40. In the ocean of the universal deluge, where Mádhava (the divine spirit), floated on the leaf of the bata tree (_ficus religiosus_); there reigned the chaotic night along with him, and spread its darkness over the face of the deep. 41. There was then but one vast void, wherein all things remained unknown and undefined, as if they lay buried and asleep, in the unconscious womb of a stony grave. 42. Nothing could be known or inferred of anything in existence, but everything seemed to be submerged in deep sleep every where; and the sky was filled by darkness, resembling the wingless crows and unwinged mountains of old. 43. On one side the loud peals of thunder, were breaking down the mountains, and melting them by the fire of the flashing lightnings; and in another, the overflowing waters were sweeping away the earth into the deep. 44. In certain places there were the warfares of the giants, as those of Tripura, Vritra, Andha, and Valí, and in others there were terrible earthquakes, owing to the trepidation of the furious elephant in the regions below. (This elephant is said so be one of the supports of the earth). 45. On one hand the earth was tottering on the thousand hoods on the infernal serpent Vásuki, which trembled with fear at the _kalpánta_ deluge of the world; and on the other the young Ráma killing the Rákshas, with their leader Rávana (an event which was yet to occur). 46. On one side was Ráma foiled by his adversary Rávana; and I saw these wonders, now standing upon my legs on earth, and then lifting my head above the mountain tops. 47. I saw kála-nemi invading the sky one side, where he stationed the demons, by ousting the gods from their heavenly seats. 48. In one place I found the Asuras foiled by the gods, who preserved the people from their terror; and in another the victorious son of Pandu—Arjuna, protecting the world from the oppression of Kauravas, with the aid of lord Vishnu. I saw also the slaughter of millions of men in the Bharatic war. 49. Ráma rejoined:—Tell me sir, how I had been before in another age, and who had been these Pandavas and Kauravas too, that existed before me. (Wheeler in his India dates the Pandavas prior to Ráma). 50. Vasishtha replied:—Ráma! all things are destined to revolve and return, over and over again as they had been before. (In the same manner as the impressions in the mind, recur repeatedly to it every where; and the present state of the world, is no more than a reminiscence of the past ones). 51. As a basket is filled repeatedly with grains of the same kind, or mixed sometimes, with some other sorts in it; so the very same thoughts and ideas, with their self-same or other associations, recur repeatedly in our minds. 52. Our ideas occur to us in the shape of their objects, as often as the waters of the sea run in their course, in the form of waves beating upon the banks; and thus our thoughts of ourselves, yourselves and others, frequently revert to our minds.