Vayu Purana

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.

स्थावरादीनि सत्त्वानि कल्पे कल्पे तथा प्रजाः। यथार्त्तावृतुलिङ्गानि नानारूपाणि पर्य्यये ।। ३८.

Immovable and other beings, and likewise creatures in each cycle, appear with forms as varied as the marks of time’s wheel, in every change.

दृश्यन्ते तानि तान्येव तथा ब्रह्मात्तरात्रिषु । प्रत्याहारे च सर्गे च गतिमन्ति ध्रुवाणि च ।। ३८.

Those very beings are seen again and again, just so, during Brahma’s nights and at the time of dissolution and creation, possessing movement and constancy.

निष्क्रमन्ते विशन्ते च प्रजाकारं प्रजापतिम्। ब्रह्माणं सर्वभूतानि महायोगं महेश्वरम् ।। ३८.

All beings emerge and enter into the Progenitor of creatures, the Lord of beings, Brahma, the Great Yogi, the Great Lord.

संस्रष्टा सर्वभूतानां कल्पादिषु पुनः पुनः। व्यक्ता व्यक्तो महादेवस्तस्य सर्वमिदं जगत् ।। ३८.

He is the creator of all beings, again and again at the beginning of cycles; manifest and unmanifest, the Great God—this entire world is his.

येनैव सृष्टाः प्रथमं प्रयाता आपो हि मार्गेण महीतलेऽस्मिन्। पूर्वप्रयातेन तथा ह्यपोऽन्यास्तेनैव तेनैव तु संव्रजन्ति ।। ३८.

By whom the waters were first created and set forth on this earth by a path—by that same path, indeed, other waters proceed, just as before.

यथा शूभेन त्वशुभेन चैव तत्रैव तत्रैव विवर्त्तमानाः। मर्त्यास्तु देहान्तरभावितत्त्वाद्रवेर्वशादूर्द्ध्वमधश्चरन्ति ।। ३८.

Just as, by merit or demerit, mortals, revolving there and there, according to the nature of their next bodies, move upward or downward by the force of their actions.

ये चापि देवा मनवः प्रजेशा अन्येऽपि ये स्वर्गगताश्च सिद्धाः। सद्भाविताख्यातिवशाच्च धर्म्म्याः पुनर्निसर्गेण भवन्ति सत्त्वाः ।। ३८.

And those who are gods, Manus, lords of creatures, and others who have attained heaven, and the perfected ones—by the force of their virtuous actions and knowledge, beings are born again at the new creation.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि कालमाभूतसंप्लवम्। मन्वन्तराणि यानि स्युर्व्याख्यातानि मया द्विजाः। सह प्रज्ञानिसर्गेण सह देवैश्चतुर्द्दश ।। ३८.

Now I shall explain the time up to the dissolution of beings; the Manvantaras which have been described by me, O twice-born, together with the creation of the wise and the fourteen gods.

स युगाख्या सहस्रं तु सर्वाण्येवान्तराणि वै । अस्याः सहस्रे द्वे पूर्णे निःशेषः कल्प उच्यते ।। ३८.

That thousand called a yuga, all the intervals as well—when two of these thousands are complete, it is called a full kalpa.

एतद्ब्राह्ममहो ज्ञेयं तस्य संख्यां निबोधत। निमेषस्तुल्य मात्रा हि कृतो लघ्वक्षरेण तु ।। ३८.

This is to be known as Brahma’s day; now hear its calculation: a nimeṣa, the blink of a human eye, is made the measure by a short syllable.

मानुषाक्षिनिमेषास्तु काष्ठा पञ्चदश स्मृता। लवः क्षणास्तु पञ्चैव विंशत्काष्ठा तु ते त्रयः ।। ३८.

Fifteen nimeṣas of a human eye are said to make a kāṣṭhā; five lavas are a kṣaṇa, and three sets of twenty kāṣṭhās make them.

प्रस्थः सप्तोदकाश्चैव साधिकास्तु लवः स्मृतः। लवास्त्रिंशत्कला ज्ञेयै मुहूर्तस्त्रिंशतः कलाः ।। ३८.

A prastha is said to be seven measures of water, and a lava is considered a little more; thirty lavas are known as a kalā, and thirty kalās make a muhūrta.

मुहूर्त्तास्तु पुनस्त्रिंशदहोरात्रमिति स्थितिः। अहोरात्रं कलानान्तु व्यधिकानि शतानि षट् ।। ३८.

Again, thirty muhūrtas make a day and night; and in a day and night, there are six hundred more kalās.

ताश्चैव संख्याया ज्ञेयं चन्द्रादित्यगतिर्यथा। निमेषा दश पञ्चैव काष्ठास्तास्त्रिंशतः कला ।। ३८.

This enumeration should be known, just as the movement of the moon and sun: fifteen nimeṣas are a kāṣṭhā, thirty kāṣṭhās are a kalā.

त्रिंशत्कला मुहूर्त्तस्तु दशभागः कला स्मृता। चत्वारिंशत्कलानान्तु मुहूर्त्त इति संज्ञतः ।। ३८.

Thirty kalās make a muhūrta, and a kalā is said to be a tenth part; forty kalās make what is called a muhūrta.

मुहूर्त्ताश्च लवाश्चापि प्रमाणज्ञैः प्रकल्पिताः। तत्स्थाने नाम्भसाश्चापि पलान्यथ त्रयोदश ।। ३८.

Muhūrtas and lavas have been determined by those who know measures; in their place, there are also thirteen palas of water.

मागधेनैव मानेन जलप्रस्थो विधीयते। एते चाप्युदकप्रस्थाश्चत्वारो नालिको धटः ।। ३८.

By the Māgadha measure, a prastha of water is prescribed; and four such prasthas of water make a nālika, and a ghaṭa.

हेममाषैः कृतच्छिद्रै श्चतुर्भिश्चतुरङ्गुलैः. समाहनि च रात्रौ च मुहूर्त्तो वै द्विनालिकौ ।। ३८.

With holes made by four gold beans, each four fingers long, in both day and night, a muhūrta is measured by two nālikas.

रवेर्गतिविशेषेण सर्वेषु नृषु नित्यशः। अधिकं षट् शतं पञ्चैव काष्ठास्तास्त्रिंशतः कला ।। ३८.

By the special movement of the sun, among all people, always, there are six hundred and five kāṣṭhās, and thirty kalās in addition.

तदहर्मानुषं ज्ञेयं नाक्षत्रन्तु दशाधिकम्। सावनेन तु मासेन ह्यब्दोऽयं मानुषः स्मृतः ।। ३८.

That day is to be understood as human, not stellar, with ten more; by the sāvan month, the year is considered human.