Vayu Purana

समुद्रेभ्यो नदीभ्यश्च पातालेभ्यश्च सर्वतः। पिबन्नपः समिद्धोऽग्निः पृथिवीमाश्रितो ज्वलन् ।। ३८.

The blazing Fire, resting upon the earth, drinks up the waters from the oceans, rivers, and all the underworlds everywhere.

ततः संवर्त्तकः शैलानतिक्रम्य महांस्तथा। लोकान् संहरते दीप्तो घोरः संवर्त्तकोऽनलः ।। ३८.

Then the fierce, blazing fire of destruction, surpassing even the great mountains, withdraws the worlds.

ततः स पृथिवीं भित्त्वा रसातलमशोषयत्। निर्दह्य तांस्तु पातालान्नागलोकमथादहत् ।। ३८.

Then, piercing the earth, it dries up the lower region; having burned those underworlds, it next burns the realm of the serpents.

अधस्तात्पृथिवीं दग्ध्वा ह्यूर्द्ध्वं स दहते दिवम्। योजनानां सहस्राणि ह्ययुतान्यर्बुदानि च ।। ३८.

Having burned the earth below, it then burns the heavens above, for thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of leagues.

उदतिष्ठञ्छिखास्तस्य बह्वयः संवर्त्तकस्य तु। गन्धर्वांश्च पिशाचांश्च समहोरगराक्षसान् । तदा दहति सन्दीप्तो गोलकं चैव सर्व्वशः ।। ३८.

The flames of that fire of destruction rise up in many directions; at that time, it burns the Gandharvas, Piśācas, great serpents, Rākṣasas, and entirely the cosmic sphere.

भूर्लोकन्तु भुवर्लोकं स्वर्लोकञ्च महस्तथा। घोरं दहति कालाग्निरेवं लोकचतुष्टयम् ।। ३८.

Thus, the fire of Time burns the four worlds—Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, and Maharloka—in a dreadful conflagration.

व्याप्तेषु तेषु लोकेषु तिर्यगूर्द्ध्वमथाग्निना। तत्तेजः समनुप्राप्तं कृत्स्नं जगदिदं शनैः। अयोगुडनिभं सर्व्वं तदा ह्येवं प्रकाशते ।। ३८.

When those worlds are pervaded horizontally and vertically by fire, that radiance gradually envelops this whole universe, which then appears entirely like a lump of iron.

ततो गजकुलाकारास्तडिद्भि समलंकृताः। उत्तिष्ठन्ति तदा घोरा व्योम्नि संवर्त्तका घनाः ।। ३८.

Then, terrifying clouds of destruction, shaped like herds of elephants and adorned with lightning, rise up in the sky.

केचिन्नीलोत्पलश्यामाः केचित्कुमुदसन्निभाः। केचिद्वैढूर्यसंकाशा इन्द्रनीलनिभाऽपरे ।। ३८.

Some are dark like blue lotuses, some resemble white lotuses, some have the luster of beryl, and others are like sapphires.

शङ्खकुन्दनिभाश्चान्ये जात्यञ्जननिभास्तथा । धूम्र वर्णा घनाः केचित्केचित्पीताः पयोधराः ।। ३८.

Some are like conch or jasmine, some like native antimony; some clouds are smoky in color, others are yellow, bearing water.

केचिद्रासभवर्णाभा लाक्षारक्तनिभास्तथा। मनःशिलाभास्त्वपरे कपोताभास्तथाम्बुदाः ।। ३८.

Some have the appearance of the color of donkeys, some are like lac-red; others are like realgar, and some clouds are dove-colored.

इन्द्रगोपनिभाः केचिदुत्तिष्ठन्ति घना दिवि। केचित्पुरधराकाराः केचिद्गजकुलोपमाः ।। ३८.

Some clouds rise up in the sky like the hue of the indragopa insect; some resemble city walls, others are like herds of elephants.

के चित्पर्वतसंकाशाः केचित्स्थलनिभा घनाः। कुण्डागारनिभाः केचित्केचिन्मीनकुलोपमाः ।। ३८.

Some are like mountains, some like plains; some resemble assembly halls, and others are like groups of fish.

बहुरूपा घोररूपा घोरस्वरनिनादिनः। तदा जलधराः सर्वे पूरयन्ति नभःस्थलम् ।। ३८.

Then all the clouds, taking on many forms, with terrifying appearances and dreadful roaring sounds, fill the entire expanse of the sky.

ततस्ते जलदा घोरा नवीना भास्करात्मिकाः। सप्तधा संवृतात्मानस्तमग्निं शमयन्त्युत ।। ३८.

At that time, those fierce, newly arisen clouds, embodying the power of the sun, with their sevenfold forms, extinguish the darkness and the fire.

ततस्ते जलदा वर्षं मुञ्चन्ति च महोद्यमम्। सुघोरमशिवं सर्व्वं नाशयन्ति च पावकम् ।। ३८.

Then those clouds, with great force, release rain—intense, dreadful, and inauspicious—and they extinguish all the fire.

प्रवृष्टैश्च तथात्यर्थं वारिभिः पूर्य्यते जगत्। अद्भिस्तेजोऽभिभूतञ्च तदाग्निः प्राविशत्यपः ।। ३८.

Thus, as torrents pour down, the world is filled with water; the fire, overpowered by the waters, then enters into the waters.

नष्टे चाग्नौ वर्षशते पयोदाः पाकसम्भवाः। प्लावयन्ति जगत्सर्वं बृहज्जालपरिस्रवैः ।। ३८.

When the fire is destroyed after a hundred years of rain, the clouds, born of heat, flood the entire world with vast streams.

धाराभिः पूरयन्तीमं चोद्यमानाः स्वयम्भुवा। अन्ये तु सलिलौघैस्तु वेलामभिभवन्त्यपि। साद्रिर्द्वीपान्तरं पृथ्वी ह्यद्भिः संछाद्यते तदा ।। ३८.

Driven by the Self-born, some clouds fill this world with streams, while others, with floods of water, surpass the shores; then the earth, along with mountains and islands, is covered by water.

तस्य वृष्ट्या च तोयं तत्सर्व्वं हि परिमण्डितम्। प्रविशत्युदधौ विप्राः पीतं सूर्य्यस्य रश्मिभिः ।। ३८.

By that rain, all that water, completely encircling everything, enters the ocean, having been drunk up by the rays of the sun, O sages.

आदित्यरश्मिभिः पीतं जलमभ्रेषु तिष्ठति। पुनः पतति तद्भूमौ तेन पूर्य्यन्ति चार्णवाः ।। ३८.

The water, absorbed by the sun's rays, remains in the clouds; then it falls again to the earth, and by that the oceans are filled.

ततः समुद्राः स्वां वेलां परिक्रामन्ति सर्व्वशः। पर्व्वताश्च विशीर्य्यन्ते मही चाप्सु निमज्जति ।। ३८.

Then the oceans, in every way, overflow their boundaries; the mountains are shattered, and the earth sinks into the waters.

ततस्तु सहसोद्भ्रान्तः पयोदांस्तान्नभस्तले। संवेष्टयति घोरात्मा दिवि वायुः समन्ततः ।। ३८.

Then, with great force, the dreadful wind envelops those clouds, scattered across the sky, on all sides.

तस्मिन्नेकार्णवे घोरे नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे। पूर्णे युगसहस्रे वै निःशेषः कल्प उच्यते ।। ३८.

In that terrible single ocean, when all that is movable and immovable is destroyed, and a thousand ages are completed, that is called the complete dissolution of a kalpa.

अथाम्भसा वृते लोके प्राहुरेकार्णवं बुधाः। अथ भूमितलं खञ्च वायुश्चैकार्णवे तदा। नष्टे भावेऽवलीनं तत्प्राज्ञायत न किञ्चन ।। ३८.

Then, when the world is covered with water, the wise call it a single ocean; at that time, the earth's surface, the sky, and the wind are all within that one ocean, and when all is destroyed, nothing remains manifest, say the wise.

पार्थिवास्त्वथ सामुद्रा आपो हैमाश्च सर्व्वशः। प्रसरन्त्यो व्रजन्त्येकं सलिलाख्यां भजन्त्युत ।। ३८.

Then, all the terrestrial, oceanic, and golden waters spread out and merge into one, taking the form called water.

आगतागतिकं चैव तदा तत्सलिलं स्मृतम्। प्रच्छाद्य तिष्ठति महीमर्णवाख्यं च तज्जलम् ।। ३८.

That water, known as coming and going, covers everything and remains, and that water is called the great ocean of the earth.

आभान्ति यस्मात्ता भाभिर्भाशब्दव्याप्तिदीप्तिषु। भस्म सर्व्वमनुप्राप्य तस्मादम्भो निरुच्यते ।। ३८.

Because they shine with radiance, and the word 'bha' means pervasiveness and brilliance, and because everything is reduced to ashes, therefore water is so named.

नानात्वे चैव शीघ्रे च धातुर्वै अर उच्यते। एकार्णवे तदा यो वै न शीघ्रास्तेन ता नराः ।। ३८.

Because of their diversity and swiftness, the element is called 'ara'; in that single ocean, those who are not swift are called 'nara'.