________________
[ 163 ] and become more and more disrupted. In this context it is pointed out that one great virtuel in this iron age viz. in the midst of all its evils is and that its most important feature is that even a little of good action at this time produces a good fruit. - NATURE OF KALI AND THE VIŞNU PURĀŅA
It is said that Kalithe incarnation of the present dark age has Kāla or time as its form. It descended on the very day on which Šrīkļşpa left his body. KARMA AND CREATION IN THE VIŠŅU PURĀŅA
From what has been said in the foregoing pages, we have had some idea of the great importance the Purāņa literature attaches to Karma. Not only in the matter of differentiation in human experiences but also in the basic act of creation itself in the Vişpu Purāņa,2 for instance and in other places also, we find a detailed description of the process of first creation. It appears there that in view of the Purāņas, the creation of man was made possible after several stages. Of these siages, the first one is known to be main (FET) which includes the creation of mountains, The second stage is described as Tiryaksrota.(fatetmata). This clause includes plants and vegetables. The third is that of Urdhvasrota beings, namely the Devas. They are shining within and without. It is said that with this threefold creation Brahmā was not satisfied. Thereupon He created the fourth type called Arvāksrota i. e, human beings. It is pointed out that in the entire scheme of creation, we have Sthāvara or inorganic substance and the plants and animals who are organised but belong to a lower level than the other entitled Ordhvasrota including celestial or humanly beings. It was found, so it is said, that all these types of the creation so far affected is imperfect in so far as it is incapable of rising upto spiritual perfection through its Karma or individual moral activities. This shows that even in the earlier ages it was believed that neither lower 1. Vişnu Puršņi Section VI Chapter 1, verst 60. 2. Ibid., Section 1, Chapter V.
