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CHAPTEE  XLIL

ON   THE  DIVISION  OF   THE  CATUEYUGA  INTO   YUGAS, AND
THE   DIFFERENT   OPINIONS  EEGAEDING   THE   LATTEE.

The single TiiE author of tlic Vishnu-Dhctrmct says : " Twelve hun-
Yaturyuga drcd divya years are one yugct, called tishya. The double
^vi^inu-^ ° of it is a dvdpara, the triple a tretd, the quadruple a
Brahma-^"^ kritct, and all four yugas together are one ectturyuga, i.e.
gupta.        ^]^g four yugas or sums.

" Seventy-one caturyugcts are one manvantara, and
14 manvantaras, together with a samdhi of the duration
of one kritayuga between each two of them, are one
kalpa. Two kalpas are a nychthemeron of Brahman,
and his life is a hundred years, or one day of Purusha,
the first man, of whom neither beginning nor end is
known,"

This is what Varuna, the lord of the water, communi¬
cated to Eama, the son of Dasaratha, in primeval times,
since he knew these things thoroughly. The same
information has also been given by Bhargava, i.e.
Markandeya, who had such a perfect knowledge of time
that he easily mastered every number. He is to the
Hindus like the angel of death, who kills them with
his seat, being aprati-dhrishya (irresistible).

Brahmagupta says : " The book Smriti mentions that
4000 devaka years are one kritayuga, but together with
a samdhi of 400 years and a samdhydmsa of 400 years,
a kritayuga has 4800 devaka years.

"Three thousandyears are one tretdyuga, but together