taka impelled by the winds
appeareth on the earth that hath already been dried to cinders by the
seven Suns. And then that fire, penetrating through the Earth and making
its appearance, in the nether regions also, begetteth great terror in the
hearts of the gods, the Danavas and the Yakshas. And, O lord of the
earth, consuming the nether regions as also everything upon this Earth
that fire destroyeth all things in a moment. And that fire called
Samvartaka aided by that inauspicious wind, consumeth this world
extending for hundreds and thousands of yojanas. And that lord of all
things, that fire, blazing forth in effulgence consumeth this universe
with gods and Asuras and Gandharvas and Yakshas and Snakes and Rakshasas.
And there rise in the sky deep masses of clouds, looking like herds of
elephants and decked with wreaths of lightning that are wonderful to
behold. And some of those clouds are of the hue of the blue lotus; and
some are of the hue of the water-lily; and some resemble in tint the
filaments of the lotus and some are purple and some are yellow as
turmeric and some of the hue of the crows' egg. And some are bright as
the petals of the lotus and some red as vermillion. And some resemble
palatial cities in shape and some herds of elephants. And some are of the
form of lizards and some of crocodiles and sharks. And, O king, the
clouds that gather in the sky on the occasion are terrible to behold and
wreathed with lightnings, roar frightfully. And those vapoury masses,
charged with rain, soon cover the entire welkin. And, O king, those
masses of vapour then flood with water the whole earth with her mountains
and forests and mines. And, O bull among men, urged by the Supreme Lord
those clouds roaring frightfully, soon flood over the entire surface of
the earth. And pouring in a great quantity of water and filling the whole
earth, they quench that terrible inauspicious fire (of which I have
already spoken to thee). And urged by the illustrious Lord those clouds
filling the earth with their downpour shower incessantly for twelve
years. And then, O Bharata, the Ocean oversteps his continents, the
mountains sunder in fragments, and the Earth sinks under the increasing
flood. And then moved on a sudden by the impetus of the wind, those
clouds wander along the entire expanse of the firmament and disappear
from the view. And then, O ruler of men, the Self-create Lord--the first
Cause of everything--having his abode in the