21. The Pushkara and Avartaka clouds with their world overflowing floods; met and joined together in mutual embrace, as two winged mountains flying in air, and clashing against one another. 22. These clouds being at last satisfied with their devouring the world, under their all swallowing waters; were now roaring loudly and flying lightly in the air, as if they were dancing with their uplifted hilly arms. 23. The clouds were pouring forth their floods of water above, and the mountain tops were flaming in the midway sky; and the huge snakes that had supported the earth, were now diving deep into the mud of the infernal regions (owing to the destruction of the earth). 24. The incessant showers filled the three regions, like the triple stream of Ganges running in three directions; they drowned the highest mountains, whose tops floated as froths in the universal ocean. 25. The floating mountains struck against the sphere of heaven, and broke it into fragments; when the fairies of heaven, floated as pretty lotuses on the surface of waters. 26. The universe was reduced to an universal ocean, which roared with a tremendous noise; and the three worlds being split to pieces, were borne away into the waters of the endless deep. 27. There remained no one to save another, nor any one that was not swept away by the flood; for who is there that can save us, when the all devouring time grasps us in his clutches. 28. There remained neither the sky nor the horizon, there was no upside nor downward in the infinite space; there was no creation nor a creature any where, but all were submerged under one infinite sheet of water. CHAPTER LXXIX. MAINTENANCE OF INAPPETENCY OR WANT OF DESIRE. Argument:—Nirvána-Extinction Compared with Waking from the Dream of Existence. Vasishtha resumed:—Seeing the end of all I still retained my seat in infinite vacuity; and my eyes were detained by the sight of a glorious light, shining as the morning rays of the rising luminary of the day. 2. While I was looking at that light, I beheld the great Brahmá sitting as a statue carved in stone, intent upon his meditation of supreme One, and beset by his transcendent glory all about him. 3. I saw there a multitude of gods, sages and holy personages, with Vrihaspati and Sukra—the preceptors of gods and demigods, together with the regent deities of wealth and death. 4. There were likewise the regent divinities of water, fire and the other deities also; so were there companies of _rishis_ and _siddhas_ and _sádhyas_, gandharvas and others. 5. All these were as figures in painting, and all sitting in their meditative mood; they all sat in their lotiform posture, and appeared as lifeless and immovable bodies. 6. Then the twelve ádityas or suns (of the twelve signs), met at the same centre (with the same object in their view); and they sat in the same lotiform posture (of devotion, as the other deities).