And thou alone hast witnessed many things by the
senses, and never in all the worlds hath there been any thing unknown to
thee! Therefore do I long to hear any discourse explaining the causes of
things!'
"Markandeya replied, 'Indeed, I shall explain all, after having bowed
down to that Self-existent, Primordial Being, who is eternal and
undeteriorating and inconceivable, and who is at once vested with and
divested of attributes. O tiger among men, this Janardana attired in
yellow robes is the grand Mover and Creator of all, the Soul and Framer
of all things, and the lord of all! He is also called the Great, the
Incomprehensible, the Wonderful and the Immaculate. He is without
beginning and without end, pervades all the world, is Unchangeable and
Undeteriorating. He is the Creator of all, but is himself uncreate and
is the Cause of all power. His knowledge is greater than that of all the
gods together. O best of kings and pre-eminent of men, after the
dissolution of the universe, all this wonderful creation again comes
into life. Four thousand years have been said to constitute the _Krita
Yuga_. Its dawn also, as well as its eve, hath been said to comprise
four hundred years. The _Treta-Yuga_ is said to comprise three thousand
years, and its dawn, as well as its eve, is said to comprise three
hundred years. The _Yuga_ that comes next is called _Dwapara_, and it
hath been computed to consist of two thousand years.
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