380                        ALBERUNPS INDIA.

they begin to kill animals and to tear off plants, prac¬
tices which before were unknown.

Thus the evil increases till, at the beginning of Dva-
para, evil and good exist in equal proportions, and like¬
wise bliss and misfortune. The climates begin to differ,
there is much killing going on, and the religions become
different. Life becomes shorter, and lasts only 400
years, according to the Vishnu-Dhar7na. At the begin¬
ning of Tishya, i.e. Kaliyuga, evil is thrice as much as
the remaining good.

The Hindus have several well-known traditions of
events which are said to have occurred in the Treta and
Dvapara yugas, e.g. the story of Eama, who killed Ea-
Page 191. vana ; that of Parasurama the Brahman, who killed every
Kshatriya he laid hold upon, revenging on them the
death of his father. They think that he lives in heaven,
that he has already twenty-one times appeared on earth,
and that he will again appear. Further, the story of
the war of the children of Pandu with those of Kuru.

In the Kaliyuga evil increases, till at last it results
in the destruction of all good. At that time the inhabi¬
tants of the earth perish, and a new race rises out of
those who are scattered through the mountains and hide
themselves in caves, uniting for the purpose of worship¬
ping and flying from the horrid, demoniac human race.
Therefore this age is called Kritayuga, which means
" Being ready for going away after having finished the
work."
Description 111 tlic stoTy of Sauuaka which Venus received from
KaiijHiga. Brahman, God speaks to him in the following words :
"When the Kaliyuga comes, I send Buddhodana, the
son of Suddhodana the pious, to spread the good in the
creation. But then the Muliammira, i.e. the red-wear¬
ing ones, who derive their origin from him, will change
everything that he has brought, and the dignity of the
Brahmans will be gone to such a degree that a Shdra,
their servant, will be impudent towards them, and that