Vayu Purana

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.

अथात्मनि महातेजाः सर्वमादाय सर्वकृत्। ततस्ते वसते रात्रिं तमस्येकार्णवे जले ।। ३८.

Then, the great radiant one, the creator of all, having withdrawn everything into himself, abides during the night in the darkness, in the single oceanic water.

ततो रात्रिक्षये प्राप्ते प्रतिबुद्धः प्रजापतिः। मनः सिसृक्षया युक्तं सर्गाय निदधे पुनः ।। ३८.

Then, when the night comes to an end, the Lord of creatures awakens; filled with the desire to create, he sets his mind again to the work of creation.

एवं सलोके निर्वृत्ते उपशान्ते प्रजापतौ। ब्रह्मनैमित्तिके तस्मिन् कल्पिते वै प्रसंयमे ।। ३८.

Thus, when the world has ceased and the Lord of creatures is at rest, in that dissolution caused by Brahma, in that established restraint,

देहैर्वियोगः सत्वानां तस्मिन् वै कृत्स्नशः स्मृतः। ततो दग्धेषु भूतेषु सर्व्वेष्वादित्यरश्मिभिः। देवर्षिमनुवर्य्येषु तस्मिन् सङ्कलने तदा ।। ३८.

In that dissolution, the separation of beings from their bodies is said to be complete; then, when all elements are burned up by the rays of the sun, among gods, seers, and men, in that gathering,

गन्धर्वादीनि सत्वानि पिशाचान्तानि सर्व्वशः। कल्पादावप्रतप्तानि जनमेवाश्रयन्ति वै ।। ३८.

All beings, from Gandharvas down to Piśācas, not yet tormented at the beginning of the cycle, indeed take birth among men.

तिर्यग्योनीनि सत्वानि नारकेयानि यान्यपि। तदा तान्यपि दग्धानि धुतपापानि सर्व्वशः। जने तान्युपपद्यन्ते यावत्संप्लवते जगत् ।। ३८.

Beings born in animal wombs and those destined for hell, whatever they may be, at that time, all are burned, their sins consumed; they are born among men as long as the world endures.

व्युष्टायान्तु रजन्यां तु ब्रह्मणेऽव्यक्तयोनये। जायन्ते हि पुनस्तानि सर्व्वभूतानि कृत्स्नशः ।। ३८.

But when the night has passed, all beings, in their entirety, are again born from Brahma, whose origin is unmanifest.

ऋषयो मनवो देवाः प्रजाः सर्व्वश्चतुर्विधाः। तेषामपीह सिद्धानां निधनोत्पत्तिरुच्यते ।। ३८.

The seers, Manus, gods, and all fourfold beings—among them, even for the perfected ones, both death and birth are declared here.

यथा सूर्यस्य लोकेऽस्मिन्नुदयास्तमनं स्मृतम्। तथा जन्मनिरोधश्च भूतानामिह दृश्यते ।। ३८.

Just as the rising and setting of the sun are known in this world, so too, the birth and cessation of beings are seen here.

आभूतसंप्लवात्तस्माद्भवः संसार उच्यते । यथा सर्व्वाणि भूतानि जायन्ते हि वर्षास्विह ।। ३८.

Therefore, because of the dissolution of beings, this is called the cycle of becoming; just as all beings are born here during the rains.