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Sekra appears, which is the first formation. Then the lower brahma-lókas aud the déwa-lókas are formed in the place of those destroyed; and some of the brahmas from the upper lókas, either on account of the inferiority of their merit, or because their period of residence in those lókas is complete, appear in the brahma-lókas now formed, whilst others appear in the four superior déwa-lókas. The water gradually diminishes, until it reaches the place of the former earth, when a great wind arises, and by its influence completes the evaporation of the water. The earth is at first formed of a mould that in taste is like the food of the déwas, or like the honey that is distilled in the cup of the lotus. The whole surface of the earth is of a golden colour, like the kinichiri flower, a delightful fragrance arising therefrom; whilst a liquid like the drink of the déwas is exuded. The part where the sacred tree of Budha is to appear is the first spot of earth that is formed, as it is the last spot destroyed at the end of a kalpa. To point out this place, a lotus appears; and if a Budha is to be born in that kalpa a flower will be expanded: but if there is to be no Budha there will be no flower. If more Budhas than one are to appear, this will be revealed by the number of flowers that are seen; and near each flower there appears a complete set of pirikaras (the requisites of the priesthood) that are to be used by the Budha for whom they have been formed. The ruler of the brahma-lóka called Awiha descends to the earth in order that he may see whether a Budha will be born in that kalpa or not; in a moment he disperses the darkness of the world, and if he finds that there are any sets of pirikaras, he takes them with him on his return. Some of the brahmas from the lóka called Abhassara are then born here by the apparitional birth, with shining bodies, able to pass through the air, and their age is an asankya. When rice is boiled, a number of bubbles are formed at once upon the surface of the water, and there are some parts of that surface that are high, some depressed, and some level;* in like manner, at the formation of the earth, inequalities are apparent, forming hills, valleys, and plains.

It is on this wise that the destruction of the earth is effected,

*The true figure of the earth stands in the same relation to a regular figure "as the uneven surface of ruffled stands to the even surface of unruffled water."-Humbolt's Kosmos.

when fire is the agent. For the space of a hundred, a thousand, and a hundred thousand years, there is no rain. All plants that bear spices; all medicinal herbs; all palms and banyans; all trees of the five kinds, whether produced from the root, trunk, fruit, leaf, or seed; are entirely destroyed, so as never to spring up again.

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A hundred thousand years previous to the commencement of this destruction, one of the déwas from a Kámáwachara déwalóka, pitying the condition of the world, appears with disordered hair, eyes streaming with tears, and a form of woe. Arrayed in garments of a red colour, he proceeds throughout the whole of the sakwalas that are to be destroyed, crying out as he passes on, In a hundred thousand years the kalpa will come to an end; a kelalaksha of worlds will be destroyed by fire; and as many earths, sakwala rocks, Himála forests, rocks encircling Méru, heavens, suns, and moons, will be involved in this destruction, which will extend to the brahma-lókas; whosoever would escape from this calamity, let him assist his parents, respect his superiors, avoid the five sins, and observe the five obligations."t The beings in the world, in great fear, approach the déwa, and ask him whether he has learnt this by his own wisdom, or has been taught it by another; when he replies, that he was sent by Maha Brahma, the déwa of many ages. On hearing this declaration, the men and déwas of the earth regard each other with affection, from the fear that comes upon them, by which merit is produced, and they are born in a brahma-lóka.

When the hundred thousand years have elapsed, rain begins to fall at the same time in each of the sakwalas, at the appearance of which men rejoice, and the husbandmen begin to cultivate their fields; but when the grain has risen so high as that cattle might nibble it, no more rain will descend. The clouds entirely disappear; there is no more rain for a hundred thousand years; all

*All the worlds under the brahma-lókas are called kámáwachara.

This warning is called kappa-kóláhala. There are in all five warnings, or presentiments.-1. Kappa-kóláhala; previous to the destruction of the world. 2. Chakrawartti; a hundred years previous to the birth of a universal monarch. 3. Budha; a thousand years previous to the birth of a Budha. 4. Mangala; twelve years before Budha preaches the Mangala-sútra. 5. Moneyya; seven years before Budha explains the Moneyya-piliwet, or

ordinances of the rahats.

This mission of the déwa bears some resemblance to that of Noah, the preacher of righteousness, during the respite of 120 years previous to the deluge. Gen. vi. 3; 1 Pet. iii. 20; 2 Pet. ii. 5.

forests are parched up; men suffer much from hunger and thirst, and then die; the déwas who reside in flowers and fruits, the yakás, garundas, nágas, and other beings of a similar description, after the endurance of much suffering, pass away, and are born in the déwa-lókas, and afterwards in the brahma-lókas; and the beings that have no merit are born in the hells of some outer sakwala.

After a long period, a second sun appears suddenly in the sky, and by its rays the 11,575 rivers, and the smaller ponds, tanks, and other places, are dried up, and white sand is formed.

After another long period a third sun appears, that burns up the five great rivers. Of these three suns, one traverses the sky, one is behind the mountain Hastagiri, and the other remains continually in the centre of the sky, causing its rays to fall without ceasing upon the whole of the four great continents. The déwa of the previously existing sun, terrified by the greatness of the heat, is born in a brahma-lóka, through the power of dhyána. The sun still remains in the sky, but there is no living existence connected with it. Sekra, and the rest of the déwas, through the power of the rite called wáyokasina, are born in the Parittasubha and other brahma-lókas.

After another long interval, a fourth sun is produced. By this the waters of the Anotatta and other great lakes are dried up; they boil as if agitated by a great fire, and then entirely disappear. Thus all the elements, from the Awíchi-naraka below to the Maha Brahmalóka above, are entirely destroyed.

In due time, a fifth sun appears. By means of this sun the waters of the great ocean are dried up to the depth of 100 yojanas, then of 200 yojanas, and gradually on to 1000 yojanas. They are afterwards dried up to the depth of 10,000 yojanas, and the diminution of the water proceeds until it has extended to the depth of 80,000 yojanas; and thus there will be only 4000 yojanas of water left. But the decrease goes on until there is only 1000 yojanas, then only 100 yojanas; and the process continues until the water is reduced to the depth of seven talas (or palm-trees each 80 cubits long). Thus all the water in the great oceans, from the Aswakarna to the sakwala rocks, is entirely evaporated. There is at last about the depth of one tala, then of seven porisas (the height of a man when his hand is held up over his head, or five cubits); gradually it diminishes to the height of a

man, to the loins, the knee, and the ancle, to as much as would fill the feet-marks of cattle, just as the rain does on the surface of the earth in April or October; and finally, out of all the water of the lakes, seas, and oceans, not so much is left as would moisten the end of the finger.

After another long interval, a sixth sun is formed, when the earth and Méru send forth smoke; and there is thicker smoke, and still thicker, in succession. As when a fire is kindled by the potter to bake his clay, there is at first a little smoke, then more, until it rises in a great body; so from the lowest sakwala rock to the mansion of Sekra, all that exists, including the earth and Méru, sends forth one unbroken volume of smoke, which becomes thicker and blacker, the longer it continues to rise.

There is then the appearance of a seventh sun. The earth and Méru are burnt up. The flame reaches to the brahma-lókas. Pieces of rock, from 100 to 500 yojanas in size, are split from Méru, fly into the air, and are there consumed. Thus the earth and Méru are entirely destroyed, so as to be no more seen. Not even any ashes are visible. As when ghee or sesamum oil is burnt, the whole is consumed, so the whole earth, and all that is connected with it, is entirely destroyed; there are no remains of it whatever. Yet after the seventh sun has been produced, the sakwalas continue to burn through many hundreds of thousands of years, during which all the elements of confusion and ruin exert their power; whirling, roaring, bursting, blasting, thundering, until the work of destruction is perfect. From Awíchi to the brahma-lóka called Abhassara, the whole space becomes a dark void. The brahmas, dewas, men, animals, all beings of every degree, disappear, and the space once occupied by a kelalaksha of sakwalas becomes a dark abyss. This destruction is called Téjo-sangwartta.

A hundred thousand years previous to the destruction of the earth by water, a déwa appears to warn all the beings concerned of the event, as when it is destroyed by fire. A cloud forms at the same time in a kela-laksha of sakwalas, and after raining for a short time disappears. After an immense interval another cloud appears, and the rain called Khárodaka begins to fall; at first in small drops, but gradually increasing in size until they are as large as a palm-tree. This rain is so acrid that it dissolves entirely the earth and all things connected with it, after which

the body of water thus produced mingles with the water of the Jala-polowa, upon which the earth had previously rested; but it is said by some, that though these waters are mingled together in one mass, there is still in that mass a separation of the two kinds of water, so that the one can be distinguished from the other. The rain goes on until the whole space between Ajatákása and the brahma-lóka called Parittasubha* is destroyed, and the void pervaded by a thick darkness. All the beings in a hundred thousand sakwalas disappear. This destruction is called Apo-sangwartta.

When the earth is destroyed by wind, there is a rain as when it is destroyed by fire or water; and after the elapse of an immense interval, a wind arises, that stirs up the fine dust, and then the gravel; and it then goes on to tear up stones, rocks, and trees, taking them into the air without letting them fall, grinding them, making a fearful noise, and reducing them to powder by the concussion, so that they entirely disappear. The wind called Prachanda arises from beneath the earth, and tears up rocks that are 500 yojanas in size, hurling them into the air, and destroying them. It next dashes earth against earth, Himála against Himála. Méru against Méru, sakwala-gala against sakwala-gala déwa-lóka against déwa-lóka, until the whole are destroyed. This destruction includes all places between the world of men and the ninth brahma-lóka, called Subhakírnnaka, which is 10,123,400 yojanas above the earth. The jala-polowa is blown into the air, and entirely disappears. Finally, from the world of men to the tenth brahma-lóka, called Wéhappala, is 13,320,600 yojanas; and the whole space between Ajatákása and the tenth brahma-lóka disappears; it is abandoned by all beings, and becomes dark and void. The déwas are born, through the exercise of the meditative rite called bháwaná, in the brahma-lókas that survive the destruction. The beings in the narakas, through the power obtained from their karma, or moral action, are born in the naraka of some other sakwala; or in an ákása, or aerial abode, formed by the same power. There are other beings that by the power of the rite called wáyokasina are born in the brahma-lókas; or if still under the power of demerit, the merit

The Commentary on the sacred text says, "Whenever the kappo is destroyed by water, it perishes by the water below Subhakinno."-Turnour's Annals, No. 3.

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