CHAPTER CXXXXI. Description of the Termination of a Kalpa-period.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
Argument:—Continuation of the subject of fire and flame, and hot winds and fiery clouds at the final Dooms-day Dissolution.
The sage continued:—Though repeatedly burning amidst those fires, yet I was neither consumed nor felt the least pain therein; and though falling from one fire into another; yet I thought all this as a dream in my dreaming (i.e. one dream in another).
2. The fires flew aloft, and filled the vault of heaven with flames; and I was flying as a fire-brand amidst and all about it. (So the sinless soul soars in the highest empyrean of heaven).
3. As I was wandering with my spiritual light and unwearied soul amidst this universal conflagration, there arose on a sudden a tremendous hurricane (raised by the rarefied air on all sides).
4. It howled and growled aloud like the roaring of clouds on high; and blew fiercely all along, bearing down and carrying away every thing before it.
5. The whirling and howling tornado, raged with redoubled force in the forest; lifting aloft large tracts of woods in the form of clouds, and intermixed with rolling firebrands, resembling the revolving suns above.
6. Flames of fire flashed above, like the evening clouds of heaven, and blazed like hundreds of fiery pools on high; and the earth with the habitation of men, giants and gods, burned as burning mountains on all sides.
7. The burnt, unburnt and half burnt devils and demons, were roving together throughout the heated air, and grappling each other in the etherial streams.
8. The gods and goddesses, were falling down as flames of fire; and the abode of the celestials, were melted down in showers of fire.
9. Flashes of fire were flickering as lightnings, from the burning vault of heaven; and clouds of dark smoke hid the face of the vertical sky in darkness.
10. The faces of the earth and sky and of all sides of heaven, were wrapt in a flaming veil like that of the evening cloud; and the whole universe with its seven spheres, appeared as a massive mountain of flaming fire.
11. On one side the sparks of flaming fire, were flashing over the head; and on another a huge mountainous mist of smoke hid the hemisphere from sight. In the midst there appeared a mountainous body of fire as that of Hara—the god of destruction, dancing amidst the destructive winds of the Rudras blowing on all sides.