Most often, the seven or ten races are figured by the Patriarchs, the Seven Rishis (Sages) and the Ten Prajapatis, (Progenitors), which some identify variously.
As we said above, the perfect control required from the sadhakas (adepts) in the maithuna (ritual sex act) has extremely ancient roots. It has to do, as we saw, with the Fall of Adam and the Original Sin. This consisted exactly in the fact that Adam was tempted by Eve and fell, seduced by her charms. The feminine guiles also lost Shiva and Brahma and many other gods and ascetes (rishis).
One of the greatest feats of Buddha consisted in resisting the tempting of the devil Mara, who assumed the shape of a beautiful girl in order to seduce the virtuous Bodhishattva. This scene figures centrally in the myth of Buddha. It was adapted nearly verbatim by the Evangelists in their description of the temptation of Christ by the Devil. Indeed, the idea somehow passed into the Medieval legends of the virtuous friars and saints being tempted by the Devil in the shape of a beautiful, innocent-looking little girl, the most dangerous form that the Prince of Darkness can assume.
The Egyptian Goldilocks In Egypt too, one of the most dangerous shape of evil devils was that of an innocent little girl with curly blonde hair. She would appear to gods or ascetes, in an attempt to seduce them. This seductive little girl became the archetype of other charming heroines such as Goldilocks, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow-White, and so on. This temptress figures centrally in the famous Egyptian Tale of the Two Brothers, where she seduces and loses both brothers with her guiles.
Indeed, the ancient myths and beliefs teem with accounts of dreaded nymphs and other charmers who would appear in secluded places and seduce passers by. These charmers would normally be lamias, who would castrate and kill the male after his seduction. Secluded places, particularly in wooded regions or near water springs were, hence, considered to be very dangerous spots which were haunted by such fearful apparitions.
Again, the origin of these weird traditions is India. Similar beliefs attribute there the danger to nagis (female nagas), apsaras (water nymphs), rakshasis (she-devils) and a host of other such dangerous little charmers. These nymphs are generally called yakshis (female yakshas or genii) and are the guardians of trees and water-supplies. They are the archetypes of the nymphs, dryads, hamadryads, lamias and other such female sprites and fairies of the Greco-Roman world.
Maya, the Mother of Illusion Indeed, the female avatar of the deity is considered the potent one, and is hence called shakti (“force”, “yoni”). This is the shape assumed by the god in order to seduce and damn his opponents. This power of illusion (mayâ) is the attribute of gods such as Vishnu and Maya. Somehow, the idea passed into the Celto-German world, and was the apanage of Lug, the cunning enemy of the other gods.
Mayâ is Illusion herself. She in the personification of feminine powers of seduction and deceit. She is also called Shakti a word demoting not only “force”, “might”, but also the power of creating reality itself. Shakti also designates the yoni, the female organ of creation. The Shakti is Eve in the character of the Eternal Feminine the other side of Creation, the “left-handed” one. May (feminine) is the female form (or avatar) of Maya (masculine), the Great architect of Lanka, the city that was the true archetype of Atlantis.
Women are feared by the males, who are unable to understand the irrationality of feminine logic. Moreover, despite the apparent superiority, males are easily dominated by women and are wholly unable to resist them. This irresistibility is what make females so dreaded and, hence, sort of hated by the male they so easily overpower.
The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men An interesting connection of these Hindu myths can be established with that of Gen. 6. It has to do with the Flood and its causes:
1 – And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, that daughters were born unto them.
2 – And the Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 – And the Lord said: My spirit shall not stay with man forever, for he is also flesh…
4 – There were giants in the earth in these days, and afterwards, for the Sons of God came into the Daughters of Men, and they bore children to them.