Vayu Purana

मनुष्यप्रकृतीन् देवान् कीर्त्यमानान्निबोधत । सङ्कर्षणो वासुदेवः प्रद्युम्नः साम्ब एव च ।। ३५.

Now, listen to the nature of humans and gods as they are being praised: Sankarshana, Vasudeva, Pradyumna, and also Samba.

अनिरुद्धश्च पञ्चैते वंशवीराः प्रकीर्त्तिताः। सप्तर्षयः कुबेरश्च यक्षो मणिवरस्तथा ।। ३५.

And Aniruddha—these five are renowned heroes of the lineage; the seven sages, Kubera, the Yaksha, and Manivara as well.

शालकी बदरश्चैव विद्वान् धन्वन्तरिस्तथा। नन्दिनश्च महादेवः शालङ्कायन उच्यते। आदिदेवस्तदा जिष्णुरेभिश्च सह दैवतैः ।। ३५.

Shalaki, Badara, the learned Dhanvantari, Nandina who is Mahadeva, Shalankayana as he is called, Adideva, and Jishnu—together with these divine beings.

विष्णुः किमर्थं सम्भूतः स्मृताः सम्भूतयः कति। भविष्याः कति वान्ये तु प्रादुर्भावा महात्मनः ।। ३५.

For what purpose was Vishnu born, how many births are remembered, and how many future manifestations of the great soul will there be?

ब्रह्मक्षेत्रे युगान्तेषु किमर्थमिह जायते । पुनः पुनर्म्मनुष्येषु तन्नः प्रब्रूहि पृच्छताम् ।। ३५.

Why is he born in the field of Brahma at the end of the ages? Again and again among humans—tell us, for we are asking.

विस्तरेणैव सर्वाणि कर्म्माणि रिपुघातिनः। श्रोतुमिच्छामहे सम्यग् देहैः कृष्णस्य धीमतः ।। ३५.

We wish to hear in detail all the deeds of Krishna, the wise one, who destroys enemies, performed in his various bodies.

कर्म्मणामानुपूर्व्यञ्च प्रादुर्भावाश्च ये प्रभो । या चास्य प्रकृतिः सूत ताश्चास्मान् वक्तुमर्हसि ।। ३५.

O master, the sequence of his deeds and his manifestations, and his nature—Suta, you ought to tell us all these.

कथं स भगवान् विष्णुः सुरेष्वरिनिषूदनः। वसुदेवकुले धीमान् वासुदेवत्वमागतः ।। ३५.

How did the blessed Vishnu, destroyer of the gods' enemies, wise, come to be Vasudeva in the house of Vasudeva?

अमरैः सूत किं पुण्यं पुण्यकृद्भिरलंकृतम्। देवलोकं समुत्सृज्य मर्त्यलोकमिहागतः ।। ३५.

Suta, what merit did the immortals, adorned with virtue, perform that, leaving the realm of the gods, he came here to the world of mortals?

देवमानुषयोर्नेता भूर्भुवःप्रसवो हरिः। किमर्थं दिव्यमात्मानं मानुषे समवेशयत् ।। ३५.

Hari, leader among gods and men, origin of earth and heaven—why did he, the divine soul, enter into a human form?

यश्चक्रं वर्तयत्येको मनुष्याणां मनोमयम्। मनुष्ये स कथं बुद्धिं चक्रे चक्रभृतां वरः ।। ३५.

He who alone turns the mind-made wheel of humans—how did he, the best among those who bear the wheel, create wisdom in mankind?

गोपायनं यः कुरुते जगतां सार्व्वलौकिकम्। स कथं गां गतो विष्णुर्गोपमन्वकरोत्प्रभुः ।। ३५.

He who makes the tending of cows universal among all worlds—how did Vishnu, the lord, go to the cows and become a cowherd?

महाभूतानि भूतात्मा यो ददार चकार ह। श्रीगर्भः स कथं गर्भे स्त्रिया भूचरया धृतः ।। ३५.

He who, as the soul of beings, divided and created the great elements—how was he, the bearer of fortune, held in the womb of a woman on earth?

येन लोकान् क्रमैर्जित्त्वा त्रिभिस्त्रींस्त्रिदशेप्सया। स्थापिता जगतो मार्गास्त्रिवर्गप्रवरास्त्रयः ।। ३५.

He who, conquering worlds step by step with three strides, established the paths of the universe—the three supreme aims of life.

योऽन्तकाले जगत्पीत्वा कृत्वा तोयमयं वपुः। लोकमेकार्णवं चक्रे दृश्यादृश्येन वर्त्मना ।। ३५.

He who, at the end of time, drank up the world, taking a form made of water, made the world into a single ocean by a visible and invisible path.

यः पुराणे पुराणात्मा वाराहं वपुरास्थितः। ददौ जित्त्वा वसुमतीं सुराणां सुरसत्तमः ।। ३५.

He who, ancient in the ancient times, took the form of a boar, conquered and gave the earth to the gods, the best among the gods.

येन सैंहं वपुः कृत्वा द्विधाकृत्वा च यत्पुनः। पूर्व्वदैत्यो महावीर्य्यो हिरण्यकशिपुर्हतः ।। ३५.

He who, having taken a lion's form and then dividing it again, slew the former mighty demon Hiranyakashipu.

यः पुरा ह्यनलो भूत्वा और्व्वः संवर्त्तको विभुः। पातालस्थोऽर्णवगतः पपौ तोयमयं हविः ।। ३५.

He who, having formerly become the fire called Aurva, the all-pervading Samvartaka, dwelling in the netherworld, entered the ocean and drank the sacrificial offering made of water.

सहस्रचरणं देवं सहस्रांशुं सहस्रशः। सहस्रशिरसं देवं यमाहुर्वै युगे युगे ।। ३५.

The god whom they call, in every age, the thousand-footed, thousand-rayed, thousand-headed deity.

नाभ्यारण्याः समुद्भूतं यस्य पैतामहं गृहम्। एकार्णवगते लोके तत्पङ्कजमपङ्कजम् ।। ३५.

From whose navel-forest arose the ancestral abode, and when the world was covered by a single ocean, that lotus, the unsoiled lotus, appeared.

येन ते निहता दैत्याः संग्रामे तारकामये। सर्व्वदेवमयं कृत्वा सर्वायुधधरं वपुः ।। ३५.

By whom the Daityas were slain in the battle of Tārakāmaya, having assumed a form composed of all the gods, bearing every kind of weapon.

गरुडस्थेन चोत्सिक्तः कालनेमिर्निपातितः। उत्तरांशे समुद्रस्य क्षीरोदस्यामृतोदधेः। यः शेते शाश्वतं योगमास्थाय तिमिरं महत् ।। ३५.

Mounted upon Garuḍa, he drenched and struck down Kālanemi on the northern shore of the ocean of milk, the immortal sea; he who lies there, having entered into eternal meditation, amidst the great darkness.

पुराणी गर्भमधत्त दिव्यं तपःप्रकर्षाददितिः पुरा यम्। शक्रञ्च यो दैत्यगणावरुद्धं गर्भावमानेन भृशं चकार ।। ३५.

Aditi of old bore him in her womb, radiant through the intensity of her divine austerity; he who, while still in the womb, greatly humbled Indra, who was beset by the hosts of Daityas.

यदानिलो लोकपदानि हृत्वा चकार दैत्यान् सलिलेशयांस्तान् । कृत्वादिदेवस्त्रिदिवस्य देवांश्चक्रे सुरेशं पुरुहूतमेव ।। ३५.

When the wind carried away the abodes of the worlds and cast the Daityas into the waters, the primeval god made the gods of heaven and established Puruhūta as their lord.

गार्हपत्येन विधिना अन्वाहार्य्येण कर्म्मणा। अग्निमाहवनीयञ्च वेदिञ्चैव कुशस्रवम् ।। ३५.

He established the gārhapatya fire according to rule, the anvāhārya ritual, the āhavanīya fire, and the sacrificial altar called Kuśaśrava.

प्रोक्षणीयं स्रुवञ्चैव अवभृथं तथैव च। अथ त्रीनिह यश्चक्रे हव्यभाग प्रदान्मखे ।। ३५.

He made the sprinkling vessel, the ladle, the avabhṛtha bath, and also here performed the threefold offering of oblations in the sacrifice.

हव्यादांश्च सुरांश्चक्रे कव्यादांश्च पितॄनपि। भोगार्थं यज्ञविधिना यो यज्ञो यज्ञकर्म्मणि ।। ३५.

He assigned the oblations to the gods and the offerings to the ancestors, for the sake of enjoyment, according to the rite of sacrifice; he is the sacrifice in sacrificial acts.

यूपान् समित्स्रुवं सोमं पवित्रं परिधीनपि। यज्ञियानि च द्रव्याणि यज्ञीयांश्च तथानलान् ।। ३५.

He made the sacrificial posts, the kindling sticks, the ladle, Soma, the purifier, the enclosing sticks, the sacrificial materials, and likewise the sacrificial fires.

सदस्यान् यजमानांश्च अश्वमेधान् क्रतूत्तमान्। विबभ्राज पुरा यश्च पारमेष्ठ्येन कर्म्मणा ।। ३५.

He who formerly shone forth with the supreme act, creating the officiating priests, the sacrificers, and the excellent sacrifices such as the Aśvamedha.