Agni Purana

स्तोकाल्पक्षुल्लकाः सूक्ष्मं श्लक्ष्णं दभ्रं कृशन्तनु । मात्राकुटीलवकणा भूयिष्ठं पुरुहं पुरु ।। ३६७.

Stoka, alpaka, and kṣullaka mean small; sūkṣma is subtle; ślakṣṇa is smooth; dabhra is slight; kṛśa and tanu are thin; mātrā, kuṭīla, and vakaṇa are minute; bhūyiṣṭha, puru, and puruḥ mean many or much.

अखण्डं पूर्णसकलमुपकण्ठान्तिकाभितः । समीपे सन्निदाभ्यासौ नेदिष्ठं सुसमीपकं ।। ३६७.

Akhaṇḍa is unbroken; pūrṇa is full; sakala is whole; upakaṇṭha, antika, and abhitaḥ mean nearby; samīpa, sannidā, and abhyāsa are also nearness; nediṣṭha is nearest; susamīpaka is very close.

सुदूरे तु दविष्ठं स्याद्‌वृत्तं निस्तलवर्तुले । उच्चप्रांशून्नतोदग्रा ध्रुवो नित्यः सनातनः ।। ३६७.

Sudūra is very far; daviṣṭha is farthest; vṛtta is round; nistala and vartula are circular; ucca, prāṃśu, unnata, and udgra are high or elevated; dhruva is fixed; nitya is eternal; sanātana is perpetual.

आविद्धं कुटिलं भुग्नं वेल्लितं वक्रमित्यपि । चञ्चलं चरलञ्चैव कठोरं जठरं दृढ़ं ।। ३६७.

Āviddha is pierced; kuṭila is crooked; bhugna is bent; vellita is twisted; vakra is also crooked; cañcala and carala are unsteady; kaṭhora is hard; jaṭhara is firm; dṛḍha is strong.

प्रत्यग्रोऽभिनवो नव्यो नवीनो नूतनो नवः । एकतानोऽन्न्यवृत्तिरुच्चण्डमविलम्बितं ।। ३६७.

Pratyagra, abhinava, navya, navīna, nūtana, and nava all mean new; ekatāna is uniform; anyavṛtti is of another kind; uccaṇḍa is very fierce; avilambita is without delay.

उच्चावचं नैकभेदं सम्बाधकलिलं तथा । तिमितं स्तिमितं क्लिन्नमभियोगस्त्वभिग्रहः ।। ३६७.

Uccāvaca is high and low; naikabheda is of many kinds; sambādha and kalila are crowded or confused; timita and stimita are dim or sluggish; klinnam is moist; abhiyoga is accusation; abhigraha is seizure.

स्फतिर्वृद्धौ प्रथा ख्यातौ समाहारः समुच्चयः । अपहारस्त्वपचयो विहारस्तु परिक्रमः ।। ३६७.

Sphati is increase; vṛddhi is growth; prathā is fame; khyāti is renown; samāhāra and samuccaya are collection or accumulation; apahāra is removal; apacaya is decrease; vihāra is recreation; parikrama is circumambulation.

प्रत्याहार उपादानं निर्द्धारोऽब्यवकर्षणं । विघ्नोऽन्तरायः प्रत्यूहः स्यादास्या त्वासना स्थितिः ।। ३६७.

Pratyāhāra is withdrawal; upādāna is taking up; nirdhāra is determination; avyavakarṣaṇa is non-withdrawal; vighna, antarāya, and pratyūha are obstacles; āsya is mouth; āsana is seat; sthiti is position.

सन्निधिः सन्निकर्षः स्यात्संक्रमो दुर्गसञ्चरः । उपलम्भस्त्वनुभवः प्रत्यादेशो निराकृतिः ।। ३६७.

Sannidhi and sannikarṣa are proximity; saṃkrama is transition; durgasañcara is difficult passage; upalambha is apprehension; anubhava is experience; pratyādeśa is counter-instruction; nirākṛti is rejection.

परिरम्भः परिष्वङ्गः संश्लेष उपगूहनं । अनुमा पक्षहेत्वाद्यैडिम्बे भ्रमरविप्लवौ ।। ३६७.

Parirambha and pariṣvaṅga are embrace; saṃśleṣa is union; upagūhana is covering or enfolding; anumāna is inference; pakṣa and hetu are reason and cause; aiḍimba is doubt; bhrama and viplava are confusion and error.

असन्निकृष्टार्थज्ञानं शब्दाद्धि शाब्दमीरितं । सादृश्यदर्शनात्तुल्ये बुद्धिः स्यादुपमानकं ।। ३६७.

Knowledge of a non-present object derived from words is called verbal testimony; knowledge arising from perceiving similarity is called analogy.

काय्य दृष्ट्वा विना नस्यादर्थापत्तिः परार्थधीः । प्रतियोगिन्यऽगृहीते भुवि नास्तीत्यभावकः ३६७.

When something is known by seeing the effect without the cause, that is called arthāpatti, presumption of another's intention; when the counterpart is not apprehended, the knowledge of non-existence is called abhāva.

अग्निरुवाच चतुर्विधस्तु प्रलयो नित्यो यः प्राणिनां लयः । सदा विनाशो जातानां ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको लयः ।। ३६८.

Agni said: There are four kinds of dissolution; the perpetual dissolution is the ceasing of living beings; the constant destruction of those who are born, the Brahmic dissolution, and the occasional dissolution.

चतुर्यगसहस्त्रान्ते प्राकृतः प्राकृतो लयः लय आत्यन्तिको ज्ञानादात्मनः परमात्मनि ।। ३६८.

At the end of four thousand yugas, the dissolution called 'prākṛta' occurs; the ultimate dissolution is through knowledge, when the self merges into the Supreme Self.

नैमित्तिकस्य कल्पान्ते वक्ष्ये रूपं लयस्य ते । चतुर्युगसहस्नान्ते क्षीणप्राये महीतले ।। ३६८.

I will describe to you the form of the occasional dissolution at the end of a kalpa, when, after four thousand yugas, the earth is nearly depleted.

अनावृष्टिरतीवोग्रा जायते शतवार्षिकी । ततः सत्त्वक्षयः स्याच्च ततो विष्णुर्जगत्पतिः ।। ३६८.

A hundred-year drought of extreme severity arises; then, the depletion of living beings occurs, and thereafter, Viṣṇu, Lord of the world, acts.

स्थितो जलानि पिवति भानोः सप्तसु रश्मिषु । भूपार्तालसमुद्रादितोयं नयति संक्षयं ।। ३६८.

Standing in the seven rays of the sun, he drinks up the waters; from the earth, lakes, and oceans, he draws the water to extinction.

ततस्तस्यानुभावेन तोयाहारोपबृंहिताः । त एव रश्मयः सप्त जायन्ते सप्त भास्कराः ।। ३६८.

Then, by his influence, those same seven rays, strengthened by absorbing water, become seven suns.

दहन्त्यऽशेषं त्रैलोक्यं सपातालतलं द्विज। सूर्म्मपृष्ठसमा भूः स्यात्ततः कालाग्निरुद्रकः ।। ३६८.

They burn all three worlds, including the subterranean realms, O twice-born; the earth becomes like the surface of a wave, and then the Rudra called Kālāgni arises.

शेषाहिश्वाससम्बातात् पातालानि दहत्यधः । पातालेभ्यो भुवं विष्णुर्भुवः स्वर्गं दहत्यतः ।। ३६८.

By the breath of Śeṣa, the serpent, the lower realms are burned below; from the netherworlds, Viṣṇu burns the earth, and then heaven.

अम्बरी षमिवाभाति त्रैलोक्यामखिलं तथा । ततस्तापपरीतास्तु लोकद्वयनिवासिनः ।। ३६८.

The sky shines as if empty, and thus the entire three worlds; then, those who dwell in the two worlds, afflicted by heat, are affected.

गच्छन्ति ते महर्लोकं महर्लोकाज्जनं ततः । रुद्ररूपी जगद्दग्ध्वा मुखनिश्वासतो हरेः ।। ३६८.

They go to the Maharloka, and from Maharloka to Janaloka; Rudra, having burned the world, then, from the breath of Hari's mouth, brings forth.

उत्तिष्ठन्ति ततो मेघा नानारूपाः सविद्युतः । शतं वंर्षाणि वर्षन्तः शमयन्त्यग्निमुत्थितम् ।। ३६८.

Then, clouds arise, of various forms and with lightning; raining for a hundred years, they extinguish the fire that has arisen.

सप्तर्षिस्थानमाक्रम्य स्थितेऽम्भसि शतं मरुत् । मुखनिश्वासतो विष्णोर्नाशं नयति तान् घनान् ।। ३६८.

Having occupied the place of the Seven Sages, and with water established for a hundred years, the winds from Viṣṇu's mouth destroy those clouds.

वायुं पीत्वा हरिः शेषे शेते चैकार्णवे प्रमुः । ब्रह्मरूपधऱः सिद्धैर्जलगैर्मुनिभिस्तुतः ।। ३६८.

Hari, having absorbed the wind, lies upon Śeṣa in the single ocean, taking the form of Brahmā, praised by Siddhas, aquatic beings, and sages.

आत्ममायामयीं दिव्यां योगनिद्रां समास्थितः । आत्मानं वासुदेवाख्यां चिन्तयन्मधुसूदनः ।। ३६८.

He enters the divine yogic sleep composed of his own māyā, contemplating himself as Vāsudeva, Madhusūdana.

कल्पं शेते प्रबुद्धोऽथ ब्रह्मरूपी सृजत्यऽसौ । द्विपरार्धन्ततो व्यक्तं प्रकृतौ लीयते द्विज ।। ३६८.

He sleeps for a kalpa; then, awakened, taking the form of Brahmā, he creates; after two parārdhas, the manifest dissolves into Prakṛti, O twice-born.

स्थानात् स्थानं दशगुणमेकस्माद् गुण्यते स्थले । ततोऽष्टादशमे भागे परार्द्धमभिधीयते ।। ३६८.

From one place to another, each is ten times greater than the previous; thus, in the eighteenth part, the parārdha is designated.

परार्धं द्विगुणं यत्तु प्राकृतः प्रलयः स्मृतः । अनावृष्ट्याऽग्निसम्पर्कात् कृते संज्वलने द्विज ।। ३६८.

That which is twice the parārdha is called the prākṛta dissolution; through drought and contact with fire, in the burning, O twice-born.