Markandeya Purana

ब्रह्मत्वे स प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा ततः सत्त्वातिरेकवान् । विष्णुत्वमेत्य धर्मेण कुरुते परिपालनम्॥४६.

In the state of Brahma, after creating beings, then endowed with predominance of sattva, He assumes the role of Vishnu and, through righteousness, performs protection.

ततस्तमोगुणोद्रिक्तो रुद्रत्वे चाखिलं जगत् । उपसंहृत्य वै शेते त्रैलोक्यं त्रिगुणोऽगुणः॥४६.

Then, being dominated by tamas, He, as Rudra, withdraws the entire world, and indeed rests, being threefold in qualities yet beyond qualities, over the three worlds.

यथा प्राग्व्यापकः क्षेत्री पालको लावकस्तथा । यथा स संज्ञामायाति ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीशकारिणीम्॥४६.

Just as a field-pervader, protector, or reaper takes on their respective names, so does He assume the names and functions of Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishvara.

ब्रह्मत्वे सृजते लोकान् रुद्रत्वे संहरत्यपि । विष्णुत्वे चाप्युदासीनस्तिस्त्रोऽवस्थाः स्वयम्भुवः॥४६.

In the state of Brahma, He creates worlds; in the state of Rudra, He also dissolves; and in the state of Vishnu, He remains indifferent—these are the three states of the Self-born.

रजो ब्रह्मा तमो रुद्रो विष्णुः सत्त्वं जगत्पतिः । एत एव त्रयो देवा एत एव त्रयो गुणाः॥४६.

Rajas is Brahma, tamas is Rudra, sattva is Vishnu, the Lord of the world; these three are the gods, and these three are the qualities.

अन्योन्यमिथुना ह्येते अन्योन्याश्रयिणस्तथा । क्षणं वियोगो नह्येषां न त्यजन्ति परस्परम्॥४६.

These are mutually paired and mutually dependent; there is not even a moment's separation among them, nor do they ever abandon one another.

एवं ब्रह्मा जगत्पूर्वो देवदेवश्चतुर्मुखः । रजोगुणं समाश्रित्य स्त्रष्ट्टत्वे स व्यवस्थितः॥४६.

Thus, Brahma, the first of the world, the god of gods, four-faced, established in the creative act by resorting to rajas, is thus situated.

हिरण्यगर्भो देवादिरनादिरुपचारतः । भूपद्मकर्णिकासंस्थो ब्रह्माग्रे समजायत॥४६.

Hiranyagarbha, the first of the gods, though beginningless in a figurative sense, was born at the beginning, established on the lotus stalk rising from the earth.

तस्य वर्षशतं त्वेकं परमायुर्महात्मनः । ब्रह्म्येणैव हि मानेन तस्य संख्यां निबोध मे॥४६.

His lifespan, O great-souled one, is a hundred years; hear from me the reckoning of that, according to the measure of Brahma.

निमेषैर्दशभिः काष्ठा तथा पञ्चभिरुच्यते । कलास्त्रिंशच्च वै काष्ठा मुहूर्तं त्रिंशत्ताः कलाः॥४६.

Ten nimeṣas make one kāṣṭhā, and five kāṣṭhās are said to make one kalā; thirty kalās make a muhūrta, and thirty muhūrtas make a day and night.

अहोरात्रं मुहूर्तानां नृणां त्रिंशत्तु वै स्मृतम् । अहोरात्रैश्च त्रिंशद्भिः पक्षौ द्वौ मास उच्यते॥४६.

A day and night of humans is reckoned as thirty muhūrtas; thirty such days and nights make two fortnights, which is called a month.

तैः षड्भिरयनं वर्षं द्वेऽयने दक्षिणोत्तरे । तद्देवानामहोरात्रं दिनं तत्रोत्तरायणम्॥४६.

With six such months is a year, divided into the southern and northern courses; for the gods, a day and night is thus, with the northern course as their day.

दिव्यैर्वर्षसहस्रैस्तु कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितम् । चतुर्युगं द्वादशभिस्तद्विभागं शृणुष्व मे॥४६.

A chaturyuga, known as Krita, Treta, and so on, consists of twelve thousand divine years; listen to the division of that from me.

चत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां कृतमुच्यते । शतानि सन्ध्या चत्वारि सन्ध्यांशश्च तथाविधः॥४६.

Four thousand years are said to be the length of the Kṛta Yuga; its twilight lasts four hundred years, and the dawn is of the same measure.

त्रेता त्रीणि सहस्राणि दिव्याब्दानां शतत्रयम् । तत्सन्ध्या तत्समा चैव सन्ध्यांशश्च तथाविधः॥४६.

The Tretā Yuga consists of three thousand divine years, and its twilight and dawn each last three hundred years, with the same measure for the dawn.

द्वापरं द्वे सहस्रे तु वर्षाणां द्वे शते तथा । तस्य सन्ध्या समाख्याता द्वे शताब्दे तदंशकः॥४६.

The Dvāpara Yuga is two thousand years, with two hundred years as its twilight; its dawn is also said to be two hundred years.

कलिः सहस्रं दिव्यानामब्दानां द्विजसत्तम । सन्ध्या सन्ध्यांशकश्चैव शतकौ समुदाहृतौ॥४६.

O best of twice-born, the Kali Yuga is a thousand divine years; its twilight and dawn are each said to be one hundred years.

एषा द्वाधशसाहस्त्री युगाख्या कविभिः कृता । एतत् सहस्रगुणितमो ब्राह्म्यमुदाहृतम्॥४६.

Thus, the total duration of the four yugas is twelve thousand years, as composed by the sages; multiplied by a thousand, this is called a day of Brahmā.

ब्रह्मणो दिवसे ब्रह्मन् मनवः स्युश्चतुर्दश । भवन्ति भागशस्तेषां सहस्रं तद्विभज्यते॥४६.

O brāhmaṇa, in a day of Brahmā there are fourteen Manus; their periods are divisions of that thousand.

देवाः सप्तर्षयः सेन्द्रा मनुस्तत्सूनवो नृपाः । मनुना सह सृज्यन्ते संह्रियन्ते च पूर्ववत्॥४६.

The gods, the Seven Sages, Indra, Manu, and the kings who are his sons are all created together with Manu and are dissolved as before.

चतुर्युगानां संख्याता साधिका ह्ये कसप्ततिः । मन्वन्तरं तस्य संख्यां मानुषाब्दैर्निबोध मे॥४६.

The number of four yugas in a manvantara is seventy-one plus a fraction; listen as I declare the duration of a manvantara in human years.

त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तु संपूर्णाः संख्याताः संख्यया द्विज । सत्पषष्टिस्तथान्यानि नियुतानि च संख्यया॥४६.

Thirty crore years are the full count, O twice-born, and there are also sixty-six more niyutas in number.

विंशतिश्च सहस्राणि कालोऽयं साधिकं विना । एतन्मन्वन्तरं प्रोक्तं दिव्यैर्वर्षैर्निबोध मे॥४६.

And twenty thousand more, making this period slightly more; this is called a manvantara—hear its reckoning in divine years from me.

अष्टौ वर्षसहस्राणि दिव्यया संख्यया युतम् । द्विपञ्चाशत्तथान्यानि सहस्राण्यधिकानि तु॥४६.

Eight thousand divine years, plus fifty-two thousand more, are to be added.

चतुर्दशगुणो ह्येष कालो ब्रह्म्यमहः स्मृतम् । तस्यान्ते प्रलयः प्रोक्तो ब्रह्मन् नैमित्तिको बुधैः॥४६.

This period, multiplied by fourteen, is known as a day of Brahmā; at its end, a dissolution called naimittika is declared by the wise.

भूर्लोकोऽथ भुवर्लोकः स्वर्लोकश्च विनाशिनः । तथा विनाशमायान्ति महर्लोकश्च तिष्ठति॥४६.

The earth, the atmosphere, and heaven are all subject to destruction; thus, they perish, while the Maharloka remains.

तद्वासिनोऽपि तापेन जनलोकं प्रयान्ति वै । एकार्णवे च त्रैलोक्ये ब्रह्मा स्वपिति वै निशि॥४६.

Even the inhabitants of that world, due to the heat, go to Janaloka; and in the three worlds, covered by a single ocean, Brahmā sleeps during the night.

तत्प्रमाणैव सा रात्रिस्तदन्ते सृज्यते पुनः । एवन्तु ब्रह्मणो वर्षमेकं वर्षशतन्तु तत्॥४६.

That night is of equal measure to his day; at its end, creation arises again. In this way, one year of Brahmā is made, and a hundred such years as well.

शतं हि तस्य वर्षाणां परमित्यभिधीयते । पञ्चाशद्भिस्तथा वर्षैः परार्धमिति कीर्त्यते॥४६.

A hundred of his years is called the supreme span; and fifty years is known as a parārdha.