Vayu Purana

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.

सूक्ष्माः प्रसवधर्मिण्यस्ततः प्रकृतयः स्मृताः। येभ्योऽधिकर्त्ता संजज्ञो क्षेत्रज्ञो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः ।। ३९.

Subtle, generative, and creative—such are the prakṛtis remembered, from which the agent arises, called the knower of the field, known as Brahman.

तासु प्रकृतिमत्सूक्ष्ममधिष्ठातृत्वमव्ययम्। अनुत्पाद्यं परन्धाम परमाणु परेशयम् ।। ३९.

Among these, the subtle, endowed with prakṛti, the imperishable sovereignty, the unborn supreme abode, the atomic Lord of all—

अक्षयश्चाप्यनुह्यश्च अमूर्त्तिर्मूर्त्तिमानसौ। प्रादुर्भावस्तिरोभावः स्थितिश्चैवाप्यनुग्रहः ।। ३९.

He is imperishable, inconceivable, formless and yet with form; manifestation, dissolution, sustenance, and grace are his.

विधिरन्यैरनौपम्यः परमाणुर्महेश्वरः। सतेजा एष तमसो यः परस्तात्प्रकाशकः ।। ३९.

His ordinance is incomparable to others; Maheśvara is the atomic one, full of radiance, who is the illuminator beyond darkness.

यदण्डमासीत्सौवर्णं प्रथमन्त्वौपसर्गिकम्। बृहतं सर्वतोवृत्तमीश्वराद्व्यवजायत ।। ३९.

When the golden egg, vast and all-encompassing, first existed as the incidental cause, it arose from the Lord.

ईश्वराद्बीजनिर्भेदः क्षेत्रज्ञो बीज ईष्यते। योनिं प्रकृतिमाचष्टे सा च नारायणात्मिका ।। ३९.

From the Lord, the differentiation of the seed occurred; the knower of the field is said to be the seed, and prakṛti is declared the womb, which is of the nature of Nārāyaṇa.

विबुर्लोकस्य सृष्ट्यर्थं लोकसंस्थानमेव च। सन्निसर्गः स तन्वा च लोकधातुर्महात्मनः ।। ३९.

The all-pervading one, for the sake of the creation and establishment of the world, entered with his own form; he is the great soul, the substance of the worlds.

पुरस्ताद्ब्रह्मलोकस्य ह्यण्डादर्वाक्च ब्रह्मणः। तयोर्मध्ये पुरं दिव्यं स्थानं यस्य मनोमयम् ।। ३९.

In front of Brahmaloka, below the egg and Brahmā, between them is a divine city, a place made of mind.

तद्विग्रहवतः स्थानमीश्वरस्यामितौजसः। शिवं नाम पुरं तत्र शरणं जन्मभीरुणाम् ।। ३९.

That is the abode of the Lord of immeasurable energy, possessed of form; there is the city called Śiva, the refuge for those who fear birth.

सहस्राणां शतं पूर्णं योजनानां द्विजोत्तमाः। अभ्यन्तरे तु विस्तीर्णं महीमण्डलसंस्थितम् ।। ३९.

O best of twice-born, within it is a complete thousand yojanas in extent, established as a great circle of earth.