The Geography of the Puranas c13.s7: Modern Views Regarding the Geological History of the Earth
The Geography of the Purāṇas c13.s7
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Modern Views Regarding the Geological History of the Earth
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It would be interesting to compare the Purāṇic concept of cosmic cycles and evolution of life with what is now believed to be the probable history of the earth since it was born. Modern geology, on the basis of uranium-lead ratios, deduces that the approximate age of the earth is about 2,000 million years, and during this period of 2,000 million years the face of the earth has been changing constantly. The primeval granitic crust of the earth was eroded by denuding agents like water, wind, running water, etc., and sediments were laid down in the primeval oceans. This extensive period of sedimentation was evidently followed by the revolutionary crumbling of the earth's crust known as the Laurentian revolution during which large masses of molten granite were poured over these layers while the layers themselves were uplifted and folded into gigantic mountains. It must, however, be noted that this revolution need not have been the first one to take place on the surface of the earth. In fact, there probably were several earlier outbursts of tectonic activity of which we have no record.
c13.s7.2
After the erosion of the first 'recorded' mountain chains, large areas of the continents were again covered by water, and thick layers of new deposits were formed on top of the previous ones. Then another revolution (the Algonkian) ensued, accompanied by new mountain formation processes and new intrusions of granite lavas, again followed by a long quiet sedimentation period. Then again a revolution, again a period of transgressional seas and another sedimentation.
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After the fifth 'recorded' revolution, known as the charnian (date uncertain), the history of the evolution of the earth's surface is rather complete, since the sediments begin to contain fossils of different primitive animals in steadily increasing numbers. As before, the uplifted continents slowly began to sink back into the plastic mass below and the incessant pouring of rain washed away the rocky material of the mountains and high plateaus. Ocean water crept inland and covered large areas over the continents. This extensive inundation was the most characteristic feature of the Early Palaeozoic chapter of the earth's history and lasted for about 160 million years. Meanwhile the stresses in the earth's crust were slowly gathering their forces for the major outbreak that finally took place in the year 280,000,000 B.C.
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The great disturbances of the earth's crust that opened the next, the Late Palaeozoic, chapter of the earth's history are known as the Caledonian revolution. The processes repeat themselves and similar revolutions occur in the ages which followed it. The Appalachian or Hercynian revolution took place in about 150,000,000 B.C. while the Alpine-Himalayan revolution occurred in about 40,000,000 B.C.
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The earth's history is thus punctuated by (a) revolutions or periods of intense tectonic activity, (b) widespread transgression of seas and (c) destruction and revival of new forms of life after each revolution.
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It would appear from the above that there is a fair degree of similarity between the Purāṇic concept of cosmic cycles and the geological revolutions. If we identify a Kalpa or Brahmā's Day with the inter-revolutionary period and the 'revolution' with the 'incidental dissolution' of the Purāṇas and the transgression of seas with the 'Great Floods' or immersion of the earth in an envelope of water as conceived by the Purāṇics, the two accounts tally fairly accurately except in point of time. The Brahmā's Day or Kalpa is given as 4,320,000,000 years while the later inter-revolutionary periods do not extend beyond 100-150 million years and are not of equal duration. It is evident that the Purāṇic ideas were based on insight, logical deductions, superficial observation or even speculation and not on a scientific study of the geological processes. But one must say that the Purāṇic ideas represent a fairly accurate speculation, or logical deduction.
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¹ *Prāṇam pañca lakṣaṇam*, Amarakośa.
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² The definition of a Purāṇa as found in the Viṣṇu, Matsya, Vāyu and other Purāṇas is as follows: *Sargaśca pratisargaśca vaṃśamanvantarāṇi ca; sarceṣvetasu kathyante vaṃśānucaritam ca yat* (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, III, 6, 25).
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³ *Viṣṇu Purāṇa*, III, 6.
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⁴ The list of the 18 Purāṇas called the mahā-purāṇas as given in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (III, Ch. 6), is as follows: Brahma, Padma, Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, Bhāgavata, Nāradīya, Mārkaṇḍeya, Agni, Bhaviṣya, Brahma Vaivarta, Liṅga, Varāha, Skanda, Vāmana, Kūrma, Matsya, Garuḍa and Brahmāṇḍa. This order does not hold good insofar as the lists in other Purāṇas are concerned.
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⁵ For an analysis of the Agni Purāṇa, see *JASB*, March, 1832.
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⁶ Refer to Noah and the Great Flood of the Bible and the Koran.
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⁷ This account also occurs in the Mahābhārata in a simpler form.
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⁸ *Asiatic Researches*, Vol. VIII, p. 252.
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⁹ Details of these countries are given in chapters on regional geography which follow.
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¹⁰ R. C. Hazra, *Studies in the Purāṇic Records of Hindu Rites and Customs* (Dacca, 1940).
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¹¹ P. C. Sircar, *Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India* (Varanasi, 1960).
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¹ Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Saraswatī, Śutudrī, Paruṣṇī, Asiknī, Marudvṛdhā, Vitastā, Ārjikeyā, Suṣomā, Sindhu, Triṣṭāmā, Susartu, Rasā, Swetyā, Kubhā, Gomatī, Kramu, Mehatnū, Sarayū. Dṛṣadwatī appears once only with Saraswatī (3, 23, 4). Gaṅgā and Yamunā are also mentioned only once in Ṛgveda.
c13.s7.19
² The only important plant mentioned in the Ṛgveda is the *soma* (which is repeatedly mentioned). The whole of the ninth mandala of Ṛgveda speaks highly of this plant and its utility in Āryan life. Other plants which have been mentioned in it are Aśvatha (pipal) (1, 135, 8, 10, 97, 5), Kimśuka (*patacha* or *parṇa*) (10, 85, 20); Khadira (3, 53, 19), Śamī (10, 31, 10), Śālmalī (Semal) (7, 50, 3), Kumuda (lotus, repeatedly mentioned), Kiyambhu (10, 16, 13), Kuśa (grass), Dūrvā (grass), (10, 134, 5, 142, 8), Sara (Muñja, grass) (1, 191, 3) and Ulāpa (10, 142, 3).
c13.s7.20
³ Pandit D. P. Misra's suggestion that Paṇis were Phoenicians is interesting. They were traders and had probably established colonies in India in ancient times.
Linked texts (3)
- Viṣṇupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
- Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
- Tibetan translation ('Chi med mdzod) — Classical Tibetan