Chapter LXXVII - Description of the world overflooded by the rains

Argument:—The world presenting the scene of one universal sheet of water caused by the deluging clouds.

Vasishtha continued:—

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Hear now of the chaotic state of the world, which was brought on by conflict of the earth, air, water, and fire with one another; and how the three worlds were covered under the great diluvian waters.

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The dark clouds flying in the air as pitchy ashes, overspread the world as a great ocean, with whirlpools of rolling smoke.

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The dark blaze of the fire glimmered amidst the combustibles, and converted all of them to heaps of ashes, which flew and spread over all the world.

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The swelling sound of the hissing showers rose as high, as [if] they were blowing aloud the whistle of their victory.

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There was the assemblage of all the five kinds of clouds and all of them pouring their waters in profusion upon the ground; these were the ashy clouds, the grey clouds, the kalpa clouds, and the misty and the showering clouds.

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The howling breezes, tottered the foundations of the world; the high wind rose high to heaven, and filled all space; and bore the flames to burn down the regencies of the gods on every side.

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The winds dived deep into the depths of water, and bore and dispersed their frigidity to all sides of the airs, which numbed the senses, and deafened the ears of all (by their coldness).

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A loud hubbub filled the world, raised by the incessant fall of rain in columns from the vault of heaven; and by the roaring and growling of the kalpa fire.

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The whole earth was filled with water as one ocean, by waterfalls from the clouds of heaven, resembling the torrents of Ganges and the currents of all rivers.

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The canopy of the kalpa or diluvian clouds, pierced by the shining sun-beams above them, appeared as the leafy tuft at the top of the nigrescent tamala tree, with clusters of lurid flowers, peeping through the sable leaves.

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The all destroying tornado bore away the broken fragments, of trees and rocks, and the top of towers and castles aloft in the air; dashed them against the skycapt mountains, and broke them asunder to pieces.

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The swift stars and planets, clashing with the rapid comets and meteors, struck sparks of fire and flame by their mutual concussion, which burned about as igneous whirlpools in the air.

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The raging and rapid winds, raised the waves of seas, as high as mountains; which striking against the rocks on the sea shore, broke and hurled them down with tremendous noise.

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The deep dusky and showering clouds, joined with the wet kalpa clouds, cast into shade the bright light of the sun; and darkened the air under their sable shadows.

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The seas overflowed their beds and banks, and bore down the broken fragments of the rocks under their bowels; and they became dreadful and dangerous by the falling and rolling down of the stones with their current.

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The huge surges of the sea, bearing the fragments of the rocks in their bosom, were raised aloft by the cloud rending winds; and they dashed against and broke down the shores with deep and tremendous noise.

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The diluvian cloud then broke asunder the vault of heaven, and split the bosom of the sky with its loud rattling; and then clapped together its oaklike hands, to see the universal ocean which it had made.

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The earth, heaven and infernal regions, were rent to pieces, and tossed and loosed in the all devouring waters; and the whole nature was reduced to its original vacuity, as if the world was an unpeopled and vast desert.

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Now the dead and half dead, the burnt and half burnt bodies, of gods and demigods, of Gandharvas and men beheld one another in the general ruin, and fled and fell upon each other with their lifted arms and weapons, with the velocity of the winds. (It is a dogma of spiritualism, that tribal and personal animosities &c., continue to the death bed and in after life, if there is no reconciliation made in the present state).

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The diluvian winds, were flying as the funeral ashes from the piles;or as the arjuna humour of choler, drives a person up and down in the air like a column of ashes.

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The heaps of stones that were collected in the air, fell forcibly on the ground, and broke down whatever they struck upon; just as the falling hailstones from heaven, clatter out of season, and shatter every thing whatever they fall.

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The rustling breezes howling in the caverns of mountains, resounded with a rumbling noise from the fall of the mansions of the regents of every side.

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The winds growled with harsh sounds, resembling the jarring noise of demons; and these blowing amidst the woods, appeared to be passing through the windows.

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The cities and towns burning with the demoniac fire, and the mountains and abodes of the gods, flaming with solar gleams, and their sparks in the air, flying like swarms of gnats.

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The sea was roaring with its whirling rain waters on the surface, and boiling with the submarine fire below; and destroying alike both the big mountains below, as also the abodes of the gods above.

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The conflict of the waters and rocks, demolished the cities of the rulers of earth on all sides; and hurled down the abodes of the deities and demons, and of the siddhas and gandharvas also.

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The stones and all solid substances were pounded to powder, and the fire-brands were reduced to ashes: when the flying winds blew them as dust all about.

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The hurling down of the abodes of gods and demons, and the dashing together of their walls emitted a noise as that of the crashing of clouds, or gingling of metallic things in mutual contact.

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The sky was filled with peoples and edifices, falling from the seven regions of heaven; and the gods themselves were whirling in air, as anything fallen in a whirlpool in the sea.

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All things whether burnt or unburnt, were swimming up and down in the etherial ocean, as the winds toss about the dry leaves of trees in the air.

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The air was filled with the jarring and gingling sounds, rising from the fallen edifices of various metals and minerals in all worlds.

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Then the smoky and ashy clouds all flew upward, while the heavy watery clouds lowered upon the earth; again the swelling billows were rising high upon the water, and the hills and all other substances were sinking below.

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The whirlpools were wheeling against one another, with gurgling noise, and the old ocean was rolling on with gigantic mountains, floating upon it like groups of leaves and shrubs.

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The good deities were wailing aloud, and the weary animals were moving on slowly; the comets and other portents were flying in the air, and the aspect of the universe, was dreadful and diresome to behold.

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The sky was full of dead and half dead bodies, borne by the breezes into its bosom; and it presented a grey and dingy appearance, as that of the dry and discoloured foliage of trees (in the fading autumn).

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The world was full of water, falling in profuse showers from the mountain peaks; and hundreds of streams flowed down by the sides of mountains, and were borne all about by the breeze.

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The fire now ceased to rage with its hundred flames, and the swelling sea now run over its boundary hills; and overflowed its banks.

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Mass of gramineous plant mixed with mud and mire, appeared as large island; and intellect in the far distant vacuity, appeared as lighting over a forest.

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The rains closing extinguished the fire, but the rising fume and smoke filled the air and hid the heaven, so that the existence of the prior world and the former creation was altogether forgotten from remembrance.

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Then there rose the loud cry of the extinction of creation, and there remained only the One being, who is exempt from creation and destruction (i.e. who is increate and imperishable).

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Now the winds abated also, that had been incessantly struggling to upset the world; and continually filling the universe with their particles, as with an unceasing supply of grains.

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The bodies of comets clashing against one another, were reduced to sparks of fire resembling the dust of gold; and these extinguishing at last to ashes, filled the vault of heaven with powdered dust.

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The orb of the earth being shattered to pieces, with all its contents of islands &c., was rolling in large masses together with the fragments of the infernal worlds.

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Now the seven regions of heaven and those of the infernal worlds, being mixed up in one mass with the shattered mass of the earth and its mountains, filled up the universal space with the chaotic waters and diluvian winds.

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Then the universal ocean, was swollen with the waters of all its tributary seas and rivers; and there was a loud uproar of the rolling waters, resembling the clamour of the enraged madman.

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The rain fell at first in the form of fountains and cascades, and then it assumed the shape of falling columns or water spouts; at last it took the figure of a palm tree, and then it poured down its showers in torrents.

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Then it ran as the current of a river, and flooded and overflowed on all sides; and the raining clouds made the surface of the earth one extended sheet of water.

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The flamefire was seen to subside at last, just as some very great danger in human life, is averted by observance of the precautions given in the sastras, and advice of the wise.

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At last the vast vault of the mundane world, became as desolate of all its contents and submerged in water; as a goodly bel fruit loses its substance by being tossed about in playful mood from the hands of boys.