means.[874] In the other yugas, duty, ordained in the Vedas, is seen to gradually decline by a quarter in each.  Sinfulness grows in consequence of theft, untruth, and deception.  In the Krita age, all persons are free from disease and crowned with success in respect of all their objects, and all live for four hundred years.  In the Treta, the period of life decreases by a quarter.  It has also been heard by us that, in the succeeding yugas, the words of the Vedas, the periods of life, the blessings (uttered by Brahmanas), and the fruits of Vedic rites, all decrease gradually.  The duties set down for the Krita yuga are of one kind.  Those for the Treta are otherwise.  Those for the Dwapara are different.  And those for the Kali are otherwise.  This is in accordance with that decline that marks every succeeding yuga.  In the Krita, Penance occupies the foremost place.  In the Treta, Knowledge is foremost.  In the Dwapara, Sacrifice has been said to be the foremost, In the Kali yuga, only Gift is the one thing that has been laid down.  The learned say that these twelve thousand years (of the deities) constitute what is called a yuga.  A thousand such yugas compose a single day of Brahman.[875] The same is the duration of Brahman’s night.  With the commencement of Brahman’s day the universe begins to start into life.  During the period of universal dissolution the Creator sleeps, having recourse to yoga-meditation.  When the period of slumber expires, He awakes.  That then which is Brahman’s day extends for a thousand such yugas.  His nights also extends for a thousand similar yugas.  They who know this are said to know the day and the night.  On the expiry of His night, Brahman, waking up, modifies the indestructible chit by causing it to be overlaid with Avidya.  He then causes Consciousness to spring up, whence proceeds Mind which is identical with the Manifest.’"[876]

SECTION CCXXXII

“Vyasa said, ’Brahma is the effulgent seed from which, existing as it does by itself, hath sprung the whole universe consisting of two kinds of being, viz., the mobile and the immobile.[877] At the dawn of His day, waking up.  He creates with the help of Avidya this universe.  At first springs up that which is called Mahat.  That Mahat is speedily transformed into Mind which is the soul of the Manifest.[878] Overwhelming the Chit, which is effulgent, with Avidya, Mind creates seven great beings.[879] Urged by the desire of creating, Mind, which is far-reaching, which has many courses, and which has desire and doubt for its principal indications, begins to create diverse kinds of objects by modifications of itself.  First springs from it Space.  Know that its property is Sound.  From Space, by modification, arises the bearer of all scents, viz., the pure and mighty Wind.  It is said to possess the attribute of Touch.  From Wind also, by modification, springs Light endued with effulgence.  Displayed in beauty,