Kurma Purana

तत्र सन्निहितः श्रीमान् भगवान् नकुलीश्वरः

There, the illustrious Lord Nakulīśvara is present.

देव्या सह महादेवो नित्यं शिष्यैश्च संवृतः

Great Shiva, together with the goddess and always surrounded by disciples, is there.

सर्वपापैर्विमुच्येत मृतस्तज्ज्ञानमाप्नुयात्

One is freed from all sins, and dying there, attains that knowledge.

भीमेश्वरमिति ख्यातं गत्वा मुञ्चति पातकम्

Going to the place known as Bhīmeśvara, one is freed from sin.

तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया

Bathing and drinking there, one is released even from the sin of killing a Brahmin.

नाम्नावाराणसी दिव्या कोटिकोट्ययुताधिका

Its name is the divine Vārāṇasī, surpassing tens of millions of crores.

नान्यत्र लभ्यते मुक्तिर्योगिनाप्येकजन्मना

Nowhere else is liberation obtained, even by yogis, in a single birth.

गत्वा संक्षालयेत् पापं जन्मान्तरशतैः कृतम्

Going there, one washes away sins committed over hundreds of lifetimes.

न तस्य फलते तीर्थमहि लोके परत्र च

For him, the merit of the sacred ford does not bear fruit in this world or the next.

प्रकुर्यात् तीर्थसंसेवां ये चान्ये तादृशा जनाः

Those others who likewise perform service at the sacred ford—

सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो यथोक्तां गतिमाप्नुयात्

Freed from all sins, he attains the state as described.

विधाय वृत्तिं पुत्राणां भार्यां तेषु निधाय च

Having arranged the livelihood of his sons and entrusted his wife to them—

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद् वापि मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Whoever recites or even listens to this is freed from all sins.

कूर्मरूपधरं देवं पप्रच्छुर्मुनयः प्रभुम्

The sages questioned the Lord, who had assumed the form of a tortoise.

लोकानां सर्गविस्तारं वंशमन्वन्तराणि च

They asked about the creation and expansion of worlds, the lineages, and the Manvantaras.

भूतानां भूतभव्येश यथा पूर्वं त्वयोदितम्

O Lord of past and future beings, as you have previously declared,

व्याजहार महायोगी भूतानां प्रतिसंचरम्

the great yogi spoke of the dissolution of beings.

चतुर्धायं पुराणे ऽस्मिन् प्रोच्यते प्रतिसंचरः

In this Purāṇa, the dissolution is described as fourfold.

नित्यः संकीर्त्यते नाम्ना मुनिभिः प्रतिसंचरः

The dissolution is called eternal by the sages, known by that name.

त्रैलोक्यस्यास्य कथितः प्रतिसर्गो मनीषिभिः

The re-creation of these three worlds has been explained by the wise.

प्राकृतः प्रतिसर्गो ऽयं प्रोच्यते कालचिन्तकैः

This re-creation, arising from nature, is spoken of by those who contemplate time.

प्रलयः प्रतिसर्गो ऽयं कालचिन्तापरैर्द्विजैः

This dissolution and re-creation is called 'pralaya' by those twice-born who reflect upon time.

नैमित्तिकमिदानीं वः कथयिष्ये समासतः

Now I shall briefly tell you about the occasional dissolution.

स्वात्मसंस्थाः प्रजाः कर्तुं प्रतिपेदे प्रजापतिः

The Lord of creatures undertook to create beings established in his own self.

भूतक्षयकरी घोरा सर्वभूतक्षयङ्करी

The fierce force causing the destruction of beings brings about the end of all creatures.

तानि चाग्रे प्रलीयन्ते भूमित्वमुपयान्ति च

At first, they dissolve and attain the state of earth.

असह्यरश्मिर्भवति पिबन्नम्भो गभस्तिभिः

The sun becomes unbearable in its rays, drinking up water with its beams.

तेनाहारेण ता दीप्ताः सूर्याः सप्त भवन्त्युत

By that consumption, those radiant suns become seven in number.

चतुर्लोकमिदं सर्वं दहन्ति शिखिनस्तथा

Those blazing ones burn all four worlds.