Vayu Purana

एते तु पितरो देवा मानुषाः पितरश्च ये। प्रीतेषु तेषु प्रीयन्ते श्रद्धायुक्तेन कर्मणा ।। ५६.

These ancestors are gods, and those who are human ancestors; when they are pleased, they are gratified by action performed with faith.

इत्येवं पितरः प्रोक्ताः पिदॄणां सोमपायिनाम्। एतत् पितृमतत्वं हि पुराणे निश्चयो मतः ।। ५६.

Thus, the ancestors are spoken of, the soma-drinking ancestors; this is the doctrine of the ancestors, the conclusion held in the Purana.

इत्यर्कपितृ सोमानामैलस्य च समागमः। सुधामृतस्य चावाप्तिः पितॄणाञ्चैव तर्पणम् ।। ५६.

Thus is the union of the solar and lunar ancestors, and the attainment of nectar and ambrosia, and the satisfaction of the ancestors.

पूर्णिमावास्ययोः कालः पितॄणां स्थानमेव च। समासात्कीर्त्तितस्तुभ्यमेष सर्गः सनातनः ।। ५६.

The time of full moon and new moon, and the place of the ancestors, has been briefly described to you; this is the eternal creation.

वैश्वरूप्यन्तु सर्वस्य कथित़ञ्चैकदेशिकम्। न शक्यं परिसङ्ख्यातुं श्रद्धेयं भूतिमिच्छता ।। ५६.

The universal form of all has been told, and its partial aspect; it cannot be fully enumerated, but should be trusted by one desiring prosperity.

स्वायम्भुवस्य हीत्येष सर्गः क्रान्तो मयात्र वै। विस्तरेणानुपूर्व्या च भूयः किं वर्णयाम्यहम् ।। ५६.

This creation of Svayambhu has been narrated by me here, in detail and in order; what more should I describe?

चतुर्युगानि यान्यासन् पूर्वं स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे । तेषां निसर्गं तत्त्वञ्च श्रोतुमिच्छामि विस्तरात् ।। ५७.

The four ages that existed formerly in the interval of Svayambhu, I wish to hear their origin and essence in detail.

पृथिव्यादिप्रसङ्गेन यन्मया प्रागुदाहृतम्। तेषाञ्चतुर्युगं ह्येतत् प्रवक्ष्यामि निबोधत ।। ५७.

In connection with the earth and other topics, what I have previously mentioned—now, I shall explain to you the four yugas; listen attentively.

सङ्ख्ययेह प्रसङ्ख्याय विस्ताराच्चैव सर्वशः। युगञ्च युगभेदञ्च युगधर्मन्तथैव च ।। ५७.

Here, I shall describe in detail the enumeration, the distinctions of the yugas, and also the characteristics of each yuga.

युगसन्ध्यंशकञ्चैव युगसन्धानमेव च। षट्‌प्रकारयुगाख्यानां प्रवक्ष्यामीह तत्त्वतः ।। ५७.

I shall truly explain here the portions called yuga-sandhya, the junctions of the yugas, and the sixfold accounts of the yugas.

लौकिकेन प्रमाणेन विबुद्धोऽब्दस्तु मानुषः। तेनाब्देन प्रसङ्ख्याय वक्ष्यामीह चतुर्युगम् ।। ५७.५ . निमेषकालः काष्ठा च कलाश्चापि मुहूर्त्तकाः। निमेषकालतुल्यं हि विद्याल्लघ्वक्षरञ्चयत् ।। ५७.

By the worldly measure, a year is reckoned as a human year; by that year, I shall now enumerate the four yugas. The time of a nimeṣa, a kāṣṭhā, and also kalās and muhūrtas—know that the duration equal to a nimeṣa is called a laghu-akṣara.

काष्ठा निमेषा दश पञ्च चैव त्रिंशच्च काष्ठा गणयेत् कलास्ताः। त्रिंशत् कलाश्चैव भवेन्मुहूर्त्तास्तत्र्त्रिंशता रात्र्यहनी समेते ।। ५७.

One should count fifteen nimeṣas as a kāṣṭhā, and thirty kāṣṭhās as a kalā; thirty kalās make a muhūrta, and thirty muhūrtas together form a day and night.

अहोरात्रे विभजते सूर्यो मानुषदैविके। तत्राहः कर्मचेष्टायां रात्रिः स्वप्नाय कल्प्यते ।। ५७.

The sun divides the day and night into human and divine measures; among these, the day is for activity, and the night is designated for sleep.

पित्र्ये रात्र्यहनी मासः प्रविभागस्तयोः पुनः। कृष्ण पक्षस्त्वहस्तेषां शुक्लः स्वप्नाय शर्वरी ।। ५७.

For the ancestors, a month consists of a day and night; again, among these, the dark fortnight is their day, and the bright fortnight is their night for sleep.

त्रिंशच्च मानुषा मासाः पित्र्यो मासश्च स स्मृतः। शतानि त्रीणि मासानां षष्टया चाप्यधिकानि वै। पित्र्यः संवत्सरो ह्येष मानुषेण विभाव्यते ।। ५७.

Thirty human months are considered as one month for the ancestors; three hundred and sixty, plus sixty more, make a year for the ancestors, as reckoned by human calculation.

मानुषेणैव मानेन वर्षाणां यच्छतं भवेत् । पिदॄणां त्रीणि वर्षाणि सङ्खयातानीह तानि वै। चत्वार श्चाधिका मासाः पित्रे चैवेह कीर्त्तिताः ।। ५७.

By the human measure, a hundred years is equivalent to three years for the ancestors, and four additional months are also mentioned for the ancestors here.

लोकिकेनैव मानेन अब्दो यो मानुषः स्मृतः। एतद्दिव्यमहोरात्रं शास्त्रेऽस्मिन् निश्वयो मतः ।। ५७.

By the worldly measure, the year that is called human is regarded in this scripture as a single divine day and night.

दिव्ये रात्र्यहनी वर्षं प्रविभागस्तयोः पुनः । अहस्तत्रोदगयनं रात्रिः स्याद्दक्षिणायनम् ।। ५७.

A divine year is divided into a day and night; among these, the day is the northern course of the sun, and the night is the southern course.

ये ते रात्र्यहनी दिव्ये प्रसङ्खयाते तयोः पुनः। त्रिंशच्च तानि वर्षाणि दिव्यो मासस्तु स स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Those day and night periods, counted as divine, again, thirty of them are considered a divine month.

मानुषञ्च शतं विद्धि दिव्यमासास्त्रयस्तु ते। दश चैव तथाहानि दिव्यो ह्येष विधिः स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Know that a hundred human years are three divine months, and ten days as well; this is declared as the divine reckoning.

त्रीणि पर्षशतान्येव षष्टिवर्षाणि यानि च। दिव्यः संवत्सरो ह्येष मानुषेण प्रकीर्त्तितः ।। ५७.

Three hundred and sixty, and sixty more years—these are said to make a divine year, as reckoned by human calculation.

त्रीणि वर्षसहस्राणि मानुषेण प्रमाणतः। त्रिंशद्यानि तु वर्षाणि मतः सप्तर्षिवत्सरः ।। ५७.

Three thousand human years, by measure, and thirty years—this is known as the year of the Seven Sages.

नव यानि सहस्राणि वर्षाणां मानुषाणि तु । अन्यानि नवतिश्चैव क्रौञ्चः संवत्सरः स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Nine thousand human years, and ninety more—this is said to be the year of Krauñca.

षट्‌त्रिंशत्तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां मानुषाणि तु । वर्षाणान्तु शतं ज्ञेयं दिव्यो ह्येष विधिः स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Thirty-six thousand human years, and a hundred years should be known—this is declared as the divine reckoning.

त्रीण्येव नियुतान्येव वर्षाणां मानुषाणि च। षष्टिश्चैव सहस्राणि सङ्ख्यातानि तु सङ्ख्यया। दिव्यवर्षसहस्रन्तु प्राहुः सङ्ख्याविदो जनाः ।। ५७.

Three hundred thousand human years, and sixty thousand more, counted by enumeration—those who know numbers declare this to be a thousand divine years.

इत्येवमृषिभिर्गीतं दिव्यया सङ्ख्ययान्वितम्। दिव्येनैव प्रमाणेन युगसङ्कचाप्रकल्पनम् ।। ५७.

Thus have the sages sung, accompanied by a divine reckoning, and with a divine measure, the arrangement of the yugas has been described.

चत्वारि भारते वर्षे युगानि कवयो विदुः। पूर्वं कृतयुगं नाम ततस्त्रेता विधीयते। द्वापरश्च कलि श्चैव युगान्येतानि कल्पयेत् ।। ५७.

The poets know four yugas in the land of Bharata: first is called the Kṛta Yuga, then comes the Tretā, next is Dvāpara, and finally Kali; these are the yugas to be reckoned.

चत्वार्याहुः सहस्राणि वर्षाणान्तु कृतं युगम्। तत्र तावच्छती सन्ध्या सन्ध्यांशश्च तथाविधः ।। ५७.

They say the Kṛta Yuga consists of four thousand years; within it, there is a period called Sandhyā of equal hundreds, and likewise a Sandhyāṃśa.

इत रासु च सन्ध्यासु सन्ध्यांशेषु च वै त्रिषु । एकापायेन वर्त्तन्ते सहस्राणि शतानि च ।। ५७.

In these Sandhyās and Sandhyāṃśas, in all three, the thousands and hundreds proceed with a single reduction.