Agni Purana

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

At the end of four thousand yugas comes the natural dissolution; the ultimate dissolution is through knowledge, when the self merges in the Supreme Self.

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

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

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

A drought of extreme severity arises, lasting for a hundred years; then there is depletion of essence, and after that, Viṣṇu, Lord of the world, acts.

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

He remains, drinking the waters through the seven rays of the sun; the water from earth, lakes, and oceans is brought to destruction.

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

Then, by his influence, the seven rays, strengthened by the absorption of water, themselves become seven suns.

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

They burn the entire three worlds, including the nether regions, O twice-born; the earth becomes like the surface of a wave, and then the fire of time, Rudra, arises.

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

From the breath of the serpent Śeṣa, the nether regions below are burned; from the nether regions, Viṣṇu burns the earth, and from the earth, heaven is burned.

अम्बरी षमिवाभाति त्रैलोक्यामखिलं तथा । ततस्तापपरीतास्तु लोकद्वयनिवासिनः ।। ३६८.

The sky shines as if it were gold, and thus the entire three worlds; then, those dwelling in the two worlds, afflicted by heat, depart.

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, through the breath from the mouth of Hari, brings dissolution.

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

Then, clouds of various forms, flashing with lightning, arise; pouring down a hundred showers, they quell the fire that has arisen.

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

Having reached the place of the Seven Sages, a hundred winds, standing in the waters, by the breath from Viṣṇu's mouth, disperse those clouds.

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

Having inhaled the wind, Hari lies down, resting in the single ocean, assuming the form of Brahmā, praised by Siddhas, aquatic beings, and sages.

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

Assuming the divine Yogic sleep, composed of his own māyā, Madhusūdana contemplates himself, known as Vāsudeva.

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

He sleeps for a kalpa; then, awakened, he, in the form of Brahmā, 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, a parārdha is reckoned.

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

That which is twice a parārdha is called the Prākṛta dissolution, occurring, O twice-born, through drought and the contact of fire at the time of burning.

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

When the special transformation of Mahat and the rest is destroyed, at that time, by Kṛṣṇa's will, the return (pratisañcara) takes place.

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 is prepared for dissolution.

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

The waters, consisting of taste, remain; their quality is taste. When these are drunk up by fire, and are destroyed, fire blazes forth.

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

Wind absorbs the quality of form from fire; when fire is destroyed, the mighty wind, being strong, is set in motion.

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

Then, ether absorbs the quality of touch from wind; when wind is destroyed, only soundless ether remains, O twice-born.

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

Then, the element-source absorbs the sound of ether, and the egoic ether as well; the element-source is absorbed by the Mahat.

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

Earth dissolves into water, water into fire, fire into wind, wind into ether, ether into ego, and that into Mahat.

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

Prakṛti absorbs the Mahat principle into itself, O twice-born; both the manifest and unmanifest merge into Prakṛti, and the manifest dissolves into the unmanifest.

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

The pure, single-syllabled Puruṣa is also a portion of the Supreme Self; both Prakṛti and Puruṣa dissolve into the Supreme Self.

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

Where, in the Supreme Lord, there are no notions of name, class, or the like; in that which is to be known as pure existence, in the knowledge-self, in the highest Self.

अथ सप्तत्यधिकत्रिशततमोऽध्यायः शरीरावयवाः अग्निरुवाच श्रोत्रं त्वक्चक्षुषी जिह्वा घ्राणं धीः खं च भूतगम् । शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसगन्धाः खादिषु तद्गुणाः

Now, the three hundred and seventy-first chapter: The Limbs of the Body. Agni said: The ear, skin, eyes, tongue, nose, mind, and ether are associated with the elements; sound, touch, form, taste, and scent are their qualities in those elements.

पायूपस्थौ करौ पादौ वाग्भवेत्कर्म खं तथा । उत्सर्गानन्दकादानगति वागादिकर्म तत्

The anus, the genitals, the hands, the feet, and speech are the organs of action; their functions are excretion, pleasure, grasping, movement, and speaking, respectively.

पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रियाण्यत्र पञ्च बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि च । इन्द्रियार्थाश्च पञ्चैव महाभूता मनोधिपाः

Here are the five organs of action and the five organs of perception; also, the five objects of the senses and the great elements, all governed by the mind.