The Vedic fathers of geology

GrvtocicaL Resutts CoMPARED. 127

still more remote and hoary past, (vide ante pp. 82@85 ). For, they maintained, that the planet Earth was at sirst im @ gaseous state 10111605 [८5071 (तस्नात्तपनाद्धुमोऽजायत । तस्मात्तपना दधिरजायत। त° त्रा ० २-२-९); प it then assumed a molten state; the materials of all rocks, ९12० mountains and earth having been held in solution, and Indra having reduced them to the condition of fluid by his prowess ( ओजसा .* ...ऽधराचीनसकरोदपासपः। Rig-Veda. I. 17. 9; पृथिवीं व्यथमानां ...... पर्व॑तान्‌ प्रकपिताच्‌....- R. V. IL 12. 2); that after lapse of ages, it cooled down ; and that subsequently, the same became earth (tara: प्रथिवी । तै To 2-2 ), Indra having converted it into a solid crust (a: Gfaat eraaraagea: प्तान्यकृपितानरम्णात्‌ । R. V. I 12.2 ). Vide ante pp. 13 @ 18, 20, 21.

Moreover, there appears a distinct statement in the Rig-Veda and the Upanishads, of there having been a thermal deep (स सखद्रो ऽभवत्‌ । Ho ato 2. 2-9-2), or of the fire ( stfH: ) having dwelt on the lap of the waters ( अपाखुपस्थे विभ्रतः 1 2. इ. 1, 144. 2); भत्‌ तऽ, एकण्णत्‌ doubt, indicates a state of things, in which our planet ( the Earth) was in igneous fusion and surrounded by watery vapours; or rather, it was in a liquid or molten condition ( अपाखषस्थे fraa:......1), Vide ante pp. 105 (d), 106 (c)