Vayu Purana

ऋषय ऊचुः।। सर्वेषामेव भूतानां लोकालोकनिवासिनाम्। संसारे संसरन्तीह यावन्तः प्राणिनश्च तान् ।। ३९.

The sages said: Of all beings dwelling in worlds and non-worlds, as many living creatures as wander in transmigration here—

सह्ख्यया परिसङ्ख्याय ततः प्रब्रूहि कृत्स्नशः। ऋषीणां तद्वचः श्रुत्वा मारुतो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। ३९.

By enumeration and calculation, tell us all of them completely. Hearing the words of the sages, Māruta spoke.

वायुरुवाच।। न शक्या जन्तवः कृत्स्नाः प्रसंख्यातुं कथञ्चन। अनाद्यन्ताश्च संकीर्णा ह्यप्यूहेन व्यवस्थिताः। गणना विनिवृत्तैषामानन्त्येन प्रकीर्त्तिताः ।। ३९.

Vāyu said: It is not possible to enumerate all living beings in any way. They are without beginning or end, mixed, and established even by conjecture. Their counting is abandoned because of their infinity, as has been declared.

न दिव्यचक्षुषा ज्ञातुं शक्या ज्ञानेन वा पुनः। चक्षुषा वै प्रसंख्यातुमतो ह्यन्ते नराधिपः ।। ३९.

O king, neither by divine sight nor by knowledge can it be known; only by the eye of enumeration is the end determined.

अनाध्यानादवेद्यत्वान्नैव प्रश्नो विधीयते। ब्रह्मणा संज्ञितं यत्तु संख्यया तन्निबोधत ।। ३९.

Because it is unknowable through meditation and cannot be grasped, no question is prescribed; but what has been designated by Brahmā in numbers, that you should understand.

यः सहस्रतमो भागः स्थावराणां भवेदिह। पार्थिवाः कृमयस्तावत्संसेकाद्येषु सम्भवाः ।। ३९.

Here, the thousandth part of stationary beings is considered; among those, the terrestrial insects are born from moisture.

संसेकजानाम्भागेन सहस्रेणैव सम्मिताः। औदका जन्तवः सर्वे निश्चयात्तद्विचारितम् ।। ३९.

All aquatic creatures are reckoned as the thousandth part of those born from moisture; this has been determined with certainty.

सहस्रेणैव भागेन सत्वानां सलिलौकसाम् । विहङ्गमास्तु विज्ञेया लौकिकास्ते च सर्वशः ।। ३९.

Birds living in water are to be known as the thousandth part of those aquatic beings; all such worldly birds are included.

यः सहस्रतमो भागस्तेषां वै पक्षिणां भवेत्। पशवस्तत्समा ज्ञेया लौकिकास्तु चतुष्पदाः ।। ३९.

Of those birds, the thousandth part is to be considered; the same number applies to terrestrial four-footed animals among worldly beings.

चतुष्पदानां सर्वेषां सहस्रेणैव संमताः । भागेन द्विपदा ज्ञेया लौकिकेऽस्मिंस्तु सर्व्वशः ।। ३९.

Among all four-footed beings, the two-footed beings in this world are to be known as the thousandth part.

यः सहस्रतमो भागो भागे तु द्विपदां पुनः। धार्म्मिकास्तेन भागेन विज्ञेयाः सम्मिताः पुनः ।। ३९.

Again, among the two-footed beings, the righteous are to be understood as the thousandth part, reckoned in this way.

सहस्रेणैव भागेन धार्म्मिकेभ्यो दिवङ्गताः। यः सहस्रतमो भागो धार्म्मिकाणां भवेद्दिवि। संमितास्तेन भागेन मोक्षिणस्तावदेव हि ।। ३९.

Of the righteous, those who ascend to heaven are the thousandth part; and of the righteous in heaven, the liberated are reckoned as the thousandth part.

स्वर्गोपपादकैस्तुल्या यातना स्थानवासिनः। पतिता श्चूर्णमुद्देशाद्दुरात्मानो म्रियन्ति ये। रौरवे तामसे ह्येते शीतोष्णं प्राप्नुवन्ति ते ।। ३९.

Those who dwell in places of torment are equal in number to those who attain heaven; the fallen, the wicked, who die in disgrace, experience cold and heat in the hell called Raurava, which is of darkness.

वेदनाकटुकास्तब्धा यातना स्थानमागताः। उष्णस्तु रौरवो ज्ञेयस्तेजो घोररसात्मकः ।। ३९.

Those who have come to the place of torment are rigid with sharp pain; Raurava is to be known as hot, of a fierce and fiery nature.

ततो घनात्मिकश्चापि शीतात्मा सततं तपः। एवं सुदुर्लभाः सन्तः स्वर्गे च धार्म्मिका नराः ।। ३९.

Then there is one of dense and cold nature, always full of suffering; thus, righteous men are very rare even in heaven.

एषा संख्या कृता संख्या ईश्वरेण स्वयम्भुवा। गणना विनिवृत्तैषा सङ्ख्या ब्राह्मी च मानुषी ।। ३९.

This enumeration has been made by the self-born Lord; this calculation, both divine and human, is thus established.

ऋषय ऊचुः। महो जनस्तपः सत्यं भूतो भाव्यो भवस्तथा। उक्ता ह्येते त्वया लोका लोकानामन्तरेण च। लोकान्तरञ्च यादृग्वै तन्नो ब्रूहि यथातथम् ।। ३९.

The sages said: You have spoken of the worlds—Maha, Jana, Tapas, Satya, the past, the future, and the present, and also the worlds between them; now tell us exactly what the other worlds are like.

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ऋषीणामूर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्। स वायुर्दृष्टतत्त्वार्थ इदन्तत्त्वमुवाच ह ।। ३९.२१० वायुरुवाच।। व्यक्तं तर्केण पश्यन्ति योगात्प्रत्यक्षदर्शिनः। प्रत्याहारेण ध्यानेन तपसा च क्रियात्मनः ।। ३९.

Having heard these words of the sages of pure vows, Vāyu, who knows the true meaning, spoke this truth: Those who are direct seers perceive clearly through reasoning, by yoga, by withdrawal, by meditation, and by ascetic practice.

ऋभुः सनत्कुमाराद्याः सम्बुद्धाः शुद्धबुद्धयः। व्यपेतशोका विरजाः सन्तो ब्रह्मेवसत्तमाः ।। ३९.

The enlightened ones such as Ṛbhu and Sanatkumāra, with pure intellects, free from sorrow and taint, are the best among those who dwell in Brahman.

अक्षयाः प्रीतिसंयुक्ता ब्रह्मे तिष्टन्ति योगिनः। ऋषीणां वालखिल्यानां तैर्यथाद्दृतमीश्वरैः ।। ३९.

The yogis, united with unending joy, abide in Brahman; so too the Vālakhilya sages, as seen by the lords.

यथा चैव मया दृष्टं सान्निध्यन्तत्र कुर्वता। अनह्यसत्कृतार्थानामालयं चेश्वरस्य यत् ।। ३९.

As I have seen there, being present, the abode of the Lord is for those who are ever fulfilled and honored.

ईश्वरः परमाणुत्वाद्भावग्राह्यो मनीषिणाम् । ज्ञानं वैराग्यमैश्वर्यन्तपः सत्यं क्षमा धृतिः ।। ३९.

The Lord, by virtue of being subtler than the atom, is apprehended by the wise; knowledge, detachment, lordliness, austerity, truth, forgiveness, and steadfastness—

द्रष्टृत्वमात्मसम्बन्धमधिष्ठानत्वमेव च। अव्ययानि दशैतानि तस्मिंस्तिष्ठति शङ्करे ।। ३९.

Vision, self-relatedness, sovereignty—these ten imperishable qualities abide in Śaṅkara.

विबुत्वात्खलु योगाग्निर्ब्रह्मणोऽनुग्रहेरतः। स लोकविग्रहो भूत्वा साहाय्यमुपतिष्ठते ।। ३९.

Indeed, by his pervasiveness, the fire of yoga arises for the sake of Brahmā’s favor; having assumed the form of the worlds, he offers assistance.

अक्षरं ध्रुवमव्यग्रमष्टमन्त्वौपसर्गिकम्। तस्येश्वरस्य यन्मात्रस्थानं मायामयं परम् ।। ३९.

The imperishable, constant, unwavering eighth principle, which is the incidental cause, is the measure and abode of that Lord, consisting of māyā and supreme.

मायया कृतमाचष्टे मायी देवो महेश्वरः। देवानामुपसंहारस्तत्प्रमाणं हि कीर्त्त्यते ।। ३९.

The god Maheśvara, the wielder of māyā, declares what is fashioned by māyā; the dissolution of the gods is said to be the measure of that.

विस्तरेणानुपूर्व्या च ब्रुवतो मे निबोधत। त्रयोदशैव कोट्यस्तु नियुता दश पञ्च च। भूर्लोकाद्ब्रह्मलोको वैयोजनैः सम्प्रकीर्त्त्यते ।। ३९.

Now listen as I describe in detail and order: from Bhūrloka to Brahmaloka, there are indeed thirteen crores, ten niyutas, and five—measured in yojanas.

एकयोजनकोटी तु पञ्चाशन्नियुतानि च। ऊर्द्ध्वं भागवताण्डन्तु ब्रह्मलोकात्परं स्मृतम् ।। ३९.

From Brahmaloka upwards, the divine egg is said to be one crore and fifty niyutas of yojanas in extent.

एषोर्द्ध्वगप्रचारस्तु गत्यन्तञ्च ततः स्मृतम् । नित्या ह्यपरिसंख्येयाः परस्परगुणाश्रयाः ।। ३९.

This upward expanse is considered the end of movement; they are eternal, innumerable, and mutually dependent in their qualities.