8. The gods and goddesses, were falling down as flames of fire; and the abode of the celestials, were melted down in showers of fire.
9. Flashes of fire were flickering as lightnings, from the burning vault of heaven; and clouds of dark smoke hid the face of the vertical sky in darkness.
10. The faces of the earth and sky and of all sides of heaven, were wrapt in a flaming veil like that of the evening cloud; and the whole universe with its seven spheres, appeared as a massive mountain of flaming fire.
11. On one side the sparks of flaming fire, were flashing over the head; and on another a huge mountainous mist of smoke hid the hemisphere from sight. In the midst there appeared a mountainous body of fire as that of Hara—the god of destruction, dancing amidst the destructive winds of the Rudras blowing on all sides.
CHAPTER CXXXXII.
Ascertainment of Karma or Acts of Men.
Argument:—Here God is ascertained as the Cause of the visionary world; and Refutation of the Theory of Karma or Human Deeds and Destiny.
The sage resumed and said:—Continuing thus in the vagaries of my false imagination, I was led to many such painful sights, until they raised in me the feelings of woe and sorrow, and my curiosity gave way to weariness.
2. I then thought in my mind that it is a mere dream in the mind of another person, which I have come to see from my seat within his breast; therefore I must refrain from such sights, and restrain my sorrow for them in vain.
3. The Huntsman asked:—It was for the investigation of the nature of dream, that you had entered into the bosom of another person; say then what have you come to know about it, and how are your doubts removed (with respect to its false phantasms).
4. How came you to see the ocean in the breast, which never exists therein, and how did you see the conflagration in the heart and the tornado in the bowels, which are never to be found in any of those places.