The Vedic fathers of geology

Eprsopr or THE Guactat Pertop. 145

fore, naturally endeavoured to return home to Aryayarta, by way of the Himalayas, while others sought refuge in places which either gave them shelter, or which they chose for themselves, having had due regard to the surrounding circumstances, and finally settled there.

This, in substance, appears to me to be the interpretation of the Sanskrit passage from the Aitareya Braéhmana quoted above. However, referring to this Sanskrit-Text, Dr. Martin Haug takes a different but probably erroneous view. He first renders into English the passage as follows :-“‘ The Kali is lying on the ground; the Dyapara is hovering there; the’ Treta is getting up; but the Krita happens to walk (hither and thither ).” He then says,: “Sfyana does not give any explanation of this important passage; where the names of the Yugas are mentioned for the first time. These four names are, as is well-known from other sources ( see the Sanskrit Dictionary by Boehtlingk and Roth. 5. V. kali, dvdpara, &e. ) the names of dice, used at gambling. The meaning of this Gatha is, “ There is every success to be hoped; for the unluckiest die—the, Kali—is lying, two others are slowly moying and half fallen, but the luckiest, the Krita, is in full motion. The position of dice given here is ८.41 of a fair chance of winning the