Vayu Purana

कथं सप्तर्षयः सिद्धा ये वै स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे। मन्वन्तरं समासाद्य पुनर्वैवस्वतं किल ।। ४.

How did the seven perfected seers, who existed in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara, reach the Vaivasvata Manvantara again?

भवाभिशापात्संविद्धा ह्यप्राप्तास्ते तदा तपः। उपपन्ना जने लोके सकृदागामिनस्तु ते ।। ४.

Due to the curse of Bhava, they were struck and did not attain ascetic practice at that time; yet, being once-returners, they appeared among people in the world.

ऊचुः सर्वे ततोऽन्योन्यं जनलोके महर्षयः। ऊचुरेव महाभागा वारुणे वितते क्रतौ ।। ४.

Then all the great sages in the world spoke among themselves, and those illustrious ones spoke likewise at the great sacrifice of Varuṇa.

सर्वे वयं प्रसूयामश्चाक्षुषस्यान्तरे मनोः। पितामहात्मजाः सर्वे ततः श्रेयो भविष्यति ।। ४.

We shall all be born in the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara as sons of the Grandfather; from this, greater good will arise.

स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे शप्ताः सप्तार्थं ते भवेन तु। जज्ञिरे वै पुनस्ते ह जनलोकाद्दिवं गता ।। ४.

In the Svāyambhuva Manvantara, they were cursed by Bhava for the sake of seven; then, being born again, they went from the world of men to heaven.

देवस्य महतो यज्ञे वारुणीं बिभ्रतस्तनुम्। ब्रह्मणो जुह्वतः शुक्रमग्नौ पूर्वं प्रजेप्सया। ऋषयो जज्ञिरे पूर्वं द्वितीयमिति नः श्रुतम् ।। ४.

In the great sacrifice of the god, as he assumed the form of Vāruṇī and Brahmā offered the pure essence into the fire desiring progeny, the seers were first born—this is what we have heard as the second creation.

भृगुरङ्गिरा मरीचिः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः। अत्रिश्चैव वसिष्ठश्च अष्टौ ते ब्रह्मणः सुताः ।। ४.

Bhṛgu, Aṅgirā, Marīci, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Atri, and also Vasiṣṭha—these eight were sons of Brahmā.

तथास्य वितते यज्ञे देवाः सर्वे समागताः। यज्ञाङ्गानि च सर्वाणि वषट्कारश्च मूर्तिमान् ।। ४.

Thus, at his extended sacrifice, all the gods assembled, along with all the limbs of the sacrifice and the embodied Vaṣaṭkāra.

मूर्त्तिमन्ति च सामानि यजूंषि च सहस्रशः। ऋग्वेद श्चाभवत्तत्र पदक्रमविभूषितः ।। ४.

There, thousands of Sāman hymns and Yajus formulas appeared in embodied form, and the Ṛgveda arose, adorned with the sequence of words.

यजुर्वेदश्च वृत्ताढ्य ओङ्कारवदनोज्ज्वलः। स्थितो यज्ञार्थसंपृक्तसूक्तब्राह्मणमन्त्रवान् ।। ४.

The Yajurveda, rich in meters and radiant with the sound of Oṃ, stood there, filled with sacrificial purpose, hymns, Brāhmaṇa passages, and mantras.

सामवेदश्च वृत्ताढ्यः सर्वगेयपुरःसरः। विश्वावस्वादिभिः सार्द्धं गन्धर्वैः सम्भृतोऽभवत् ।। ४.

The Sāmaveda, rich in meters and foremost among all songs, was present there, accompanied by the Gandharvas led by Viśvāvasu.

ब्रह्म वेदस्तथा घोरैः कृत्याविधिभिरन्वितः। प्रत्यङ्गिरसयोगैश्च द्विशरीरशिरोऽभवत् ।। ४.

The Brahma Veda, endowed with fierce ritual instructions and associated with the practices of the Atharvāṅgirasas, appeared with two bodies and two heads.

लक्षणानि स्वराः स्तोभा निरुक्तस्वरभक्तयः। आश्रयस्तु वषट्‌कारो निग्रहप्रग्रहावपि ।। ४.

Accents, musical notes, stobha syllables, and the divisions of etymology and accentuation, as well as the Vaṣaṭkāra as their support, and the rules of restraint and release, were also present.

दीप्ता दीप्तिरिलादेवी दिशः प्रदिशगीश्वराः । देवकन्याश्च पत्न्यश्च तथा मातर एव च ।। ४.

The radiant goddess Ilā, the directions and their lords, the divine maidens, wives, and also the Mothers were present.

आयुः सर्वत एवैते देवस्य यजतो मुखे। मूर्त्तिमन्तः स्वरूपाख्या वरुणस्य वपुर्भृतः ।। ४.

All these, possessing forms and known by their own names, bearing the form of Varuṇa, were the very life in the mouth of the god performing the sacrifice.

स्वयम्भुवस्तु ता दृष्ट्वा रेतः समपतद्भुवि। ब्रह्मर्षेर्भावभूतस्य विधानाच्च न संशयः ।। ४.

When Svayambhu saw them, his seed fell upon the earth, for he was filled with the creative impulse of a Brahmarshi; there is no doubt about this.

कृत्वा जुहाव स्रुग्भ्याञ्च स्रुवेण परिगृह्य च। आज्यवज्जुहुवाञ्जक्रे मन्त्रवच्च पितामहः ।। ४.

Having gathered it up with a ladle and a spoon, he offered it as clarified butter, and performed the oblation with mantras, as the Grandfather.

ततः स जनयामास भूतग्रामं प्रजापतिः। तस्यार्वाक् तेजसस्तस्य यज्ञे लोकेषु तैजसम्। तमसाभावव्याप्यत्वं तथा सत्त्वं तथा रजः ।। ४.

Then the Lord of Creatures generated the host of beings; from his energy, in that sacrifice, arose the fiery principle in the worlds, along with the pervasiveness of darkness, the quality of sattva, and likewise rajas.

सगुणात्तेजसो नित्यमाकाशे तमसि स्थितम्। तमसस्तेजसत्वाच्च सर्वभूतानि जज्ञिरे ।। ४.

From that energy, endowed with qualities, ever abiding in space and darkness, all beings were born, due to the fiery nature of darkness.

यदा तस्मिन्नजायन्त काले पुत्रास्तु कर्मजाः। आज्यस्थाल्यामुपादाय स्वशुक्रं हुतवांश्च ह ।। ४.

When, at that time, sons born of action were produced, he took his own seed and offered it into the vessel of clarified butter.

शुक्रे हुतेऽथ तस्मिंस्तु प्रादुर्भूता महर्षयः। ज्वलन्तो वपुषा युक्ताः सप्त वै प्रसवैर्गुणैः ।। ४.

When the seed was thus offered, great seers appeared, radiant in form, endowed with sevenfold creative qualities.

हुते चाग्नौ सकृच्छुक्रे ज्वालाया निःसृतः कविः। हिरण्यगर्भस्तं दृष्ट्वा ज्वालां भित्त्वा विनिःसृतम्। भृगुस्त्वमिति होवाच यस्मात्तस्मात्स वै भृगुः ।। ४.

When the seed was offered into the fire, from the flame emerged Kavi; seeing him break forth from the flame, Hiranyagarbha declared, 'You are Bhṛgu,' and thus he became known as Bhṛgu.

महादेवस्तथोद्भूतं दृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मणमब्रवीत्। ममैष पुत्रकामस्य दीक्षितस्य त्वयं प्रभो। विजज्ञेऽथ भृगुर्द्देवो मम पुत्रो भवत्वयम् ।। ४.

Mahadeva, seeing the Brahmin thus manifested, said, 'This one, born of my desire for a son and my consecration, has been produced by you, O Lord; let this Bhṛgu be my son.'

तथोति समनुज्ञातो महादेवः स्वयम्भुवा। पुत्रत्वे कल्पयामास महादेवस्तथा भृगुम्। वारुणा भृगवस्तस्मात्तदपत्यञ्च स प्रभुः ।। ४.

Thus permitted by Svayambhu, Mahadeva appointed Bhṛgu as his son; and because he was born of Varuna, Bhṛgu is also called Varuṇa's son.

द्वितीयन्तु ततः शुक्रमङ्गारेष्वपतत्प्रभुः। अङ्गारेष्वङ्गिरोऽङ्गानि संहितानि ततोऽङ्गिराः ।। ४.

Then, the second seed fell upon coals; from the coals, the limbs united, and thus Angiras was born.

सम्भूतिं तस्य तां दृष्ट्वा वह्निर्ब्रह्माणमब्रवीत्। रेतोधास्तुभ्यमेवाहं द्वितीयोऽयं ममास्त्विति ।। ४.

Seeing his birth, Agni said to Brahma, 'Since I have received the seed, let this second one be mine.'

एवमस्त्विति सोऽप्युक्तो ब्रह्मणा सदसस्पतिः। तस्मादङ्गिरसश्चापि आग्नेया इति नः श्रुतम् ।। ४.

Brahma, the lord of the assembly, replied, 'So be it.' Therefore, Angiras is known to us as the son of Agni.

षट्‌कृत्यस्तु पुनः शुक्रे ब्रह्मणा लोककारिणा। हुते समभवंस्तत्र षड्ब्रह्माण इति श्रुतिः ।। ४.

Then, when the seed was offered six times by Brahma, the creator of worlds, six Brahmas were born there, as is declared in the tradition.

मरीचिः प्रथमस्तत्र मरीचिभ्यः समुत्थितः। क्रतौ तस्मिन् सुतो जज्ञे यतस्तस्मात्स वै क्रतुः ।। ४.

Marici was the first among them, arising from the rays; in that sacrifice, his son was born, and thus he is called Kratu.