Kurma Purana

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.

दीप्यन्ते भास्कराः सप्त युगान्ताग्निप्रतापिनः

The seven suns shine forth, radiating the heat of the fire at the end of the age.

खं समावृत्य तिष्ठन्ति निर्दहन्तो वसुंधराम्

Covering the sky, they remain, scorching the earth.

साद्रिनद्यर्णवद्वीपा निस्नेहा समपद्यत

With mountains, rivers, oceans, and islands, the earth becomes devoid of moisture.

अधश्चोर्ध्वं च लग्नाभिस्तिर्यक् चैव समावृतम्

Below, above, and across, it is enveloped by those rays.

एकत्वमुपयातानामेकज्वालं भवत्युत

When they attain unity, they become a single flame indeed.

चतुर्लोकमिदं सर्वं निर्दहत्यात्मतेजसा

This entire fourfold world is consumed by its own inner radiance.

निर्वृक्षा निस्तृणा भूमिः कूर्मपृष्ठा प्रकाशते

The earth, bereft of trees and grass, appears as the back of a tortoise.

सर्वमेव तदर्चिर्भिः पूर्णं जाज्वल्यते पुनः

All of it, filled completely, blazes again with those flames.

ततस्तानि प्रलीयन्ते भूमित्वमुपयान्ति च

Then those things dissolve and return to the state of earth.

तान् सर्वान् भस्मसात् कृत्वा सप्तात्मा पावकः प्रभुः

Having reduced them all to ashes, the sevenfold Fire, the Lord, remains.