Chapter CXLI - Description of the termination of a kalpa-period

Argument:—Continuation of the subject of fire and flame, and hot winds and fiery clouds at the final Dooms-day Dissolution.

The sage continued:—

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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).

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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).

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The burnt, unburnt and half burnt devils and demons, were roving together throughout the heated air, and grappling each other in the etherial streams.

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The gods and goddesses, were falling down as flames of fire; and the abode of the celestials, were melted down in showers of fire.

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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.

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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.

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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.