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.
तस्मिन्काले तदा देवा आसन्वैमानिकास्तु ये
At that time, the gods who dwell in the celestial realms existed.
अष्टाविंशतिरेवैताः कोट्यस्तु सुकृतात्म नाम्
There were exactly twenty-eight crores of these virtuous beings.
त्रीणि कोटिशतान्यासन् कोट्यो द्विनवतिस्तथा
There were three hundred crore, and also ninety-two crore.
एकैकस्मिंस्तु कल्पे वै देवा वैमानिकाः स्मृताः
In each cycle, the gods called 'celestial beings' are remembered.
देवाश्च पितरश्चैव ऋषयो ऽमृतपास्तथा
The gods, the ancestors, the seers, and the immortals as well,
वर्णाश्रमातिरिक्ताश्च तस्मिन्काले तु खे सुराः
And those beyond caste and stage of life—at that time, the gods in the sky,
तुल्यनिष्ठाभवन्सर्वे प्राप्ते ह्याभूतसंप्लवे
All became equal in their steadfastness when the great dissolution approached.
त्रैलोक्यवासिनो देवा इह तानाभिमानिनः
The gods dwelling in the three worlds here, those identified with their forms,
कल्पावसानिका देवास्त स्मिनप्राप्ते ह्युपप्लवे
The gods who remain until the end of the cycle, when that dissolution arrived,
महर्लोकाय संविग्नास्ततस्ते दधिरे मनः
Disturbed, they set their minds on the world of Maharloka.