यत्तदव्यक्तमतं प्रकृतिर्ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्
That which is unmanifest, unthinkable, nature, Brahman, eternal.
अविभागस्तथा शुक्रमक्षरं बहुधात्मकम्
Undivided, pure, imperishable, of manifold nature.
कृते पुनः क्रिया नास्ति कुत एवाकृतक्रियाः
In the Kṛta age, there is no action; how then can there be actions not done?
श्रोतव्यं वा श्रुतं वापि तथैवासाधु साधु वा
Whether to be heard or already heard, whether good or not good, it is the same.
द्रष्टव्यं वाथ श्रोतव्यं घ्रातव्यं वा कथञ्चन
It may be seen, or heard, or smelled in any manner.
यन्न दर्शितवानेष कस्तदन्वेष्टुमर्हति
What he has not revealed, who is worthy to seek that out?
यदा यत्क्रियते येन तदा तस्मो ऽभिमन्यते
Whenever something is done by someone, then he considers it as his own.
यदा च क्रियते किञ्चित्केनचिद्वा कथं क्वचित्
And whenever anything is done, by anyone, in any way, anywhere,
विरिक्तं चातिरिक्तं च ज्ञानाज्ञानेप्रियाप्रिये
Whether detached or excessive, in knowledge or ignorance, in what is dear or not dear,
ऊर्द्ध्वं तिर्य्यगधोभावस्तस्यैवादृष्टकारिणः
The upward, transverse, and downward states belong to that unseen doer alone.
प्रत्येकवेद्यंभवति त्रेतास्विह पुनः पुनः
Each is experienced individually, again and again, here in the Tretā age.
ब्रह्मा चैतानुवाचादौ तस्मिन्वैवस्वते ऽन्तरे
Brahmā spoke these at the beginning, in that interval of Vaivasvata.
कुर्वन्ति संहिता ह्येते जायमानाः परस्परम्
These, indeed, compose the Saṃhitās, being born from one another.
अतीतेषु व्यतीतानि वर्त्तन्ते पुनः पुनः
Those that have passed in the past occur again and again.
युगे युगे तु ताः शाखा व्यस्यन्ते तै पुनः पुनः
In each age, those branches are spread out by them again and again.
तेषां गोत्रेष्विमाः शाखा भवन्ति हि पुनः पुनः
Among their lineages, these branches arise again and again.
एवमेव तु विज्ञेया अतीतानागतेष्वपि
In the same way, they should be understood regarding the past and the future as well.
अतीतेषु व्यतीतानि वर्त्तन्ते सांप्रते ऽन्तरे
Those that have passed in the past occur in the present interval.
पूर्वेण पश्चिमं ज्ञेयं वर्तमानेन चोभयम्
From the former, the latter is to be known, and from the present, both.
एवं देवाः सपितर ऋषयो मनवश्च वै
Thus, the gods, with the ancestors, the seers, and also the Manus,
जनलोकात्सुराः सर्वे दशकल्पान्पुनः पुनः
All the gods from Janaloka, for ten kalpas, again and again,
अवश्यभाविनार्ऽथेन संभध्यन्ते तदा तु ते
At that time, they are bound together by what must inevitably happen.
निवर्त्तते तदा वृत्तिः सा तेषां दोषदर्शनात्
Then that activity ceases for them upon perceiving faults.
जनलोकात्तपोलोकं गच्छन्तीहानिवर्त्तकम्
From Janaloka, they proceed to Tapoloka, where there is no return.
निधनं ब्रह्मलोके वै गतानि ऋषिभिः सह
In Brahmaloka, together with the sages, they reach dissolution.
अनादित्वाच्च कालस्य संख्यानां चैव सर्वशः
Because time is without beginning, so too are all enumerations.
पितृभिर्मुनिभिर्देवैः सार्द्धं च ऋषिभिः सह
Along with ancestors, sages, gods, and also with the ṛṣis.
एतेन क्रमयोगेन कल्पमन्वन्तराणि च
By this sequence and method, kalpas and manvantaras occur.
मन्वन्तरान्ते संहारः संहारान्ते च संभवः
At the end of a manvantara comes dissolution, and after dissolution, creation.
न शक्य आनुपूर्व्येण वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि
It cannot be told in order, even in hundreds of years.