प्रस्थापयित्वा चात्मानं प्रकृतिस्त्वेष तत्तवतः
Having dispatched itself, nature acts according to this principle.
प्रवर्तते पुनः सर्गस्तेषां साकारणात्मनाम्
Again, creation proceeds for those whose selves are with cause.
तत्रोपवर्गिणी तेषामपुनर्भारगामिनाम्
Among them, there is the path of liberation for those who do not return to rebirth.
ततरतेषु गतेषूर्द्धं त्रैलोक्यात्तु मुदात्मसु
When they have gone above, rejoicing souls depart from the three worlds.
तच्छिष्या ये ह तिष्ठन्ति कल्पदाह उपस्थिते
Those disciples who remain at the time of the destruction of the kalpa,
पशवः पक्षिणश्चैव स्थावराः ससरीसृपाः
as well as the animals, birds, plants, and reptiles,
सहस्रंयत्तु रश्मीनां सूर्यस्येह विनश्यति
when a thousand rays of the sun are destroyed here,
क्रमेण शतमानास्ते त्रींल्लोकान्प्रदहन्त्युत
then, in succession, those with a hundred rays burn the three worlds indeed.
शुष्के पूर्वमनावृष्ट्या चैस्तैशचैव प्रतापिताः
Dried up first by lack of rain and scorched by them,
जङ्गमाः स्थावराश्चैव धर्माधर्मादिकास्तु वै
the moving and unmoving beings, along with all forms of righteousness and unrighteousness,
ख्यातातपा विनिर्मुक्ताः शुभया चातिबन्धया
freed from the well-known heat and from the bonds of virtue,
उषित्वा रजनीं ते च ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः
having passed the night of Brahmā, whose birth is unmanifest,
ततस्तेषु प्रपन्नेषु जनैस्त्रैलोक्यवासिषु
then, when those inhabitants of the three worlds have entered there,
वृष्ट्या क्षितौ प्लावितायां विजनेष्वर्णवेषु वा
when the earth is flooded by rain, or in desolate oceans,
शरमाणा व्रजन्त्येव सलिलाख्यास्तथाचलाः
the waters, so called, flow forth, and the mountains as well.
संछाद्येमां स्थितां भूमिमर्णवाख्यं तदाभवत
Then the ocean, covering this earth, came into being.
स सर्वः समनुप्राप्ता मासां भाभ्यो विभाव्यते
All that, having come together, is perceived as the months and the radiances.
धातुस्तनोति विस्तारं ततोपतनवः स्मृताः
The element spreads out, and from that, the subtle ones are remembered.
एकार्णवे भवन्त्यापो न शीर्णास्तेन ता नराः
In the one ocean, the waters exist; they are not destroyed, and thus, the people,
तावत्कालं रजन्यां च वर्तन्त्यां सलिलात्मनः
for as long as that night endures, remain in the form of water.
प्रशान्तवाते ऽन्धकारे निरालोके समन्ततः
With the wind calmed, in darkness, and with no light on any side,
विभागमस्य लोकस्य प्रकर्तुं पुनरैच्छत
he wished again to bring about the division of this world.
तदा भवति स ब्रह्मा सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात्
Then he becomes Brahma, with a thousand eyes and a thousand feet.
ब्रह्मा नारायणा ख्यस्तु सुष्वाप सलिले तदा
Brahma, known as Narayana, slept upon the waters at that time.
अनेनाद्येन पादेन पुराणं परिकीर्तितम्
By this first step, the ancient account has been proclaimed.
श्रुत्वा तु संहृष्टमनाः कापेयः संशयायति
Having heard, Kapeya, with a delighted mind, begins to question.
अथ प्रबृति कल्पज्ञः प्रतिसंधिः प्रचक्षते
Then, from that point, the knower of cycles explains the succession.
एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि यथावत्कुशलो ह्यसि
I wish to know this thoroughly, for you are indeed skilled.
त्रैलोक्यस्योद्भवं कृत्स्नमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे
He commenced to narrate the complete origin of the three worlds.
कल्पं भूतं भविष्यं च प्रतिसंधिश्च यस्तयोः
The past, future, and the succession of cycles among them.