The Vedic fathers of geology

156 Tur Vepic Faturrs or Gronoey.

Now, just as in the Vedas, so also in the Avesta, we have unassailable evidence in respect of the advent of the Great Ice Age called the Glacial Period, to which, therefere, reference has already been made from time to time ( vide ante pp. 35, 63, 72, 73, 76, 77, 81, 82). Our Vedic Geologists, however, had divided this Glacial Epoch of enormous length ( wide above pp. 84, 85), into three Yugas, wie. Krita (=A ), Treta (Hat), and Dvdpara (ate: ); while Kali (#":) was according totheir notion, the beginning of the Quaternary Age. All this, therefore, seems to have been very well described and scrupulously observed by our Vedic Rishis, which no ancient nation whatever had done, with the eye of an expert, the zeal of the Geologist, and the accuracy of a careful observer, as due regard appears to have been paid to the functions of each Yuga, of which, by the bye, the requisite details have been given before ( vide ante pp. 144, 145, 146 @ 148 ), and in mentioning which, our Vedic Rishis have certainly shown themselves to be immeasurably in advance of the times.

In fact, just as the Great Ice Age finds place in the Science of Geology as cultivated in the Occident, the aforesaid four Yugas form but one important Episode in the Vedic