept. For example, from various perspectives in Hinduism, Christianity, and Judaism it is considered an attribute that implies that a person's actions are justified, and can have the connotation that the person has been "judged" or "reckoned" as leading a life that is pleasing to God.In the physical sphere Rta represents the eternal and inviolable law of nature. Rotation of Heavenly stars, alteration of day and nights, flow of rivers, oceans, etc. are regulated by Rta. Rta is the unity-in-difference in the cosmic order. It maintains everything in its correct place.

The principal of Rta is eternal and omnipresent. It is immanent in all the creations of Cosmos. Rta is the binding principal of this cosmos, both physical and moral.

In the moral sphere, Rta is righteousness. It is the measure of morality. Those who follow the path of Rta, follow the path of Good. They are called Vratani. The path of Rta (Vrata) is consistent with natural cosmic order. The path of Rta leads a man to harmonious, prosperous and contented life.

The phoneme R is for the light and energy emitted from the sun the ultimate universal cyclical law of nature, the generator, aRRR. I posit this to be the Armenian root phoneme AR which gave rise to a thousand sacred words and the Ar, the R prefix of Ar-atta and the first letter of the abjad tri-literal Rta. 

Dawn goddess – Daughter of Heaven the auspicious cause, the arouser of cosmic and moral order was called the Ṛta in the Vedas.  

Aya/Dawn, the auspicious cause, the arouser of cosmic and moral order called the Ṛta.

The role of dawn as an indicator to help the predictor regarding the coming weather of the day, the quantity of water in the atmosphere indicated by the variation of color, all before the rising of the sun, she helped early man prepare for the coming day, prepare, prepare for the sun. She helped in promoting fertility in agricultural. Ushas, repeatedly appears in the Rigvedic hymns where she is “consistently identified with dawn, revealing herself with the daily coming of light to the world, driving away oppressive darkness, chasing away evil demons, rousing all life, setting all things in motion, sending everyone off to do their duties”.

Back in Sumer Dawn was described as the life of all living creatures, the impeller of action and breath, the foe of chaos and confusion, the auspicious cause, the arouser of cosmic and moral order called the Ṛta in Hinduism. In the Vedic religion, Ṛta stood for (“ rule, truth, order.”) Rta is the principle of natural order which regulates and coordinates the operation of the universe and everything within it. The rhythm and rhyme of the cycles within cycles. In the hymns of the Vedas, Ṛta is also described as that which is ultimately responsible for the proper functioning of the natural, moral and sacrificial orders. 

In Ugarit, Aya was equated with a deity who shared the same name as the goddess's Akkadian name, Aya, is found in personal names as early as the Pre-Sargonic period (before c.2400 BCE). 

ARARAT HOMELAND OF THE ARMENIANS, THE SACRED MOUNTAIN OF LIGHT. RTA.

The notion of a universal principle of natural order is by no means unique to the Vedas, and 'Ṛta' has been compared to very similar ideas in other cultures, such as Ma’at in Ancient Egyptian religion, Moira and the Logos in Greek paganism, and the Tao. 

I believe that the Armenian 
highlands, were also familiar with the concept of Rta and believe that the root of the name of the mountainous area, the Armenian hds, the platau and the mountain Ararat was named with exactly the idea of Rta in mind.
I posit that at the root of the toponym Ararata both for the plain and the mountain lies the idea of a universal law and 'natural order' which regulates and coordinates the operation of everything within it. This is what is meant when scholars  say that the Armenians 'worshiped' Nature, or were nature worshipers. 

The Armenian Highlands (Armenian: Հայկական լեռնաշխարհ, romanized: Haykakan leṙnašxarh; also known as the Armenian Upland, Armenian plateau, or Armenian tableland) is the most central and the highest of the three plateaus that together form the northern sector of Western Asia. The highlands are divided into western and eastern regions, defined by the Ararat Valley where Mount Ararat is located.

During the Iron Age, the region was known by variations of the name Ararat (Urartu, Uruatri, Urashtu). Later, the Highlands were known as Armenia Major, a central region to the history of Armenians, and one of the four geopolitical regions associated with Armenians, The region was administered for most of its known history by Armenian nobility and states, whether it was as part of a fully independent Armenian state, as vassals, or as part of a foreign state

From 4000 to 1000 BC, tools and trinkets of copper, bronze and iron were commonly produced in this region and traded in neighboring lands where those metals were less abundant.[citation needed] It is also traditionally believed to be one of the possible locations of the Garden of Eden.
In antiquity the Armenian Plateau has been called the "epicenter of the Iron Age", since it appears to be the location of the first appearance of Iron Age metallurgy in the late 2nd millennium BC. In the Early Iron Age, the Armenian Kingdom of Van controlled much of the region.

Russian scientists Tamaz Gamkrelidze and Vyacheslav Ivanov were able to convincingly prove that the ancestral home of the Aryans-Indo-Europeans is the Armenian Highlands and the adjacent regions of Asia Minor and Mesopotamia. There is a follow up hypothesis from New Zealand scientists Gray and Atkinson, who determine that Western Armenia (commonly known as Anatolia, geographically Asia Minor) is the location where the division of the single proto-language took place. This hypothesis is related to the Tamaz, Ivanov, 'Russian theory.' Now, some go as far as to say, with full certainty that the Armenian Highlands, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia was the homeland of not only the Aryan tribes but the whole of modern mankind. Perhaps, this confirms the biblical version of the origin of mankind.
ARATTA/URATTU

It is best to start with Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta and the legendary Sumerian tale, from preserved, early post-Sumerian copies, composed in the Neo-Sumerian period (around the 21st century BC). It is one of a series of stories describing the conflict between Enmerkar, king of Unug-Kulaba ( Uruk ), and the anonymous king of Aratta. This could be the story of HAYG'S departure from Uruk.

ARATTA is a mountainous land that appears in Sumerian myths identified by various scholars with Ararat (Ayrarat) of historical Armenia. Aratta was considered a holy site, home to the goddess Astghik and later Anahit. Aratta was famous for metallurgy, stone masonry, gold production, silver and their precious blue Azurite stones. Since antiquity Armenia was known for the best quality of these mineral stones which are called Lapis Armenus, also known as the Armenian stone in natural history.

Lapis Armenus is a variety of precious blue Azurite stone, nearly identical to the Azurite known as lapis lazuli, occasionally used interchangeably but distinguished by a finer structure sometimes containing greenish tints. The 1816 Encyclopedia Perthensis notes that Armenian stone “was anciently brought from Armenia to Europe”.

Lapis Armenus was highly esteemed in antiquity, and attempts have been made to recreate it artificially. Sumerian king Enmerkar (ca. 2100 BC) in the epic “Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta” prays to the deity Inanna asking her to bring him precious materials from Aratta, including Azurite blue stones called “za-gin” in Sumerian epics.


“My sister, let Aratta fashion gold and silver skilfully on my behalf for Unug. Let them cut the flawless [za-gin] (Azurite) from the blocks”… “Let the people of Aratta bring down for me the mountain stones from their mountain, build the great shrine for me, erect the great abode for me…”
Mined for over 7,000 years, the “Armenian Stone” is an enduring rock - and yes it is a rock - unlike other gems it is a composite of several materials with sparkling flecks of pyrite, or fool’s gold, adding to its mystical allure.
Lapis Lazuri, the Armenian stone was attributed with great healing, purifying and curative properties, the 'Armenian Stone' allegedly points the way to enlightenment, and aids in the opening of the Third Eye. Popular with ancient alchemists (who knew it as sapphirus), it was used in medicine, cosmetics and paintings. It was also believed to confer ability, success, divine favor, ancient wisdom and cure sore throats. No wonder it was as valuable as gold!.
The ancient city of Ur had a thriving trade in lapis as early as the fourth millennium BC and it appears in various passages from the Book of the Dead as an inscription stone. It was one of the stones in the biblical 'Breastplate of Judgment' of Aaron (Exodus: xxviii, 15-30). But the Romans (typically) believed it to be a powerful aphrodisiac. In the Middle Ages, it was thought to keep the limbs healthy and free the soul from error, envy and fear.

Urartu is cognate with the Biblical Ararat, Akkadian Urashtu, and Armenian Ayrarat. In addition to referring to the famous Biblical highlands, Ararat also appears as the name of a kingdom in Jeremiah 51:27, mentioned together with Minni and Ashkenaz.

Finally In the great Epic of Gilgamesh, the land of Aratta is placed in a geographic space that describes the Armenian plateau. Recent studies have shown that Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands and form a distinct genetic isolate in the region. 

Recent science has revealed that there are signs of considerable genetic admixture in Armenians between 3000 BC and 2000 BC, these mixture dates  coincide with the legendary establishment of Armenia by Hayg in 2492 BCE, but they subside to insignificant levels since 1200 BC, remaining stable until today.

Mount Ararat (/ˈærəræt/ ARR-ə-rat; Armenian: Արարատ, Ararat, Ar-ar-tta or Ara-Rta variously spelt over the eons is still the name of the Armenian homeland. The Armenian phrase “Ararat homeland” suggests a direct connection the Armenians have had to the name of Mountain and the plateau from antiquity. The name Araratt was given to the sacred mountain on the Ararat Plain, highland, upland, plateau or tableland.

In Search of the root meaning of Rta and its connection to Aratta.

Hermann Oldenberg (1894) surmised that the concept of Ṛta originally arose in the Indo-Aryan period from a consideration of the natural order of the world and of the occurrences taking place within it as doing so with a kind of causal necessity. 

In the Vedic religion, Ṛta (/ˈrɪtə/; Sanskrit ऋत suggests "order, rule; truth")  it is the principle of natural order which regulates and coordinates the operation of the universe and everything within it.
The derivative noun ṛta is defined as "fixed or settled order, rule, divine law or truth" More abstractly, it is translated as "universal law" or "cosmic order", or simply as "truth".

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, Ṛta is "the word from which the Western notion of 'right' is derived.

MITRA, MITHRA, RTA.

Rta is of cardinal importance to Zoroastrian theology and doctrine. In the moral sphere, aṣ̌a/arta represents what has been called "the decisive confessional concept of Zoroastrianism". In Zoroastrianism Mitra, Mi-tra is a member of a trinity of Ahuras, the protectors of 'arta' Rta, 'truth' or (that which is),'reality' 'right'. The term is assumed to be linguistically related to the Asuras of Indian Vedic era. Ahura is an Avestan language designation for a particular class of Zoroastrian divinities.  

Mithra  brings forth the 'LIGHT of DAWN,' which was controlled by Varuna who is lord of the cosmic rhythm, of the Sun and all celestial spheres. The Vedic common noun mitra, the Avestan common noun mitra both derive from proto-Indo-Iranian *Mitram, from the root *mi- 'to bind' with the 'tool suffix'-tra 'causing to'. Thus etymologically mitra means 'that which causes to bind' 'cause of unity'. Also preserved in the Avestan the word offers the meaning for ' Covenant, Contract and Oath'. Mitra is also a Zoroastrian Divinity of Oaths, Covenants and 'the light'. 

The Armenian name Mihr/Mehr derive from the name Mitra or they are cognate.
There is a connection to the Armenian name or noun Haya, Haig with Mitra for in Manchaeism which was used by the Persians we find the name 'Mihr-Yazd' which was used for two different angles. The first, Mihr-yazd which is the one that is most relevant to my thesis was called the 'Living Spirit'. In Aramaic 'Mihr-Yazd' was 'RUHA HAYYA' a savior- figure. 

Ruha Hayya is a Saviour figure who rescues the 'first man' from the 'demons darkness' into which he had plunged. The second angle known as Mihr among the Parthians, was the 'Messenger' again a savior figure more concerned with the setting up of the structures to liberate the LIGHT lost when the first man had been defeated, like the 'cause'.

Menos is also mentioned in the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Avesta, considered to be composed by Haldi also known as Khaldi who was one of the three chief deities of URARTU, 

Khaldi was one of the three chief deities in the iron age of URARTU, ARARTA, ARARAT, RTA. 

Khaldi was portrayed as a man with or without wings standing on a lion, whom some suggest could be the name that is associated with the name Hayg.

In Armenian Ararat translate as the 'mountain of light,' the 'heavenly light,' and the 'inner light' of the third eye, the light of universal consciousnesses. 

This creative light and heat of Rta in Vedic religion Sanskrit ऋत has three faces, one of 'truth' 'order,' and Justice, very much like the Goddess Ma'at Egyptian Goddess of truth, order, harmony & justice and the Pre Greek Goddess Rhea. Ma'at was seen as an Angel to be called on for Guidance and they described dying as 'joining Ma'at'. She created the 42 Ideals of Ma'at which were a model for moral and spiritual behavior in Ancient Egypt and appear to predate the 10 Commandments. The correspondence between ‘truth’, reality, and an all-encompassing cosmic principle is not far removed from Heraclitus’ conception of Logos.

Ma'at like Rta is understood as the ultimate principle of natural order which regulates and coordinates the operation of the universe and everything within it.
ARATTA was a domain granted to Inanna, at a point in history, it was said to be part of her Third Region.
In the hymns of the Vedas, Ṛta is described as that which is ultimately responsible for the proper functioning of the natural, moral and sacrificial orders. Conceptually, it is closely allied to the injunctions and ordinances thought to uphold it, collectively referred to as Dharma, and the action of the individual in relation to those ordinances, referred to as Karma. 

Connected to the oaths referred to by the king of Urartu is Varuna, the God of Sky and Heavenly light is the Guardian of this universe. Varuna was believed to be the most powerful God that was enthroned as the ruler of universes. He is the Custodian of Rta. Varuna has the responsibility to maintain the supremacy of cosmic as well as moral order. Varuna sets the eternal laws to protect Rta, that no one can violate. Varuna was essentially supposed to be God of Peace. Varuna is omniscient God with the Sun and the Moon as his eyes. So he has the strong, all searching vigilant sight. A least sin will not escape detection by him.

Varuna (/ˈvɜːrʊnə, ˈvɑːrə-/; Sanskrit: वरुण, IAST: Varuṇa, Malay: Baruna) is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, such as hymn 7.86 of the Rigveda. He is also mentioned in the Tamil grammar work Tolkāppiyam, as the god of sea and rain. He is said to be the son of Kashyapa (one of the seven ancient sages).
In the Hindu Puranas, Varuna is the god of oceans, his vehicle is a Makara (crocodile and his weapon is a Pasha (noose, rope loop). He is the guardian deity of the western direction. In some texts, he is the father of the Vedic sage Vasishtha.

These two terms eventually eclipsed Ṛta in importance as signifying natural, religious and moral order in later Hinduism.
Sanskrit scholar Maurice Bloomfield referred to Ṛta as "one of the most important religious conceptions of the "Rigveda", going on to note that, "from the point of view of the history of religious ideas we may, in fact we must, begin the history of Hindu religion at least with the history of this conception".
Vedic ṛtá and its Avestan equivalent aṣ̌a - are both thought by some to derive from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hr̥tás meaning "truth", which in turn may continue from a possible Proto-Indo-European *h2r-tós "properly joined, right, true", from a presumed root *h2er-. One can get carried away here and suggest it as the Armenian root for HAY, HAYG (HAYR/FATHER) - as well as bronze age egyptian rendering for Cyprus (EL-ASSA)- AISSIA.
The derivative noun ṛta is defined as "fixed or settled order, rule, divine law or truth".
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, Ṛta is "the word from which the Western notion of right is derived.

Now for the proof of the pudding as the English would say. The Armenian word, a noun, spelt out to sound, ARTARUTUNE "արդարութիւն, which translates as Justice, integrity, equity, uprightness, truthfulness and the word ARTAR, արդար an adjective which translates as Just, fair, equitable, righteous, lawful, impartial, legitimate and ARTAREV, արդարեւ an adverb meaning as Indeed, truly, verily. 
Its worth noting that the Old Persian equivalent is arta-, in Middle Iranian languages the term appears as ard-.

As is the sounding of the word Ararat in Armenian today, it sounds out ARARAD, Urartu (/ʊˈrɑːrtuː/) is a geographical region commonly used as the exonym for the Iron Age kingdom also known by the modern rendition of its endonym, the Kingdom of Van, centered around Lake Van in the historic Armenian Highlands (present-day eastern Anatolia). The kingdom rose to power in the mid-9th century BC, but went into gradual decline and was eventually conquered by the Iranian Medes in the early 6th century BC. The geopolitical region would re-emerge as Armenia shortly after. The peoples of Urartu are the most easily identifiable ancestors of the Armenians.

RTA

URARTU/ARARTA =  THE ETERNAL/HEAVENLY 'LIGHT OF RIGHT' MOUNTAIN. 
THE ARMENIAN AND SUMERIAN ARATTA, IS A REFERENCE TO THE SPIRITUAL LIGHT OF ABSOLUTE TRUTH/REALITY, OF UNIVERSAL ORDER, COSMIC LAW, THE PROTOTYPE, DUE PROCESS. THE INFINITE ETERNAL EVERLASTING MERCILESS MONSTROUS RUTHLESS LAWS OF NATURE.

INDRA VARUNA NASATYA ARE IN URARTU