e,--thee that art now so invincible and that
now blazest with unrivalled splendour. In Time's course many thousands of
Indras and of deities have been swept off yuga after yuga. Time, indeed,
is irresistible. Having attained to thy present position, thou regardest
thyself very highly, even as the Creator of all beings, the divine and
eternal Brahman. This position of thine had been attained by many before
thee. With none did it prove stable or unending. In consequence, however,
of a foolish understanding, thou alone regardest it to be immutable and
eternal. Thou trustest in that which is not deserving of trust. Thou
deemest that to be eternal which is not eternal. O chief of the deities,
one that is overwhelmed and stupefied by Time really regards oneself
after this manner. Led by folly thou regardest thy present regal
prosperity to be thine. Know, however, that it is never stable in respect
of either thee or me or others. It had belonged to innumerable persons
before thee. Passing over them, it has now become thine. It will stay
with thee, O Vasava, for some time and then prove its instability. Like a
cow abandoning one drinking ditch for another, it will surely desert thee
for somebody else. So many sovereigns have gone before thee that I
venture not to make an enumeration. In the future also, O Purandara,
innumerable sovereigns will rise after thee. I do not behold those rulers
now that had formerly enjoyed this earth with her trees and plants and
gems and living creatures and waters and mines. Prithu, Aila, Maya,
Bhima, Naraka, Samvara, Aswagriva, Puloman, Swarbhanu, whose standard was
of immeasurable height, Prahlada, Namuchi, Daksha, Vipprachitti,
Virochana, Hrinisheva, Suhotra, Bhurihan, Pushavat, Vrisha, Satyepsu,
Rishava, Vahu, Kapilaswa, Virupaka, Vana, Kartaswara, Vahni,
Viswadanshtra, Nairiti, Sankocha, Varitaksha, Varaha, Aswa, Ruchiprabha,
Viswajit, Pratirupa, Vrishanda, Vishkara, Madhu, Hiranyakasipu, the
Danava Kaitabha, and many others that were Daityas and Danavas and
Rakshasas, these and many more unnamed, belonging to remote and remoter
ages, great Daityas and foremost of Danavas, whose names we have
heard,--indeed, many foremost of Daityas of former times,--having gone
away, leaving the Earth. All of them were afflicted by Time. Time proved
stronger than all of them. All of them had worshipped the Creator in
hundreds of sacrifices. Thou art not the one person that hast done so.
All of them were devote