एवमेशायित्वा तु ह्यात्मन्येव प्रजापतिः
Thus, having withdrawn everything, the Lord of creatures abides in his own self.
ततः स वसते रात्रिं तमस्येकार्णवे जले
Then he dwells through the night in the darkness, in the waters of the single ocean.
मनः सिसृक्षया युक्तः सर्गाय निदधे पुनः
With his mind intent on creation, he again places it for the sake of manifestation.
ब्राह्मे नैमित्तिके तस्मिन्कल्पिते वै प्रसंयमे
At that time, during the Brahma's incidental dissolution, when everything is restrained,
ततो धग्धेषु भूतेषु सर्वेष्वादित्यरशिमभिः
then, when all beings have been burned up by the rays of the sun,
गन्धर्वादीनि सत्त्वानि पिशायान्तानि सर्वशः
all beings, from Gandharvas down to Pisacas,
तिर्यग्योनीनि नरके यानि यानि गतान्यपि
and all those who have gone into animal wombs or to hell,
जले तान्युपपद्यन्ते यावत्संप्लवते जगत्
they enter into the waters, remaining there until the world is flooded.
जायन्ते हि पुनस्तानि सर्वभूतानि कृतस्नशः
Indeed, all beings are born again, having completed their previous cycle.
तेषामपि च सिद्धानां निधनोत्पत्तिरुच्यते
Even among those perfected ones, birth and death are spoken of.
तथा जन्मनिरोधश्च भूतानामिह दृश्यते
Likewise, the cessation of birth among beings is observed here.
यथा सर्वाणि भूतानां जायन्ते वर्षणेष्विह
Just as all beings are born during the seasons of rainfall here,
यथार्त्तावृतुलिङ्गानि नानारूपाणि पर्यये
So, in the cycle of seasons, various forms and signs appear and change.
प्रत्याहारे विसर्गे च गतिमन्ति ध्रुवाणि च
In withdrawal and release, there are fixed and moving courses.
ब्रह्माणं सर्वभूतानि महायोगं महेश्वरम्
All beings, Brahma, the great yoga, and the great Lord,
व्यक्तो ऽव्यक्तो महादेवस्तस्य सर्वमिदं जगत्
The manifest and unmanifest, the great god—this entire world belongs to him.
पूर्वं प्रयातेन यथात्वथापस्तेनैव तेनैव तु स्वर्व्रजन्ति
Just as before, by the same path and means, they ascend to heaven.
मर्त्यास्तु देहान्तरभावितत्वाद्रवेर्वशादूर्ध्वमधश्चरन्ति
Mortals, due to the influence of different bodies, move upward or downward according to their actions.
तद्भाविताः ख्यातिवशाश्च धर्म्याः पुनर्विसर्गेण भवन्ति सत्त्वाः
Those influenced by that, and by the force of reputation, the righteous beings are born again through release.
मन्वन्तराणि यानि स्युर्व्याख्यातानि मया द्विजाः
The cycles of Manus that exist have been explained by me, O twice-born.
सा युगाख्या सहस्रं तु सर्वाण्येवान्तराणि वै
That which is called a yuga, a thousand, all are indeed intervals.
एतद्ब्राह्ममहर्ज्ञेयं तस्य सख्यां निबोधत
This is the day of Brahma; understand its measure, O friends.
मानुषाक्षिनिमेषास्तु काष्ठा पञ्चदश स्मृताः
Fifteen 'kāṣṭhās' are remembered as the blink of a human eye.
प्रस्था सप्तो दकाश्चैव साधिकाक्तु लवः स्मृतः
Seven 'prasthās' and ten 'dakās', and a little more, are called a 'lava'.
मुहूर्त्तास्तु पुनस्त्रिंशदहोरात्रमिति स्थितिः
Thirty 'muhūrtas' make up a day and night; thus is its duration.
ताश्चैव संख्याया ज्ञेयाश्चन्द्रादित्यगतिर्यथा
These numbers should be known, as is the movement of the moon and sun.
त्रिंशत्कला मुहूर्त्तं तु दशभागं कला स्मृतम्
Thirty kalās make one muhūrta, and a tenth part of a kalā is known as a daśabhāga.
मुहूर्त्ताश्च लवाश्चापि प्रमाणज्ञैः प्रकल्पिताः
Muhūrtas and lavās have also been determined by those who are skilled in measurement.
मागधेनैव मानेन जलप्रस्थो विधीयते
By the Māgadha standard of measurement, a jalaprastha is prescribed.
हेममाषैः कृतच्छिद्रश्चतुर्भिश्चतुरङ्गुलैः
A vessel made with a hole and four māṣas of gold, measuring four aṅgulas, is used.