Vayu Purana

वायुरुवाच।। असाधारणवृत्तैस्तु हुतशेषादिभिर्द्विजैः। धर्म्मवैशेषिकैश्चैव ह्याचूर्णसूक्ष्मदर्शिभिः ।। ३९.

Vāyu said: By actions that are uncommon, such as the remnants of offerings and others, performed by twice-born ones, and by those who possess special dharma and subtle insight.

ते देवैः सह तिष्ठन्ति महर्लोकनिवासिनः। चतुर्द्दशैते मनवः कीर्त्तिताः कीर्त्तिवर्धनाः ।। ३९.

They dwell together with the gods, those who reside in the Maharloka; these fourteen Manus, renowned for increasing glory, have been described.

अतीता वर्त्तमानाश्च तथैवानागताश्च ये। ऋषिभि र्दैवतैश्चैव सह गन्धर्वराक्षसैः ।। ३९.

Those who are past, present, and future, along with the sages, gods, Gandharvas, and Rakshasas.

सर्व्वे ह्यपि क्रमातीता महर्लोकं समाश्रिताः। ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रियैर्वैश्यैर्धार्मिकैः सहितैः सुराः ।। ३९.

All of them, having passed in succession, have taken refuge in Maharloka, along with Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and righteous gods.

सर्व्वे ह्यपि क्रमातीता महर्लोकं समाश्रिताः। ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रियैर्वैश्यैर्धार्मिकैः सहितैः सुराः ।। ३९.

All of them, having passed in succession, have taken refuge in Maharloka, along with Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and righteous gods.

तैस्तथ्यकारिभिर्युक्तैः श्रद्धावद्भिरदर्पितैः। वर्णाश्रमाणां धर्म्मेषु श्रौतस्मार्त्तेषु संस्थितैः। विनिवृत्ताधिकारास्ते यावन्मन्वन्तरक्षयः ।। ३९.

With those who act truthfully, who possess faith and are free from pride, established in the dharmas of the varnas and ashramas, both scriptural and customary, their authority ceases until the end of the Manvantara.

.ऋषय ऊचुः।। महर्लोकेति यत्प्रोक्तं मातरिश्वंस्त्वया विभो। प्रतिलोके च कर्त्तव्यमनेकैः समधिष्ठिताः ।। ३९.

The sages said: O mighty Mātariśva, you have spoken of Maharloka; in each world, there are many who are established and must act accordingly.

यावन्तश्चैव ते लोका दह्यन्ते ये न तेप्रभो। एतन्नः कथय प्रीत्या त्वं हि वेत्थ यथा तथम् ।। ३९.

And as many worlds as there are, those that are not burned, O lord, please tell us this with affection, for you know it exactly as it is.

एवमुक्तस्ततो वायुर्मुनिभिर्विनयात्मभिः। प्रोवाच मधुरं वाक्यं यथातत्त्वेन तत्त्ववित् ।। ३९.

Thus addressed by the sages, who were humble in spirit, Vāyu spoke sweet words, knowing the truth as it is.

वायुरुवाच।। चतुर्द्दशैव स्थानानि वर्णितानि महर्षिभिः। लोकाख्यानि तु यानि स्युर्येषु तिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।। ३९.

Vāyu said: Fourteen places have been described by the great sages; these are the worlds in which men dwell.

सप्त तेषु कृतान्याहुरकृतानि तु सप्त वै। भूरादयस्तु सङ्ख्याताः सप्त लोकाः कृतास्त्विह ।। ३९.

Of these, seven are said to be created, and seven are uncreated; the seven worlds beginning with Bhū are counted as created here.

अकृतानि तु सप्तैव प्राकृतानि तु यानि वै। स्थानानि स्थानिभिः सार्द्धं कृतानि तु निबन्धनम् ।। ३९.

The seven uncreated are indeed the primal worlds; the created ones are established together with their inhabitants as their foundation.

पृथिवीं चान्तरिक्षं च दिव्यं यच्च महः स्मृतम्। स्थानान्येतानि चत्वारि स्मृतान्यार्णवकानि च ।। ३९.

Earth, atmosphere, heaven, and what is called Mahas—these four places are remembered, along with the oceanic realms.

क्षयातिशययुक्तानि तथा युक्तानि वक्ष्यते। यानि नैमित्तिकानि स्युस्तिष्ठन्त्याभूतसंप्लवम् ।। ३९.

Now, those that are subject to destruction and those that are not will be described; these are the occasional worlds that remain until the dissolution of creation.

जनस्तपश्च सत्यञ्च स्थानान्येतानि त्रीणि तु। ऐकान्तिकानि सत्त्वानि तिष्ठन्तीहाप्रसंयमात् ।। ३९.

Jana, Tapas, and Satya—these three realms are indeed the permanent abodes; beings remain there due to their complete restraint.

व्यक्तानि तु प्रवक्ष्यामि स्थानान्येतानि सप्त वै। भूर्लोकः प्रथमस्तेषां द्वितीयस्तु भुवः स्मृतः ।। ३९.

Now I shall declare the manifest realms, which are seven in number: Bhūrloka is the first among them, the second is known as Bhuvarloka.

स्वस्तृतीयस्तु विज्ञेयश्चतुर्थो वै महः स्मृतः। जनस्तु पञ्चमो लोकस्तपः षष्ठो विभाव्यते ।। ३९.

The third is to be understood as Svarloka, the fourth is called Maharloka; Janaloka is the fifth realm, Tapoloka is recognized as the sixth.

सत्यन्तु सप्तमो लोको निरालोकस्ततः परम्। भूरिति व्याहृते पूर्वं भूर्लोकश्च ततोऽभवत् ।। ३९.

Satyaloka is the seventh realm, which is beyond all light; first, the word 'bhūḥ' was uttered, and from that Bhūrloka came into being.

द्वितीयं भुव इत्युक्त अन्तरिक्षं ततोऽभवत्। तृतीयं स्वरितीत्युक्ते दिवं प्रादुर्बभूव ह ।। ३९.

The second, called 'bhuvaḥ', then became the atmosphere; the third, called 'svaḥ', then manifested as heaven.

व्याहारैस्त्रिभिरेतैस्तु ब्रह्मलोकमकल्पयत्। ततो भूः पार्थिवो लोक अन्तरिक्षं ततोऽभवत्। तृतीयं स्वरितीत्युक्ते दिवं प्रादुर्बभूव ह ।। ३९.

With these three utterances, Brahmā established the world of Brahman; then Bhūrloka, the earthly realm, came into being, followed by the atmosphere, and with the third utterance, heaven manifested.

स्वर्लोको वै दिवं ह्येतत्पुराणे निश्चयं गतम्। भूतस्याधिपतिश्चाग्निस्ततो भूतपतिः स्मृतः ।। ३९.

Svarloka is indeed heaven, as is firmly established in the Purāṇas; Agni is the lord of Bhūrloka, and thus he is known as the lord of beings.

वायुर्भुवस्याधिपतिस्तेन वायुर्भुवपतिः। भव्यस्य सूर्योऽधिपतिस्तेन सूर्यो दिवस्पतिः ।। ३९.

Vāyu is the lord of Bhuvarloka, therefore Vāyu is called the lord of Bhuvaḥ; Sūrya is the lord of Svarloka, thus Sūrya is called the lord of heaven.

महेति व्याहृतेनैवं महर्लोकस्ततोऽभवत्। विनिवृत्ताधिकाराणां देवानां तत्र वै क्षयः ।। ३९.

By the utterance 'mahaḥ', Maharloka came into being; it is there that the gods whose duties have ended reside.

जनस्तु पञ्चमो लोकस्तस्माज्जायन्ति वै जनाः । तासां स्वायंभुवाद्यानां प्रजानां जननाज्जनः ।। ३९.

Janaloka is the fifth realm, from which beings are indeed born; it is called 'Jana' because it is the place where the progeny of Svāyambhuva and others are generated.

यास्ताः स्वायम्भुवाद्या हि पुरस्तात्परिकीर्त्तिताः। कल्पदग्धे तदा लोके प्रतिष्ठन्ति तदा तपः ।। ३९.

Those progeny of Svāyambhuva and others, previously described, when the world is consumed at the end of a kalpa, then reside in Tapoloka.

ऋभुः सनत्कुमाराद्या यत्र सन्त्यूर्द्ध्वरेतसः । तपसा भावितात्मानस्तत्र सन्तीति वा तपः ।। ३९.

There, in Tapoloka, are Ṛbhus, Sanatkumāra, and others, who are ever-celibate; their minds purified by austerity, they dwell there, and thus it is called Tapoloka.

सत्येति ब्रह्मणः शब्दः सत्तामात्रस्तु सः स्मृतः। ब्रह्मलोकस्ततः सत्यं सप्तमः स तु भास्करः ।। ३९.

'Satya' is the word for Brahman, and it is regarded as pure existence; therefore, Satyaloka, the seventh and most radiant realm, is called the world of Brahman.

गन्धर्वाप्सरसो यक्षा गुह्यकास्तु सराक्षसाः। सर्वभूतपिशाचाश्च नागाश्च सह मानुषैः। स्वर्लोकवासिनः सर्वे देवा भुविनिवासिनः ।। ३९.

Gandharvas, Apsarases, Yakṣas, Guhyakas, all Rākṣasas, all beings such as Piśācas, Nāgas, together with humans—all these dwellers of Svarloka, and all the gods who dwell on earth.

मरुतो मातरिश्वानो रुद्रा देवास्तथाश्विनौ। अनिकेतान्तरिक्षास्ते भुवर्लौक्या दिवौकसः ।। ३९.

The Maruts, Mātariśvans, Rudras, the Aśvins, and the gods—these dwell in the atmosphere, not having fixed abodes, and are called the inhabitants of Bhuvarloka and Svarloka.