65. I then flew amidst the flames as freely as air, and flickered as the flash of fleet lightnings in the cloud; and sometimes hovered over the burning fire, as the light winged butterfly flies upon the lotus of the lands (sthala padma).
CHAPTER CXXXXI.
Description of the Termination of a Kalpa-period.
Argument:—Continuation of the subject of fire and flame, and hot winds and fiery clouds at the final Dooms-day Dissolution.
The sage continued:—Though repeatedly burning amidst those fires, yet I was neither consumed nor felt the least pain therein; and though falling from one fire into another; yet I thought all this as a dream in my dreaming (i.e. one dream in another).
2. The fires flew aloft, and filled the vault of heaven with flames; and I was flying as a fire-brand amidst and all about it. (So the sinless soul soars in the highest empyrean of heaven).
3. As I was wandering with my spiritual light and unwearied soul amidst this universal conflagration, there arose on a sudden a tremendous hurricane (raised by the rarefied air on all sides).
4. It howled and growled aloud like the roaring of clouds on high; and blew fiercely all along, bearing down and carrying away every thing before it.
5. The whirling and howling tornado, raged with redoubled force in the forest; lifting aloft large tracts of woods in the form of clouds, and intermixed with rolling firebrands, resembling the revolving suns above.
6. Flames of fire flashed above, like the evening clouds of heaven, and blazed like hundreds of fiery pools on high; and the earth with the habitation of men, giants and gods, burned as burning mountains on all sides.
7. The burnt, unburnt and half burnt devils and demons, were roving together throughout the heated air, and grappling each other in the etherial streams.