Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 455

A BRAHMIN TEACHER
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greater facility, I engaged the services of a Brahmin, who
was said to be learned, and who, in fact, was not wanting
But I soon perceived that
in intelligence or knowledge.
he was himself completely lost in this labyrinth of meta-
and the various Commentaries to which he re-
physics
ferred for some plausible explanations of my difficulties
tended only to increase those difficulties. However, being
very often too proud and presumptuous to acknowledge
his inability to make me understand what he did not under-
stand himself, he tried to get out of his difficulties by hums
and haws. By gestures and pantomimic signs, which were
truly laughable, he endeavoured to make up for the explana-
tions which I in vain sought from him, and he often left
me to myself to clear up my own difficulties.
;
CHAPTER XXIV
Chronology of the Brahmins.
— The
Epoch
of the Flood.
The Hindus recognize four ages of the world, to which
they give the name of yugas. They assign to each yuga
a period of time which, when all the yugas are added
together, would make the creation of the world date back
several millions of years.
The first is called Kritha-yuga, to which they assign
The second, which they call Tretha-yuga,
1,728,000 years.
The third, called Dwapara-
lasted about 1,296,000 years.
And the last, in which
yuga, lasted about 864,000 years.
we are now living, is called Kali-yuga, or the Age of Misery.
The present year of
It should last about 432,000 years.
the Christian era (1825) corresponds to the year 4,926 of
the Kali-yuga.
According to this calculation the world has now been in
existence for 3,892,926 years.
It is hardly necessary for me to waste time in proving
The Hindus
that the first three ages are entirely mythical.
themselves seem to regard them in that light, since in
ordinary life they make no mention of them. All their
calculations and dates, as well as all the most ancient and
authentic records at present to be found among them, are
reckoned from the commencement of the Kali-yuga.