Agni Purana

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.

महदादेर्विकारस्य विशेषान्तस्य संक्षये । कृष्णेच्छाकारिते तस्मिन् सम्प्राप्ते प्रतिसञ्चरे ।। ३६८.

When the special modifications of Mahat and others are destroyed, and, by the will of Kṛṣṇa, the return (pratisañcara) arrives.

आपो ग्रसन्ति वै पूर्ब्वं भूमेर्गन्धादिकं गुणं । आत्मगन्धात्ततो भूमिः प्रलयत्वाय कल्पते ।। ३६८.

The waters first absorb the qualities of earth, such as scent; then, from its own scent, the earth becomes fit for dissolution.

रसात्मिकाश्च तिष्ठन्ति ह्यापस्तासां रसो गुणः । पीयते ज्योतिषा तासु नष्टास्वग्निश्च दीप्य्ते ।। ३६८.

The waters, which are composed of essence, remain; their quality is taste. When their essence is consumed by fire, fire is kindled as they are destroyed.

ज्योतिषोऽपि गुणं रूपं वायुर्ग्रसति भास्करं । नष्टे ज्योतिषि वायुश्च बली दोधूयते महान् ।। ३६८.

Even the quality of light, which is form, is consumed by wind, O radiant one. When light is destroyed, wind, being powerful, stirs greatly.

वायोरपि गुणं स्पर्शमाकाशं ग्रसते ततः । वायौ नष्टे तु चाकाशन्नीरवं तिष्ठति द्विज ।। ३६८.

The quality of wind, which is touch, is then consumed by space. When wind is destroyed, O twice-born, only soundless space remains.

आकाशस्याथ वै शब्दं भूतादिर्ग्रसते च खं । अबिमानात्मकं खञ्च भूतादि ग्रसते महान् ।। ३६८.

Then, the quality of space, which is sound, is consumed by the primordial element, and the space characterized by ego is also consumed by the primordial element, the great principle.

भूमिर्याति लयञ्चाप्सु आपो ज्योतिषि तद्‌व्रजेत् । वायौ वायुश्च खे खञ्च अहङ्कारे लयं स च ।। ३६८.

Earth dissolves into water, water then passes into light, wind into space, space into ego, and ego into dissolution.

महत्तत्त्वे महान्तञ्च प्रकृतिर्ग्रसते द्विज । व्यक्ताऽव्यक्ता च प्रकृतिर्व्यक्तस्याव्यक्तके लयः ।। ३६८.

In the great principle, the great element is consumed by primordial nature, O twice-born. Both manifest and unmanifest nature dissolve, and the manifest dissolves into the unmanifest.

पुमानेकाक्षरः शुद्धः सोऽप्यंशः परमात्मनः । प्रकृतिः पुरुषशचैचौ लीयेते परमात्मनि ।। ३६८.

The pure, single-syllabled person also is a portion of the Supreme Self. Both nature and person dissolve into the Supreme Self.

न सन्ति यत्र सर्वेशे नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः । सत्तामात्रात्मके ज्ञेये ज्ञानात्मन्यात्मनः परे ।। ३६८.

Where all distinctions of name, class, and so on do not exist, in the knowable whose essence is mere existence, in the knowledge-essence of the highest Self.