The Vedic fathers of geology

126 Tur Vepic FATHERS OF GEOLOGY.

entertained in regard to the condition of the Karth, of which, therefore, I venture to give here a summary as follows, for the sake of comparing these views with those of the Vedic Fathers of Geology :—That

(1) Our planet is in a molten state, and surrounded by solid crust.

(2) It is practically solid throughout.

(3) It has a thin viscous intermediate stratum, reposing on a solid core, and covered by a solid crust.

(4) It isa globe of gas, enveloped first by an inner molten layer, and next by an outer solid crust. ( Vide Lapworth’s Text-Book of Geolosy. pp. 49, 50. Ed. 1899 ).

Tn all these views, however, the hypothesisof the original molten condition or gaseous state of the Planet, and its subsequent slowly cooling process is practically involved. Therefore, this modern and admittedly scientific view of the Western Geologists, belonging to the last, that is, the nineteenth century, very favourably compares even with the most ancient geological ideas entertained by our Fore-fathers of the Upanishad period, about over 4,000 years before (vide ante pp. 26@29), and even by Rishis of the Rég-Vedic times, who lived in the Tertiary Period, and as such in the