The Brāhma of India whose teachings and practices are observed by the majority of Indians, are agreed that the revolutions of the world consist of four Ages. The first, the period of which is 1,728,000 years, they call the Sat Yug. In this Age every single action of mankind is right, and high and low, rich and poor, great and small make truth and uprightness their rule, and show a walk and conversation pleasing to God. The natural life of man in this Age is 100,000 years.
The second Age is called Trētā and lasts 1,296,000 years. In it, three-fourths of mankind follow ways well-pleasing to God, and the natural duration of life is 10,000 years.
The third Age is called the Dwāpar and lasts 864,000 years. In it, one-half of mankind speak and act rightly, and the natural life is 1,000 years.
The fourth Age is the Kal Yug. Its period is 432,000* years. During it, three-fourths of mortals follow ways of falsehood and unrighteousness, and the natural life is 100 years.
This school firmly believes that every now and then the Life-Giver of mankind and producer of beings, brings an ascetic and sage* from the veil of concealment and non-existence to the palace of manifestation and existence and makes him the instrument for the creation of the world. This mighty one is called Brahmā. Their belief is that a Brahmā lives 100 years, each consisting of 360 days* and every day* and every night is equal to a thousand times four Ages (Mahāyug.) In their opinion, the number of Brahmās who have come into existence cannot be known by the human intellect, but they say that according to what has been received from authorities* on the subject of Brahmā, the present Brahmā is the thousand and first, and that fifty years and half* a day of the life of this wondrous being have elapsed at the present time.
The writer of this divine masterpiece has written the account of these two doctrines according to the translation of learned and pious Indians* from their venerated books. Also in the writings of Shaikh Ibn ‘Arabī* and Shaikh Sa‘du-d-dīn* Ḥamūī who were great saints and masters of exposition and ecstacy, it is stated in the explanation of Divine (Ilāhī) days and of Rabbānī* days that each Rabbānī day is made up of 1,000 years and every Divine day of 50,000. And the author of Nafā'isu-l-funūn* has related that in the histories of Cathay, it is written that from the time of Adam Abū-l-bashar (Father of mankind) till now (i.e., the date when the author of the Nafā'is was writing) which is 735 H., (1334 A.D.) 8863 wans* (Text, 863) 9,800 years have elapsed.
A wan with them is 10,000 years. Such is the wide expanse of God's kingdom that it is not improbable that these tales and traditions may be true. There may have been many Adams. Indeed it is stated by Imām Ja‘far Ṣādiq, (Peace be on him!) that there have been thousands upon thousands of Adams before the Adam who was our father. And Shaikh Ibn ‘Arabī says it is not improbable that after a Divine (Rabbānī) week, which is 7,000 years and the period of the cycle* of the sovereignty of the seven planets, one race is terminated and another Adam puts on the robe of existence.
And now, giving truce to length of words and littleness of matter, I proceed to sketch in this glorious record, without converting* it into extensive histories, the blissful biography of those fifty-two persons who extend* from Adam down to his Majesty, the king of kings, so that it may be a cause of increase of knowledge. As I know that this exposition of grandeur will be a complement to the account of his Majesty, the king of kings, I shall treat it with the concision which is the adornment of an author.