History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.164

v7.c89.164

It should not be a matter for surprise that ancient and medieval Indians regarded earthquakes as punishments sent by God for the sins of men. The English poet Cowper gives vent to this belief in his poem 'Timepeace'.¹²²⁸ The most distinguished Indian of modern times viz Mahātmā Gāndhi, regarded the earthquake in Bihar that occurred on January 15, 1934, and affected an area of about 30000 square miles and a population of about 15 millions and that killed thousands and made millions homeless, as God's punishment for the prevalence of the evil system of untouchability in Hindu¹²²⁹ society. To the natural and usual query why God should punish a small country or a small community with frightful earthquakes and overwhelming waves when other countries and millions of other people are guilty of the same misdeeds, Cowper endeavours to give a reply in the lines quoted above It appears that, in spite of the beliefs now discredited, Vṛddha Garga and Varāha appear to have also believed that comets had orbits like planets and were visible in the firmament at certain long intervals of time.