CHAPTER XLI.                             371

man. The first half of 504 caturyugas is called utsar-
pini, during which the sun is ascending, and the second
half is called avasarpini, during which the sun is de¬
scending. The midst of this period is called sama, i.e.
equality, for it is the midst of the day, and the two
ends are called durtama (?)•"

This is so far correct, as the comparison between day
and kalpa goes, but the remark about the sun's ascend¬
ing and descending is not correct. If he meant the
sun who makes our day, it was his duty to explain of
what kind that ascending and descending of the sun is ;
but if he meant a sun who specially belongs to the day
of Brahman, it was his duty to show or to describe him
to us. I almost think that the author meant by these
two expressions the progressive, increasing develop¬
ment of things during the first half of this period, and
the retrograde, decreasing development in the second
half.