ing, when men become so
short-lived, more youths act like the aged; while all that is observable
in youth may be noticed in the old. And women given to impropriety of
conduct and marked by evil manners, deceive even the best of husbands
and forget themselves with menials and slaves and even with animals. And
O king, even women that are wives of heroes seek the companionship of
other men and forget themselves with these during the life-time of their
husbands.

"'O king, towards the end of those thousands of years constituting the
four _Yugas_ and when the lives of men become so short, a drought occurs
extending for many years. And then, O lord of the earth, men and
creatures endued with small strength and vitality, becoming hungry die
by thousands. And then, O lord of men, seven blazing Suns, appearing in
the firmament, drink up all the waters of the Earth that are in rivers
or seas. And, O bull of the Bharata race, then also everything of the
nature of wood and grass that is wet to dry, is consumed and reduced to
ashes. And then, O Bharata, the fire called _Samvartaka_ 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 clou