Vayu Purana

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'.

तस्मिन् युगसहस्रान्ते दिवसे ब्रह्मणो गते। तावन्तं कालमेवं तु भवत्येकार्णवं जगत्। तदा तु सर्व्वव्यापारा निवर्त्तन्ते प्रजापतेः ।। ३८.

At the end of a thousand ages, when the day of Brahma is over, for that entire time, the world becomes a single ocean; then all activities of the Lord of creatures cease.

एवमेकार्णवे तस्मिन्नष्टे स्थावर जङ्गमे। तदा स भवति ब्रह्मा सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् ।। ३८.

Thus, in that single ocean, when all that is movable and immovable is destroyed, then he becomes Brahma, the thousand-eyed, the thousand-footed.

सहस्रशीर्षा सुमनाः सहस्रपात् सहस्रचक्षुर्वदनः सहस्रवाक्। सहस्रबाहुः प्रथमः प्रजापतिस्त्रीयपथे यः पुरुषो निरुच्यते ।। ३८.

He is the thousand-headed, gracious one, with a thousand feet, a thousand eyes, faces, and voices; the thousand-armed, the first Lord of beings, who is called the Person moving on the path of the three worlds.

आदित्यवर्णो भुवनस्य गोप्ता ह्यपूर्व्व एकः प्रथमस्तुराषाट् । हिरण्यगर्भः पुरुषो महान् वै संपद्यते वै तमसः परस्तात् ।। ३८.

He is golden-hued, the protector of the world, truly unique, the first, the swift one; the Person, the great Hiranyagarbha, who exists beyond the darkness.

चतुर्युगसहस्रान्ते सर्वतः सलिलप्लुते। सुषुप्सुरप्रकाशां स्वां रात्रिं तु कुरुते प्रभुः ।। ३८.

At the end of a thousand fourfold ages, when all is submerged in water, the Lord, desiring rest, brings forth his own night, devoid of light.

चतुर्विधा यदा शेते प्रजाः सर्व्वाण्डमण्डिताः। पश्यन्ते तं महात्मानं कालं सप्त महर्षयः ।। ३८.

When all beings, adorned with the universe, lie in fourfold sleep, the seven great seers behold that great soul, Time.

जनलोकविवर्त्तन्तस्तपसा लब्धचक्षुषः। भृग्वादयो महात्मानः पूर्व्वे व्याख्यातलक्षणाः ।। ३८.

Those exalted ones, Bhrigu and others, whose characteristics have been described before, having gained vision through austerity, revolve in Janaloka.

सत्यादीन् सप्तलोकान् वै ते हि पश्यन्ति चक्षुषा। ब्रह्माणं ते तु पश्यन्ति महाब्राह्मीषु रात्रिषु ।। ३८.

With their vision, they see the seven worlds, beginning with Satya; and during the great nights of Brahma, they behold Brahma himself.

सप्तर्षयः प्रपश्यन्ति सप्तकालं स्वरात्रिषु। कल्पानां परमेष्ठित्वात्तस्मादाद्यः स पठ्यते ।। ३८.

The seven seers perceive the sevenfold Time during the celestial nights; because of their supreme status among the cycles, he is therefore called the first.

स यष्टा सर्वभूतानां कल्पादिषु पुनः पुनः। एवमावेशयित्वा तु स्वात्मन्येव प्रजापतिः ।। ३८.

He is the sacrificer for all beings at the beginning of each cycle; having thus gathered all into himself, the Lord of creatures remains in his own self.