36o ALBERUNPS INDIA.
a kalpa. This subject will be fully explained in the
proper place (v. chaps, xli. and xliv.).
Two kalpas are a day of Brahman. It is the same
if we say two kalpas or 28 manvantaras, for 360 days
of Brahman are a year of Brahman, i.e. 720 kalpas or
10,080 manvantaras.
Further, they say that the life of Brahman is lOO of
his years, i.e. 72,000 kctlpas or 1,008,000 manvantaras.
In the present book we do not go beyond this limit.
The book Vishnu-Dharma has a tradition from Mar¬
kandeya, who answers a question of Vajra in these
words: "Kalpa is the day of Brahman, and the same
is a night of his. Therefore 720 kalpas are a year of
his, and his life has lOO such years. These 100 years
are one day of Purusha, and the same is a night of his.
How many Brahmans, however, have already preceded
Purusha, none knows but he who can count the sand
of the Ganges or the drops of the rain,"