Vayu Purana

आभूतसंप्लवे घोरे सर्वप्राणभृतां क्षये। किमवस्था भवन्त्येते तन्नो ब्रूहि यथार्थवत् ।। ३९.

At the dreadful dissolution of beings, when all living creatures are destroyed, what is the state of these? Tell us truly.

एते ये वै त्वया प्रोक्ताः सिंहव्याघ्रगणैः सह। ये चान्ये सिद्धिसम्प्राप्ता मातरिश्वा जगाद ह ।। ३९.

Those whom you have mentioned, along with the groups of lions and tigers, and others who have attained perfection—Mātariśvan spoke of them.

इदञ्च परमं तत्त्वं समाख्यास्यामि श्रृण्वताम्। विज्ञातेश्वरसद्भावमव्यक्तं प्रभवं तथा ।। ३९.

And this highest truth I shall now declare to you who listen: the existence of the Lord, the unmanifest, and his origin.

तत्र पूर्वगतास्तेषु कुमारा ब्रह्मणः सुताः। सनकश्च सनन्दश्च तृतीयश्च सनातनः ।। ३९.

There, among those who came before, were the Kumāras, sons of Brahmā: Sanaka, Sananda, and the third, Sanātana.

वोढुश्च कपिलस्तेषामासुरिश्च महायशाः। मुनिः पञ्चशिखश्चैव ये चान्येऽप्येवमादयः ।। ३९.

Kapila was among them, as was the renowned Āsuri, and the sage Pañcaśikha, and others of similar kind.

ततः काले व्यतिक्रान्ते कल्पानां पर्यये गते। महाभूतविनाशान्ते प्रलये प्रत्युपस्थिते ।। ३९.

Then, when time had passed and the cycle of aeons had ended, at the approach of dissolution after the destruction of the great elements,

अनेकरुद्रकोट्यस्तु याः प्रसन्ना महेश्वरी । शब्दादीन्विषयान्भोगान्सत्यस्याष्टविधश्रयात् ।। ३९.

The many crores of Rudras, and the gracious Great Goddess, from the eightfold seat of truth, enjoy the objects of sound and the rest.

प्रविश्य सर्वभूतानि ज्ञानयुक्तेन तेजसा। वैहायपदमव्यग्रं भूतानामनुकम्पया ।। ३९.

Entering all beings with knowledge-infused radiance, he attains the celestial realm, undisturbed, out of compassion for creatures.

तत्र यान्ति महात्मानः परमाणुं महेश्वरम्। तरन्ति सुमहावर्त्तां जन्ममृत्यूदकां नदीम् ।। ३९.

There, the great souls reach the atomic Lord Maheshvara; they cross the vast, swirling river of birth and death.

ततः पश्यन्ति शर्वाणं परं ब्रह्माणमेव च। देव्या वै सहिताः सप्त या देव्यः परिकीर्त्तिताः ।। ३९.

Then they behold Sharva, the supreme Brahman, together with the seven goddesses who have been described.

यत्तत्सहस्रं सिंहानामादित्यानां तथैव च। वैश्वानरभूतभव्यव्याघ्राश्चैवानुगामिनः ।। ३९.

That is the thousand lions, and likewise the Adityas; the beings of fire, past and future, and the tigers who follow them.

आवेश्यात्मनि तान्सर्वान्संख्यायोपद्रवांस्तथा। लोकान् सप्त इमान्सर्व्वान्महाभूतानि पञ्च च ।। ३९.

Having absorbed all these into himself—countless troubles, the seven worlds, and the five great elements—

विष्णुना सह संयुक्तं करोति विकरोति च। स रुद्रो यः साममयस्तथैव च यजुर्मयः ।। ३९.

United with Vishnu, he acts and transforms; he is Rudra, composed of Sama and likewise of Yajur.

स एष ओतः प्रोतश्च बहिरन्तश्च निश्चयात्। एको हि भगवान्नाथो ह्यनादिश्चान्तकृद्द्विजाः ।। ३९.

He is woven within and without, certainly; the one blessed Lord, master, without beginning, and the end-maker, O twice-born.

ततस्ते ऋषयः सर्वे दिवाकरसमप्रभाः। स्वंस्वमाश्रमसंवासमारोप्याग्निं तथात्मनि ।। ३९.

Then all the sages, radiant as the sun, place their own fires within themselves, in their respective hermitages.

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा विशुद्धेनान्तरात्मना । अनन्यमनसो भूत्वा प्रपद्यन्ते महेश्वरम् ।। ३९.

Through action, mind, speech, and purified inner self, becoming single-minded, they surrender to Maheshvara.

व्रतोपवासनिरताः सर्वभूतदयापराः। योगं ह्यनुपमन्दिव्यं प्राप्तं तैश्छिन्नसंशयैः ।। ३९.

Engaged in vows and fasting, devoted to compassion for all beings, they attain the incomparable, divine yoga, their doubts cut away.

प्रपद्य परया भक्त्या ज्ञानयुक्तेन चेतसा। तैर्लब्धं रुद्रसालोक्यं शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम् ।। ३९.

Having surrendered with supreme devotion and a mind united with knowledge, they obtain Rudra's companionship, the eternal, imperishable state.

यः पठेत्तपसा युक्तो वायुप्रोक्तामिमां स्तुतिम्। ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वापि वैश्यो वा स्वक्रियापरः ।। ३९.

Whoever recites this praise spoken by Vayu, endowed with austerity—whether Brahmin, Kshatriya, or Vaishya, devoted to their own duties—

लभते रुद्रसालोक्यं भक्तिमान्विगतज्वरः। अमद्यपश्च यः शूद्रो भवभक्तो जितेन्द्रियः ।। ३९.

He attains Rudra's companionship, devoted, free from distress; even a Shudra who abstains from alcohol, devoted to Shiva, and self-controlled.

आभूत संप्लवस्थायी ह्यप्रतीघातलक्षणः। गाणपत्यं स लभते स्थानं वा सर्वकामिकम् ।। ३९.

He attains the state of Ganesha, which persists through the dissolution of beings, marked by unobstructedness, or else the all-desired position.

मद्यपो मद्यपैः सार्द्धं भूतसङ्घैश्च मोदते। सोऽर्च्यमानो महीपृष्ठो मर्त्त्यानां वरदो भवेत्। इति होवाच भगवान्वायुर्वाक्यमिदं वरः ।। ३९.

The drinker, together with other drinkers and hosts of beings, delights; being worshipped upon the earth, he becomes the bestower of boons to mortals. Thus spoke the blessed Vayu, this excellent statement.

प्रत्याहारं प्रवक्ष्यामि परस्यान्ते स्वयम्भुवः। ब्रह्मणः स्थितिकाले तु क्षीणे तस्मिंस्तदा प्रभोः ।। ४०.

I will explain the withdrawal at the end of the supreme, self-born Brahma; when the period of Brahma's existence is exhausted, then, at that time, of the Lord.

यथेदं कुरुतेऽध्यात्मं सुसूक्ष्मं विश्वमीश्वरः । अव्यक्तान्ग्रसते व्यक्तं प्रत्याहारे च कृत्स्नशः ।। ४०.

Just as the Lord creates this subtle universe within himself, he absorbs the manifest into the unmanifest, and in withdrawal, all is taken up.

परं तदनुकल्पानामपूर्णे कल्पसङ्क्षये। उपस्थिते महाघोरे ह्यप्रत्यक्षे तु कस्यचित् ।। ४०.

That supreme state, for those in the cycles of dissolution, when the great, dreadful time arrives, is not perceived by anyone.

अन्ते द्रुमस्य यम्प्राप्ते पश्चिमस्य मनोस्तदा । अन्ते कलियुगे तस्मिन्क्षीणे संहार उच्यते ।। ४०.

When the end of the tree is reached, and the mind attains the final stage, at the end of the Kali Yuga, when that is exhausted, it is called dissolution.

सम्प्रक्षाले तदा वृत्ते प्रत्याहारे ह्युपस्थिते। प्रत्याहारे तदा तस्मिन् भूततन्मात्रसंक्षये ।। ४०.

When the great washing away occurs, and the withdrawal is present, then, at that withdrawal, the subtle elements and their sources are dissolved.

महदादेर्विकारस्य विशेषान्तस्य संक्षये। स्वभावकारिते तस्मिन्प्रवृत्ते प्रतिसञ्चरे ।। ४०.

When the modifications from Mahat down to the particular are dissolved, and this process, arising from their own nature, proceeds into reabsorption—

आपो ग्रसन्ति वै पूर्व्वं भूमेर्गन्धात्मकं गुणम्। आत्तगन्धा ततो भूमिः प्रलयत्वाय कल्पते । प्रविष्टे गन्धतन्मात्रे तोयावस्था धरा भवेत् ।। ४०.

Then the waters first seize the earth’s quality of smell; having taken the smell, the earth is fit for dissolution; when the smell-element enters the water, the earth becomes a watery state.