THE FOUR BEASTS OF DANIELS VISION

- DEEPER MEANING FROM A SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE

BARNABAS TIBURTIUS
11.12.2007

When I first read the vision of Daniel (in Chapter 7 of the Book of Daniel) as a text in the Biblical
scripture, what struck me was the fact that this was not some nightmare or a time contextual dream
reference but a deep mystical experience, arising out of the universal consciousness and projecting
into the dream consciousness of Daniel. This vision needs for a more meaningful interpretation, in
the context of our expanded knowledge of science and with an insight that becomes feasible when
the narrow boundaries of branding a scriptural text as belonging to a particular religion or philosophy
is removed.
Almost all commentaries on the Book of Daniel refer to the four beasts of his vision as representation
of the four kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. From the time of Daniel to the present
day, Palestine has been controlled by 11 foreign empires until Israel finally attained independence in
1948 CE1. The author of the book of Daniel, apparently writing about 166 BCE, was definitely not
talking about the future of the kingdom.
The deeper meaning of the vision of the beast and their origin indicates a true mystical revelation
about the spirituality of an individual and the four varnaas or spiritual characters and the four
periods of the cosmic cycle in relation to its total singular, spiritual or cosmic consciousness, focus.
A deeper meaning:
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on
his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.
2 Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were
stirring up the Great Sea.
The very beginning of universe, in many religious scriptures, is referred to as an ocean of water 2
over which the spirit of God was hovering or in which God, Vishnu slept and from him came forth
Brahma, the creator of the universe. In this water next appeared a golden (hiranya) egg (anda). The
egg shone with the radiance of a thousand suns. 3 The intense energy of the Big Bang origin of our
present universe is illustrated with associated language limitation in the Puranas. The four winds
that were stirring up the great sea are the four fundamental forces of the universe 4 through which
all creation and transformation is continually taking place.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/daniel.htm

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was
on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Gen 1: 1-2
3

The first object that appeared was water and Vishnu slept on this water. Since Nara means water and ayana means
resting-place, Vishnu is accordingly also known as Narayana. (Matsya purana)
4

The four fundamental forces of the universe are: Electro-magnetic, strong nuclear, weak nuclear and gravitational
forces. Today research in physics and cosmology is targeted toward unifying these forces.

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3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.
The four beasts represent four time periods of evolution and degradation of spirituality in the
consciousness of the human being who was created in the image and likeness of God or the supreme
consciousness. Taking this to a more personal level, as all things that are related to true spirituality,
the four beasts also represent the four modes of living namely; Brahmana (enlightened and in the
image of Brahma), Kshatriya (a spiritual warrior fighting evil, a conqueror and a true seeker), Vaisya
(plays a role of protector of spiritual potential but does not rise above this given potential. Srimad
Bhagavatam says the primary duty of Vaisya is cow protection but this is not properly understood or
translated as Gau, which is translated as Cow, is a unit of supraphysical cosmic energy in Vedic
cosmology and that is the reason Krishna, who is an avatar of Vishnu, the protector of the Cosmos is
called Govinda)5 and finally Sudra (unenlightened or the spiritually devoid person)
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it
was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given
to it.
The lion with the eagles wings is the archetype for a highly spiritually evolved entity which became
manifest on earth. Lion represents the kingly stature and the wings represent the ability and
freedom to soar into higher levels. Yet this spirituality is rooted at the earthly level as human beings
in the likeness of God are made to stand up and be counted. This is the reason that spiritual
excursion into higher dimensions of consciousness has been withdrawn, symbolized by the clipping of
the wings, and given rootedness to the space-time domain and yet given a human heart. The human
heart symbolizes the higher spiritual aspiration within the corruptible animalistic body.
This can be equated to the Narasimha (half man, half lion) avatar of Vishnu. A constant battle is
fought between the ego, which is mirrored in the character of HiranyaKasyapa, and the fully realised
soul symbolized by his son Prahlada. The fatherson relationship of the main characters of this drama
symbolises non duality of consciousness location of the good and evil or the spiritual and material. In
final conquest Vishnu in the Narasimha avatar establishes the satya-yuga. This is a constant battle in
the very consciousness of man.6
This first emanation also represents the Satya-yuga in Vedic parlance wherein the cosmic spirituality
is at its zenith and man is in peace with himself, his fellow humans and the eco-system.7
5

The Ultimate Dialogue by Rishi Kumar Mishra page 47

In NARASIMHA Avatar, Lord Vishnu incarnates himself as a semi-man, semi-lion in this world. The king of demons
(asuras), Hiranyakasyapa, wanted to become immortal and wanted to remain young forever. To this end, he
meditated for Lord Brahma and because of his severe penance; the gods were frightened and asked Brahma to pacify
the king. Brahma was impressed by his austerity and granted him a wish. HiranyaKasyapa wished that he be neither
killed by a man or beast, nor in daylight or at night and neither inside or outside a building. Having obtained the wish
he considered himself the supreme God and forbade all worship of gods by anyone. But his son Prahlada, was an
ardent devotee of Vishnu. This enraged Hiranyakasyapa very much. He ordered numerous ways to kill Prahlada
including asking his sister Holika to sit with Prahlada in the fire. But every time Prahlada escaped unhurt. Enraged,
once he asked Prahlad to show him the Lord Vishnu. Prahlad said, "He is everywhere". Further enraged,
Hiranyakasyapa knocked down a pillar, and asked if Lord was present there. Lord Vishnu then emerged as a half lion,
half man from the pillar which was neither inside the house nor outside, and the time was evening, neither night nor
day. He then killed Hiranyakasyapa thus saving the life of his devotee Prahlada.
7

Satya-yuga, or the golden age, is the ideal age, characterized by virtue, wisdom, religion, and practically no vice
or ignorance. Humans do not hate or envy each other, nor do they ever feel anxious, fearful or threatened. They
solely worship the one Supreme Personality of Godhead, hear the one Veda, obey the one law, and practice the one
religious process -- meditation on the Supreme.

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5 And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs
in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!'
This stage of evolution represents the descent of humanity into a stage of being attached to sense
gratification. This being the reason for the fortification or strengthening of the teeth for devouring
flesh and things of the flesh. This period is known in Vedic scriptures as Treta-Yuga.8
There is a transition from inward seeking to external rituals and sacrifices and God is demoted from
a cosmic domain to one that is of terrestrial nature. The Kshatriya nature of an individual is
illustrated in this symbolism. Raw bestial chaotic energy is bound to cause trouble. Raw bestial
energy is spontaneous, untempered, unmediated by any socialization, any awareness or
acknowledgment of boundaries or laws. Chaotic energy is unguided, unpredictable, dissembling, it
tears apart, it's the opposite energy of tidying and straightening, of conciliating and compromising.
All this is bound to cause trouble in a person's life. Bear is the Jungian Archetype for bestial
tendencies in the psychological framework of individual consciousness.
6 After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a
bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
A further degradation in spirituality is witnessed. In the Vedic terminology this age is known as
Dvepara-Yuga 9. The four wings and the four heads signify the medium of perception of cosmic
knowledge being reduced to the four dimensions of space-time instead of the much higher
dimensions in which this knowledge resides. (Kabbala, the mystical branch of Judaism talks of ten
levels or Siefrots through which Gods light has descended into the manifest creation). Vedic
definition also talks of spiritual insight being reduced to only the four Vedas and the Christian creed
is primarily driven by the four canonical Gospels. At an individual level, man is reduced to the Vaisya
varna or category.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly
strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with
its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
The fourth period is the time of spiritual oblivion. The iron teeth of the beast signify the gross
material tendencies. Iron is the heaviest element that can be formed in the natural cosmic process
at the very core of stars through self aggregation of existing material. This is an implosive process.
All other heavier elements are formed through supernova explosion. This is an explosive or outward
propagation process.
In Vedic literature this period is known as Kali-Yuga 10. Due to lack of spirituality there is complete
destruction of all values and decimation of the eco-system.
8

In Treta-yuga vice is introduced. The good qualities that humans had in Satya-yuga reduce by one third. People
introduce religious rites, sacrifices, and ceremonies. They start to act with fruitive desires, expecting a reward for
their work and religious activities.
9

In Dvepara-yuga uprightness is only half of what it was in Satya-yuga. The Vedas are divided into four parts, and
only a few people study them. Sensual desires and diseases begin to well up, and injustice spreads in human
civilization.

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In Kali-yuga human uprightness remains and gradually reduces to nil as the age progresses. We now live in Kaliyuga, the Iron Age; the most degraded of the four ages (kali literally means "quarrel and hypocrisy"). In this age men
are short lived and have less intelligence. They are especially lazy in performing their spiritual duties and exceedingly
slow to surrender to the Lord. They are misled, frustrated and, above all, always disturbed. The qualities of religion
(truthfulness, cleanliness, forbearance and mercy) and the qualities of life (intelligence, duration of life and bodily
strength and beauty) all diminish.

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The ten horns of the beast are the three Gunas 11 and seven levels of consciousness residing inside
and outside the human personas chakra centres. Well balanced Gunas in all levels of consciousness
enables one to achieve the highest level of spirituality. But in the manifestation of this beast the ten
horns are distorted as three fall out replaced by a single horn of unnatural character.
We also find the importance of number ten in the book of Daniel in matters relating to Daniel and his
companions spirituality. In the first chapter we have Daniel requesting the steward "Please test your
servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Dan 1:12 And at
the end of the testing period . in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king
examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in
all his realm. Dan 1:20
The number ten signifies the fullness of being.
8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them,
before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were
eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
The importance of perfect balance of the three gunas has been highlighted in various studies of
Vedic spirituality. The single horn coming out and replacing the three horns is predomination ego
that functions at the sensory level represented by eyes like the eyes of man and then pride
exhibited through pompous words. This is the state where true knowledge is totally absent and
man descends to the bestial, self aggregating and purely a self-centred level.
Conclusion:
To many of the Christian thinkers this approach of interpreting the dream of Daniel may sound rank
heretical. My position in this line of thinking is that we tap into the universal consciousness not for
purposes of predicting the future or winning favours from the royalty but to gain deeper knowledge,
that emanates from Mystical experience in a life of deep meditation and prayer, that could be used
for elevation of humanity from the dredges of a corrupted material existence.

Copyright Barnabas Tiburtius, 2007. You may download and print extracts from this article for your own personal
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11

The gunas (the primary qualities of Nature) are three in number: sattva, rajas and tamas. They exist in all beings,
including human beings, in various degrees of concentration and combinations. Depending upon their relative
strengths and combinations, they determine nature of beings, its actions, behaviour and attitude and its attachment
to the world it lives in. The primary purpose of the gunas is to create delusion, through desires and attachment and
keep the beings under the perpetual control of Prakriti
The gunas are born from Prakriti. The Divine does not reside in them but they reside in the Divine (BG 7.12). In the
Divine consciousness, they remain in a state of perfect balance. When this balance is disturbed, the manifest creation
begins and beings come into existence with the combination of gunas in different proportions. Under their influence
human beings cannot recognize the presence of God amidst us (BG 7.14). Purusha alone seated in Prakriti enjoys the
qualities produced by Prakriti. Because of association with the gunas (qualities), the division of reality and unreality
take birth.(13.21). Thus the soul (the integral and perfectly balanced seven levelks of consciousness) comes under the
influence of the gunas. Through this the individual resides in the maya. Horns are symbols of energy concentration.

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