one muhúrta: and just so many muhúrtas let man- CHAP, 65. ' exertion. 66. A month of mortals is a day and a night of 6 67. A year of mortals is a day and a night of the 68. Learn now the duration of a day and a night 6 69. Sages have given the name of Crita to an age 70. In the other three ages, with their twilights I. 6 71. The divine years, in the four human ages just enumerated, being added together, their sum, or twelve thousand, is called the age of the Gods: 72. And, by reckoning a thousand such divine ages, a day of BRAHMA' may be known: his night 73. Those persons best know the divisions of the days and nights, who understand that the day of 74. At the close of his night, having long re 'posed, he awakes, and awaking, exerts intellect, or 75. Intellect, called into action by his will to cre- ate worlds, performs again the work of creation; 76. From ether, effecting a transmutation in form, springs the pure and potent air, a vehicle of all 77. Then from air, operating a change, rises light or fire, making objects visible, dispelling gloom, 78. But from light, a change being effected, comes CHAP. 'water with the quality of taste; and from water is 79. The before-mentioned age of the Gods, or ' twelve thousand of their years, being multiplied by 6 6 80. There are numberless Menwantaras; creations 81. 6 in the form of a Bull, stands firm on his four feet; 82. But in the following ages, by reason of unjust gains, he is deprived successively of one foot; and 83. Men, free from disease, attain all sorts of prosperity, and live four hundred years in the Crita age; but, in the Trétà and the succeeding ages, their life is lessened gradually by one quarter. 86. In the Crita the prevailing virtue is declared 'to be in devotion; in the Trétà, divine knowledge; in 6 6 87. For the sake of preserving this universe, the 6 88. To Bráhmens he assigned the duties of read- ing the Veda, of teaching it, of sacrificing, of as- 89. To defend the people, to give alms, to sacri- fice, to read the Veda, to shun the allurements of 90. To keep herds of cattle, to bestow largesses, 'to sacrifice, to read the scripture, to carry on trade, 91. One principal duty the supreme Ruler assigns CHAP. to a Súdra; namely, to serve the before-mentioned classes, without depreciating their worth. 92. Man is declared purer above the navel; but the self-creating Power declared the purest part of 93. Since the Brahmen sprang from the most ex- 'cellent part, since he was the first born, and since 94. Him, the Being, who exists of himself, pro- duced in the beginning from his own mouth, that, 95. What created being then can surpass Him, 'with whose mouth the Gods of the firmament con- 96. Of created things, the most excellent 'those which are animated; of the animated, those |