Vayu Purana

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,

निवृत्तवृत्तयः सर्वे स्वस्थाः सुमनसस्तथा। वैराजे तूपपद्यन्ते लोकमुत्सृज्य तज्जनम् ।। ३९.

All of them, with restrained activities, being self-possessed and of good mind, are born in the world of Viraja, having left that world of beings.

ततोऽन्येनैव कालेन नित्ययुक्तास्तपस्विनः। कथनाच्चैव धर्मस्य तेषां ते जज्ञिरेऽन्वये ।। ३९.

Then, at another time, those ascetics always engaged in austerity, and by the narration of dharma, are born in their lineage.

ईहोत्पन्नास्ततस्ते वै स्थाना आपूरयन्त्युत। देवत्वे च ऋषित्वे च मनुष्यन्वे च सर्वशः ।। ३९.

Then, those who are born there fill the stations, whether in divinity, in rishihood, or in humanity, in every way.

एवं देवगणाः सर्वे दशकृत्वो निवर्त्त्य वै। वैराजेषूपपन्नास्ते दश तिष्ठन्त्युपप्लवान् ।। ३९.

Thus, all the hosts of gods, having returned ten times, are born in the Viraja worlds and remain there for ten cycles of dissolution.

पूर्णे पूर्णे ततः कल्पे स्थित्वा वैराजके पुनः। ब्रह्मलोके विवर्त्तंते पूर्व्वपूर्व्वक्रमेण तु ।। ३९.

Then, at the completion of each kalpa, having stayed in the Viraja world, they again revolve in the world of Brahma, in the same order as before.

एतस्मिन् ब्रह्मलोके तु कल्पे वैराजके गते। वैराजं पुनरप्येके कल्पस्थानमकल्पयन् ।। ३९.

When, in this Brahma world, the Viraja kalpa has passed, some again establish the Viraja as the place of the kalpa.

एवं पूर्व्वानुपूर्व्येण ब्रह्मलोकगतेन वै। एवं तेषु व्यतीतेषु तपसा परिकल्पिते। वैराजे तूपपद्यन्ते दशकृत्वो निवर्त्तते ।। ३९.

Thus, in succession, for those who have gone to the world of Brahma, and for those who have passed through these, established by austerity, they are born in the Viraja world, returning ten times.

एवं देवयुगानीह व्यतीतानि सहस्रशः। निधनं ब्रह्मलोके तु गतानामृषिभिः सह ।। ३९.

Thus, thousands of divine ages have passed here, along with the sages who have gone to dissolution in the world of Brahma.

सूत उवाच।. न शक्यमानुपूर्वेण तेषां वक्तुं प्रविस्तरम्। अनादित्वाच्च कालस्य ह्यसं ख्यानाच्च सर्वशः। एवमेव न सन्देहो यथावत्कथितं मया ।। ३९.

Sūta said: It is not possible to recount their stories in detail, in sequence, because time is without beginning and all is unmanifest; thus, there is no doubt, what I have told is as it truly is.

तदुपश्रुत्य वाक्यार्थमृषयः संशयान्विताः। सूतमाहुः पुराणज्ञं व्यासशिष्यं महा मतिम् ।। ३९.

Hearing those words and their meaning, the sages, filled with doubt, addressed Sūta, the knower of the Purāṇas, disciple of Vyāsa, of great wisdom.