Kurma Purana

सर्वगत्वात् प्रधानस्य कारणस्याव्ययात्मनः

Because the primordial cause is all-pervading and imperishable in nature,

तत्र तत्र चतुर्वक्त्रा रुद्रा नारायणादयः

In each place are the four-faced ones, the Rudras, Nārāyaṇas, and others.

समन्तात् संस्थितं विप्रा यत्र यान्ति मनीषिणः

O sages, it is established all around, where the wise go.

अतीत्य वर्तते सर्वं जगत् प्रकृतिरक्षरम्

Transcending all, the imperishable nature exists beyond the world.

तदव्यक्तमिति ज्ञेयं तद् ब्रह्म परमं पदम्

That is to be known as the unmanifest; that is Brahman, the supreme state.

तस्य पूर्वं मयाप्युक्तं यत्तन्माहात्म्यमव्ययम्

Its unfailing greatness has already been spoken of by me before.

अर्णवेषु च सर्वेषु दिवि चैव न सशयः

In all the oceans and in the sky as well, there is no doubt.

अनेकधा विभक्ताङ्गः क्रीडते पुरुषोत्तमः

The Supreme Person, with limbs divided in many ways, plays.

अण्डाद् ब्रह्मा समुत्पन्नस्तेन सृष्टमिदं जगत्

From the egg, Brahmā arose; by him, this world was created.

तानि त्वं कथयास्माकं व्यासांश्च द्वापरे युगे

Tell us about those, and also about Vyāsa in the Dvāpara age.

तथावतारान् धर्मार्थमीशानस्य कलौ युगे

And likewise, the descents of the Lord for the sake of righteousness in the Kali age.

एतत् सर्वं समासेन सूत वक्तुमिहार्हसि

O Sūta, you should recount all this here in summary.

उत्तमस्तामसश्चैव रैवतश्चाक्षुषस्तथा

The Uttama, Tāmasa, Raivata, and also the Ākṣuṣa (Manvantaras).

वैवस्वतो ऽयं यस्यैतत् सप्तमं वर्तते ऽन्तरम्

This is the era of Vaivasvata, whose seventh interval is now underway.

अत ऊर्ध्वं निबोधध्वं मनोः स्वारोचिषस्य तु

Now, listen further about the Manu called Svarocisha.

विपश्चिन्नाम देवेन्द्रो बभूवासुरसूदनः

Vipaścit, the destroyer of asuras, became the lord of the gods.

तिमिरश्चार्वरीवांश्च सप्त सप्तर्षयो ऽभवन्

Timira and Charvarī, along with five others, became the seven great sages.

द्वितीयमतदाख्यातमन्तरं शृणु चोत्तरम्

Now hear about the second interval, which is called Uttama.

सुशान्तिस्तत्र देवेन्द्रो बभूवामित्रकर्षणः

There, Sushanti, the subduer of enemies, became the lord of the gods.

वशवर्तिनश्च पञ्चैते गणा द्वादशकाः स्मृताः

These five groups, each consisting of twelve, are known as the Vasavartins.

सुतपाः शुक्र इत्येते सप्त सप्तर्षयो ऽभवन्

Sutapa, Shukra, and others—these seven became the seven great sages.

सत्याश्च सुधियश्चैव सप्तविंशतिका गणाः

The Satyas and Sudhiyas, numbering twenty-seven groups, were present.

बभूव शङ्करे भक्तो महादेवार्चने रतः

He became a devotee of Shankara, delighting in the worship of Mahadeva.

पीवरस्त्वृषयो ह्येते सप्त तत्रापि चान्तरे

Pivara and other sages—these seven were also present in that interval.

मनुर्वसुश्च तत्रेन्द्रो बभूवासुरमर्दनः

There, Manu Vasu became the lord of the gods, the subduer of asuras.

एते देवगणास्तत्र चतुर्दश चतुर्दश

There, these groups of gods were fourteen in number, each fourteen.

एते सप्तर्षयो विप्रास्तत्रासन् रैवते ऽन्तरे

These seven sages, O Brahmins, were present in the Raivata interval.

प्रियव्रतान्वया ह्येते चत्वारो मनवः स्मृताः

These four Manus, it is said, were descended from Priyavrata.

मनोजवस्तथैवेन्द्रो देवानपि निबोधतः

Manojava was likewise the lord of the gods; listen also about the gods.