Vayu Purana

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.

आदित्या ऋभवो विश्वे साध्याश्च पितरस्तथा। ऋषयोऽङ्गिरसश्चैव भुवर्ल्लोकं समाश्रिताः ।। ३९.

The Ādityas, Ṛbhus, Viśvedevas, Sādhyas, Pitṛs, and also the Ṛṣis and Āṅgirasas—all these have taken refuge in Bhuvarloka.

एते वैमानिका देवास्ताराग्रहनिवासिनः। इत्येते क्रमशः प्रोक्ता ब्रह्मव्याहारसम्भवाः ।। ३९.

These gods, who dwell in the sky among the stars and planets, have thus been described in order as arising from the utterances of Brahman.

भूर्लोकप्रथमा लोका महदन्ताश्च ते स्मृताः। आरभ्यन्ते तु तन्मात्रैः शुद्धास्तेषां परस्परम् ।। ३९.

The worlds beginning with Bhūrloka and those called Mahat are remembered; they arise from the subtle elements and are pure, each distinct from the other.

शुक्राद्याश्चाक्षुषान्ताश्च ये व्यतीता भुवं श्रिताः। महर्लोकश्चतुर्थस्तु तस्मिंस्ते कल्पवासिनः ।। ३९.

Those who have passed away, from Śukra to Cākṣuṣa, and have entered Bhuvaḥ, reside in Maharloka, the fourth world, where they dwell for the duration of a kalpa.

भूर्लोकप्रथमा लोका महदन्ताश्च ये स्मृताः। तान् सर्वान् सप्त सूर्यास्ते अर्च्चिर्भिर्निदहन्ति वै ।। ३९.

The worlds beginning with Bhūrloka and those known as Mahat, all seven of them, are indeed consumed by the rays of the sun.

मरीचिः कश्यपो दक्षस्तथा स्वायम्भुवोऽङ्गिराः । भृगुः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुरित्येवमादयः ।। ३९.

Marīci, Kaśyapa, Dakṣa, Svāyambhuva, Aṅgirā, Bhṛgu, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu—these are the foremost sages.

प्रजानां पतयः सर्वे वर्त्तन्ते तत्र तैः सह। निःसत्त्वा निर्ममाश्चैव तत्र ते ह्यूर्द्ध्वरेतसः ।। ३९.

All the lords of creatures dwell there together with them; there, they are devoid of passions and possess no sense of ownership, being of pure celibate energy.

ऋभुः सनत्कुमाराद्या वैराज्यास्ते तपोधनाः। मन्वन्तराणां सर्वेषां सावर्णानां ततः स्मृताः । चतुर्द्दशानां सर्वेषां पुनरावृत्तिहेतवः ।। ३९.

Ṛbhu, Sanatkumāra and others, the sons of Vairāja, rich in austerity, are remembered as belonging to all the Sāvarṇi Manus; they are the cause for the repeated cycles of all fourteen Manus.

योगं तपश्च सत्यञ्च समाधाय तदात्मनि। षष्ठे काले निवर्त्तन्ते तत्तदाहर्विपर्यये ।। ३९.

Having established yoga, austerity, and truth in themselves, at the sixth period they withdraw, as the day and night of Brahmā alternate.

सत्यन्तु सप्तमो लोको ह्यपुनर्मार्गगामिनाम्। ब्रह्मलोकः समाख्यातो ह्यप्रतीघातलक्षणः ।। ३९.

The seventh world is called Satya, the realm for those who do not return to the path of rebirth; it is known as Brahmaloka, marked by the absence of hindrance.