शर इत्येष शीर्णे तु नानार्थो धातुरुच्यते
The root 'śara' is said to have various meanings when it is broken down,
तस्मिन् युगसहस्रान्ते संस्थिते ब्रह्मणो ऽहनि
At the end of a thousand yugas, when the day of Brahmā comes to a close,
ततस्तु सलिले तास्मिन्नष्टाग्नौ पृथवीतले
Then, in that water, when fire is lost from the surface of the earth,
एतेनाधिष्ठितं हीदं ब्रह्मा स पुरुषः प्रभुः
By this, this world is presided over by Brahmā, that mighty Person,
एकार्णवे तदा तस्मिन्नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे
Then, in that single ocean, when all that is movable and immovable is lost,
इमं चोदाहरन्त्यत्रर् श्लोकं नारायणं प्रति
Here, they recite this verse concerning Nārāyaṇa:
आपूर्यमाणास्तत्रास्ते तेन नारायणः स्मृतः
There, as all is being filled, he is called Nārāyaṇa,
सहस्रबाहुः प्रथमः प्रजापतिस्त्रयीमयो ऽयं पुरुषो निरुच्यते
The thousand-armed, the first progenitor, this Person composed of the three Vedas is thus described,
हिरण्य गर्भः पुरुषो महात्मा संपद्यते वै मनसः परस्तात्
The golden-embryo, the great-souled Person, arises beyond the mind,
कल्पान्ते तमसोद्रिक्तः कालो भूत्वाग्रसत्पुनः
At the end of the kalpa, when darkness increases, Time, having become supreme, devours again,
त्रिधा विभज्य चात्मानं त्रैलोक्ये संप्रवर्त्तते
Dividing himself threefold, he proceeds throughout the three worlds,
एकार्णवे तदा तस्मिन्नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे
Then, in that single ocean, when all that is movable and immovable is lost,
ब्रह्मां नारायणाख्यस्तु स चकाशे भवे स्वयम्
Brahmā, called Nārāyaṇa, himself shone forth in existence,
पश्यन्ति तं महर्लोके कालं सुप्तं महर्षयः
The sages in the world of Mahas behold him, Time, sleeping.
तदा विवर्त्यमानैस्तैर्महत्परिगतं पराम्
Then, as those great ones turned, the supreme principle associated with the Mahat was set in motion.
यस्मादृषतिसत्त्वेन महत्तस्मान्महर्षयः
Because of the quality of steadfastness, from Mahat arose the great seers.
सत्त्वाद्याः सप्त ये त्वासन्कल्पे ऽतीते महर्षयः
The seven who were called great seers in the previous cycle were indeed those beginning with Sattva.
दृष्टवन्तस्तदानीताः कालं सुप्तं महर्षयः
At that time, those great seers, having been brought forth, beheld Time lying dormant.
कल्पया मास वै ब्रह्मा तस्मात्कल्पो निरुच्यते
Because Brahmā creates by means of imagination, therefore it is called a Kalpa.
व्यक्ताव्यको महादेवस्तस्य सर्वमिदं जगत्
The manifest and the unmanifest, O great god, all this world belongs to him.
सांप्रतं हि तयोर्मध्ये प्रागवस्था बभूव ह
Indeed, between those two, there existed a prior state.
सांप्रतं संप्रवक्ष्यामि कल्पमेतं निबोधत
Now I shall clearly explain this Kalpa; listen attentively.
शर्वर्यंते प्रकुरुते ब्रह्मा तूत्सर्गकारणात्
At the end of the night, Brahmā acts for the sake of creation.
अन्धकारार्णवे तस्मिन्नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे
In that ocean of darkness, when all that is movable and immovable is lost,
प्रविभागेन भूतेषु सत्यमात्रे स्थितेषु वा
When, by division, the elements or only pure existence remains,
तदा कामेन तरसामन्यामानःस्वयं धिया
Then, impelled by desire and force, he himself, with his own thought,
ततस्तु सलिले तस्मिन् ज्ञात्वा त्वन्तर्गतो महीम्
Then, knowing the earth to be within those waters,
चकार तं तु देवो ऽथ पूर्वकल्पादिषु स्मृतः
The god then performed that act, as is remembered from previous Kalpas.
अद्भिः संछादितामिच्छन् पृथिवीं स प्रजापतिः
Desiring the earth covered by the waters, that Lord of creatures—
सामुद्राश्च समुद्रेषु नादेयाश्च नदीषु च
The oceanic ones in the oceans, and the riverine ones in the rivers—