Vayu Purana

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.

पर्यासपारिमाण्येन भूर्लोकः समितिः स्मृतः । भूम्यन्तरं यदादित्यादन्तरिक्षं भुवः स्मृतम् ।। ३९.

By extent and measure, Bhūrloka is considered the earth; the region between earth and sun is called Bhuvaḥ, the atmosphere.

सूर्यध्रुवान्तरं यच्च स्वर्गलोको दिवः स्मृतः। ध्रुवाज्जनान्तरं यच्च महर्लोकस्तदुच्यते ।। ३९.

The region between the sun and the pole star is called Svargaloka, the heaven; the space from the pole star to Janaloka is known as Maharloka.

विख्याताः सप्तलोकास्तु तेषां वक्ष्यामि सिद्धयः। भूर्लोकवासिनः सर्वे ह्यन्नादास्तु रमात्मकाः ।। ३९.

The seven worlds are renowned; I will describe their attainments. All the dwellers of Bhūrloka are sustained by food and are of a delightful nature.

भुवे स्वर्गे च ये सर्वे सोमपा आज्यपाश्च ते। चतुर्थे येऽपि वर्त्तन्ते मह र्लोकं समाश्रिताः ।। ३९.

All those in Bhuvaḥ and Svarga are drinkers of Soma and clarified butter; those who reside in the fourth, Maharloka, are also included.

विज्ञेया मानसी तेषां सिद्धिर्वै पञ्चलक्षणा। सद्यश्चोत्पद्यते तेषां मनसा सर्व्वमीप्सितम् ।। ३९.

Their attainment is to be understood as mental, of fivefold characteristics; whatever they desire is instantly produced by their mind.

एते दैवा यजन्ते वै यज्ञैः सर्वैः परस्परम्। अतीतान् वर्तमानांश्च वर्त्तमानाननागतान् ।। ३९.

These divine beings worship each other with all kinds of sacrifices—those of the past, present, and future.

प्रथमानन्तरैरिष्ट्वा ह्यन्तराः साम्प्रतैः पुनः। निवर्त्ततीत्यासम्बन्धोऽतीते देवगणे ततः ।। ३९.

Having offered to the preceding ones, the intermediate deities are again worshipped by those of the present; thus, there is no connection with the deities of the past.

विनिवृत्ताधिकाराणां सिद्धिस्तेषान्तु मानसी। तेषान्तु मानसी ज्ञेया शुद्धा सिद्धिपरम्परा ।। ३९.

For those whose authority has ceased, their attainment is mental; their success is to be known as pure, and the succession of attainments is mental.

उक्ता लोकाश्च चत्वारो जनस्यानुविधिस्तथा। समासेन मया विप्रा भूयस्तं वर्त्तयामि वः ।। ३९.

Four worlds have been described, along with the succession of Janaloka; I have briefly explained them, O sages, and will tell you more in detail.

वायुरुवाच।। मरीचिः कश्यपो दक्षो वसिष्ठश्चाङ्गिरा भृगुः। पुलस्त्यः पुलहश्चैव क्रतुरित्येवमादयः ।। ३९.

Vāyu said: Marīci, Kaśyapa, Dakṣa, Vasiṣṭha, Aṅgirā, Bhṛgu, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu—these are the foremost sages.

पूर्वं ते संप्रसूयन्ते ब्रह्मणो मनसा इह। ततः प्रजाः प्रतिष्ठाप्य जनमेवाश्रयन्ति ते ।। ३९.

First, they are produced here by the mind of Brahma; then, having established the creatures, they take refuge only in the world of Jana.

कल्पदाहप्रदीप्तेषु तदा कालेषु तेषु वै। भूरा दिषु महान्तेषु भृशं व्याप्तेष्वथाग्निना ।। ३९.

At those times, when the fires of the end of the age blaze forth, the earth in all directions, in the vast regions, is thoroughly pervaded by fire.

शिखा संवर्त्तका ज्ञेया प्राप्नुवन्ति सदा जनाः। यामादयो गणाः सर्वे महर्लोकनिवासिनः ।। ३९.

The flames called Saṃvartaka are to be understood; all beings, including the groups beginning with the Yamas, and all the inhabitants of the Maharloka, reach them.

महर्लोकेषु दीप्तेषु जनमेवाश्रयन्ति ते। सर्वे सूक्ष्मशरीरास्ते तत्रस्थास्तु भवन्ति ते ।। ३९.

When the Maharlokas are ablaze, those beings take refuge only in the world of Jana; all those with subtle bodies remain established there.

तेषां ते तुल्यसामर्थ्यास्तुल्यमूर्त्तिधरास्तथा । जन लोके विवर्त्तन्ते यावत्संप्लवते जगत् ।। ३९.

With equal power and similar forms, they move about in the world of Jana, as long as the universe is submerged.

व्युष्टायान्तु रजन्यां वै ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तयोनिनः। अहरादौ प्रसूयन्ते पूर्ववत्क्रमशास्त्विह ।। ३९.

When the night of Brahma, whose origin is unmanifest, has ended, at the beginning of the day, they are produced here again in order, as before.

स्वायम्भुवादयः सर्वे मरीच्यन्तास्तु साधकाः। देवास्ते वै पुनस्तेषां जायन्ते निधनेष्विह ।। ३९.

All the accomplished ones, from Svayambhuva and the rest up to Marici, and the gods, are born again here among them at the time of dissolution.

यामादयः क्रमेणैव कनिष्ठाद्याः प्रजापतेः। पूर्वं पूर्वं प्रसूयन्ते पश्चिमे पश्चचिमास्तथा। देवान्वये देवता हि सप्त सम्भूतयः स्मृताः। व्यतीताः कल्यजास्तेषां तिस्रः शिष्टास्तथा परे ।। ३९.

The groups beginning with the Yamas, in order from the youngest onward, are produced first, and the later ones afterwards; among the gods, seven divine generations are remembered; of these, those born in the Kali age have passed, and three remain for the future.

आवर्त्तमाना देवास्ते क्रमेणैते न सर्व्वशः। गत्वा जवन्तवीभावन्दशकृत्वः पुनः पुनः ।। ३९.

These gods, revolving in order, not all at once, having attained the state of Javanta ten times, return again and again.

ततस्ते वै गणाः सर्व्वे दृष्ट्वा भावेष्वनित्यताम्। भाविनोऽर्थस्य च बलात् पुण्याख्यातिबलेन च ।। ३९.

Then, seeing impermanence in all existences and, by the force of merit known as puṇya, as well as the power of what is to come,