243 OX THE CHROXOLOG1 1 



Brahma being elapfed ; and of the remainder the fir<t 

 calpa is begun. Thefc live great calpas include 500 

 years of Brahma, at the end of which nothing will 

 remain but the felf-exifting. Every calpa, except the 

 lirlt, is preceded by a renovation of the world, and a 

 eral Hood : whilft the flood that precedes every 

 Manwdntara is in great meafure, a partial one, fome 

 few high peaks and fome privileged places, as Benares, 

 being excepted ; the peaks remaining above the waters, 

 and Benares and other privileged places being furround- 

 ed by the waters as with a circular wall. 



Thefe five calf as have five deities, who rule by 

 turns, and from whom the calpas are denominated. 

 Thefe five deities are, Devi, Surya or the Sun, Ga- 

 nefa, Vijlinu, and Is'wara. Brahma has no peculiar 

 calpa : he is intimate to every one of them. Every 

 deity, in his Own period, is Calfva-rupi or Chronus. We 

 are now under the reign of the fourth Chronus, The 

 Weftern mythologifts mention feveral ruling deities of 

 that name. Calfva-rupi lignifies he who has the coun- 

 tenance of Cdla, Chronus, or Time. This is now the 

 calpa of Vijlinu, who, to create, thought on Brahma, 

 and became Brahma-rupi-Janardana. He preferves 

 and fofters the whole creation in his own character ; 

 and will ultimately deftroy it through Jjbsara or Rudra. 

 The calpa of Vijhnu is called alio the Pudma or Lotos 

 period. It is declared in the purdnas that all animals 

 and plants are the Ling or Phallus of the Calfva-rupi 

 deity ; and that at the end. of his own culpa he is de- 

 prived of his Ling by his fucceflbr, who attracts the 

 whole creation to himfelf, to fwallow it up or de- 

 vour it, according to the Weftern mythologifts ; and 

 at the end of his calpa he difgorges the whole creation. 

 Such is the origin of Chronus devouring his own off- 

 spring ; of Jupiter difgorging it through a potion ad- 

 inmiiiered to him by Metis ; and of Chronus caftrating 

 his own father. According to this, Swayambhuva 



is 



