User:Alcaios/Cosmology

Linguistic evidence has led scholars to reconstruct the concept of a superordinate impersonal cosmic order,*hₐértus, denoting "what is fitting, rightly ordered" and ultimately deriving from the root *haer-, "to fit" : Sanskrit ṛta ("right time, order, rule"); Avestan arəta- ("order"); Hittite āra ("right, proper"); Greek artús ("arrangement"), possibly arete ("excellence") via the root *h₂erh₁ ("please, satisfy"); Latin artus ("joint"); Tocharian A ārtt- ("to praise, be pleased with"); Armernian ard ("ornament, shape"); Middle High German art ("innate feature, nature, fashion").

This cosmic order is a passive principle, nevertheless it is superior, similar to a symmetry principle.

Interlocked with the root *hₐer- is the root *dʰeh₁- that means "to put, lay down, sit down, produce, make, speak, say, bring back"    The Greek thémis and Sanskrit dhāman, both meaning "law" derive from *dʰeh₁-men-/i-. This notion of "law" includes an active principle and it is interpreted generally as lawful conduct or actions in obedience to the order. The law or rule refers to the superordinate cosmic order here (that is derived from the root *hₐer-). So the semantic linking between the root *hₐer- and the root *dʰeh₁- is that of an order, rule or law  and action in obedience to this order or law.

The interplay between the cosmic order and animate beings in the cosmos is attested in many mythological narratives from descendent Indo-European daughter cultures. Because these narratives have a similar or equal semantic content in all daughter cultures it can be concluded that this semantic content was present in proto-Indo-European times yet.

For example, in the mythologies of none of the Indo-European daughter cultures are exist almighty deities. The highest deities in the panthea were often considered to be guardians or preservers of the cosmic orders, however they have to abide by its rules. This is e.g. the case for Mitra and Varuna that are the Guardians of the Rta. The influence of the cosmic order is often named Fate in the narratives and many tales exist in that the deities have to bow to the Fate e.g. in Greek mythology Zeus can not save the life of his son Sarpedon and the power is divided between Zeus and the Moirai. In Norse mythology the power over the runes, which are a mythological manifestation of the superordinate cosmic order, is divided between Odin and the Norns.

According to Martin Litchfield West the root *dʰeh₁- denotes the divine creation and consequentially the name of the Vedic creator god Dhātr also derives from the root *dʰeh₁-.

The Buddhist code of lawful conduct is the Dharma. The etymology of Dharma can also be traced back to the root *dʰeh₁-