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.
यश्चायं वर्तते कल्पो वाराहः सांप्रतः शुभः
And this present cycle, the auspicious Varaha Kalpa, exists now.
तस्य चास्य च कल्पस्य मध्यावस्थां निबोधत
Understand the intermediate state of this and that cycle.
अन्यः प्रवर्त्तते कल्पो जनलोकादयः पुनः
Another cycle begins, along with Janaloka and the others, again.
व्युच्छिद्यन्ते प्रजाः सर्वाः कल्पान्ते सर्वशस्तदा
All beings are destroyed completely at the end of the cycle.
मन्वन्तरे युगाख्यानामविच्छिन्नास्तु संधयः
In the Manvantaras, the junctions of the Yugas remain uninterrupted.
उक्ता ये प्रक्रियार्थेन पूर्वकल्पाः समासतः
Those previous cycles spoken of for the sake of procedure, in summary.
आसीत्कल्पे व्यतीते वै परर्द्धात्परमस्तु यः
There was a cycle in the past, beyond the great half-period.
प्रथमः सांप्रतस्तेषां कल्पों यो वर्तते द्विजाः
Among those, the first cycle is the one presently existing, O twice-born.
एष संस्थितकालस्तु प्रत्याहारस्ततः स्मृतः
This is the period of stability; thereafter, withdrawal is remembered.
चतुर्युगसहस्रति सह मन्वन्तरैः पुरा
Formerly, with a thousand sets of four Yugas, together with the Manvantaras.