Vayu Purana

अपामस्ति गुणो यस्तु ज्योतिषे लीयते रसः। नश्यन्त्यापस्तदान्ते च रसतन्मात्रसङ्क्षयात् ।। ४०.

The quality of water, which is taste, merges into fire; at the end, when the waters perish, it is due to the dissolution of the taste-element.

तेजसा संहृतरसा ज्योतिष्ट्वं प्राप्नुवन्त्युत । ग्रस्ते च सलिले तेजः सर्व्वतोमुखमीक्ष्यते ।। ४०.

With their taste absorbed by fire, they attain the state of fire; when fire consumes the water, it is seen facing in all directions.

अथाग्निः सर्वतो व्याप्त आदत्ते तज्जलन्तदा। सर्वमापूर्य्यतेऽर्चिर्भिस्तदा जगदिदं शनैः ।। ४०.

Then fire, pervading everywhere, takes up that which is born of water; with its flames, it gradually fills and envelops this whole world.

अर्चिर्भिः सन्तते तस्मिंस्तिर्यगूर्द्ध्वमधस्ततः । ज्योतिषोऽपि गुणं रूपं वायुरन्ति प्रकाशकम्। प्रलीयते तदा तस्मिन्दीपार्चिरिव मारुते ।। ४०.

With its flames spreading everywhere—across, above, and below—the quality of fire, which is form, is then absorbed by wind, and at that time, it is dissolved there, like a lamp’s flame in the wind.

प्रनष्टे रूपतन्मात्रे हृतरूपो विभावसुः। उपशाम्यति तेजो हि वायुना धूयते महत् ।। ४०.

When the subtle element of form is destroyed, fire, deprived of form, is extinguished; the light is indeed scattered by wind and greatly subdued.

निरालोके तदा लोके वायुभूते च तेजसि। ततस्तु मूलमासाद्य वायुः सम्भवमात्मनः ।। ४०.

Then, when there is no light in the world, and fire has become wind, then wind, having reached its source, attains its own origin.

ऊर्द्ध्वं चाधश्च तिर्यक्च दोधवीति दिशो दश । वायोरपि गुणं स्पर्शमाकाशं ग्रसते च तत् ।। ४०.

Moving upward, downward, and across, in all ten directions, wind absorbs its own quality, touch, into space.

प्रशाम्यति तदा वायुः खन्तु तिष्ठत्यनावृतम्। अरूपमरसस्पर्घमगन्धं न च मूर्तिमत् ।। ४०.

Then wind is stilled, and only space remains, uncovered—without form, taste, touch, or smell, and without any manifest shape.

सर्वमापूरयन्नादैः सुमहत्तत्प्रकाशते। परिमण्डलन्तत्सुषिरमाकाशं शब्दलक्षणम् ।। ४०.

Filling everything with its great sounds, it shines forth; space, circular and hollow, is characterized by sound.

शब्दमात्रं तदाकाशं सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति। तन्तु शब्दगुणन्तस्य भूतादिं ग्रसते पुनः ।। ४०.

Then space, consisting only of sound, remains covering everything; then, its quality of sound is absorbed, and the primordial element is taken up again.

भूतेन्द्रियेषु युघपद्भूतादौ संस्थितेषु वै। अभिमानात्मको ह्येष भूतादिस्तामसः स्मृतः ।। ४०.

When the primordial element and the sense organs are simultaneously established, this primordial element, characterized by ego, is known as tamasic.

भूतादिं ग्रसते चापि महान्वै बुद्धिलक्षणः। महानात्मा तु विज्ञेयः संकल्पो व्यवसायकः ।। ४०.

The primordial element is then absorbed by Mahat, which is characterized by intellect; Mahat, the great self, should be understood as determination and resolve.

बुद्धिर्मनश्च लिङ्गश्च महानक्षर एव च। पर्यायवाचकैः शब्दैस्तमाहुस्तत्त्वचिन्तकाः ।। ४०.

Intellect, mind, the subtle body, Mahat, and the imperishable—all these are synonyms, as declared by those who contemplate the principles.

सम्प्रलीनेषु भूतेषु गुणसाम्ये तमोमये। स्वात्मन्येव स्थिते चैव कारणे लोककारणे ।। ४०.

When all beings are dissolved, when the qualities are in equilibrium, pervaded by darkness, and when only the causal principle, the source of the worlds, remains established in itself—

विनिवृत्ते तदा सर्गे प्रकृत्यावस्थितेन वै । तदाद्यन्तपरोक्षत्वा ददृष्टत्वाच्च कस्यचित् ।। ४०.

At that time, creation ceases, as Prakriti remains in its own state; because its beginning and end are unmanifest, and because it is not perceived by anyone—

अनाख्यानादबोधत्वादज्ञानाज्ज्ञानिनामपि। आगतागतिकत्वाच्च ग्रहणं तन्न विद्यते ।। ४०.

Because it is not described, not known, unknown even to the wise, and because it has neither arrival nor departure, it cannot be grasped.

भावग्राह्यानुमानाच्च चिन्तयित्वेदमुच्यते। स्थिते तु कारणे तस्मिन्नित्ये सदसदात्मिके ।। ४०.

But through inference, which apprehends existence, this is considered: when that eternal cause, which is both being and non-being, remains—

अनिर्द्देश्या प्रवृत्तिर्वै स्वात्मिका कारणे न तु। एवं सप्तादयोऽभ्यस्तात्क्रमात्प्रकृतयस्तु वै ।। ४०.

In that cause, which is eternal, whose nature is both existent and non-existent, activity cannot be precisely indicated; thus, the seven and others, in order, are absorbed into Prakriti.

प्रत्याहारे तदा सर्गे प्रविश्यन्ति परस्परम्। येनेदमावृतं सर्वं मण्डलन्तु प्रलीयते ।। ४०.

At the time of dissolution, these principles enter into each other in reverse order; by which all this, the entire sphere, is enveloped and dissolved.

सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्तं सप्तलोकं सपर्वतम्। उदकावरणं यच्च ज्योतिषां लीयते तु तत् ।। ४०.

All that is within the seven continents and oceans, the seven worlds with their mountains, and the watery enclosure—whatever belongs to the luminaries—merges into that.

यत्तैजसं चावरणमाकाशं ग्रसते तु तत्। यद्वायव्यं चावरणमाकाशं ग्रसते तु तत् ।। ४०.

The enclosure of fire is absorbed by space; the enclosure of wind is also absorbed by space.

आकाशावरणं यच्च भूतादिर्ग्रसते तु तत्। भूतादिं ग्रसते चापि महान्वै बुद्धि लक्षणः ।। ४०.

The enclosure of space is absorbed by the primary element (bhūtādi); and the primary element is absorbed by the great principle, characterized as intellect.

महान्तं ग्रसतेऽव्यक्तं गुणसाम्यं ततः परम्। एतौ संहारविस्तारौ ब्रह्माव्यक्तौ ततः पुनः ।। ४०.

The great principle is absorbed by the unmanifest, which is the state of equilibrium of the qualities; these two, Brahman and the unmanifest, are the extent of dissolution.

सृजते ग्रसते चैव विकारान्सर्गसंयमे। संहारकार्यकरणाः संसिद्धा ज्ञानिनस्तु ये ।। ४०.

He creates and absorbs the modifications in the cycles of creation and dissolution; those who are perfected in the knowledge of the works of dissolution are called the wise.

गत्वा जवञ्जवीभावे स्थानेष्वेषु प्रसंयमान्। प्रत्याहारे वियुज्यन्ते क्षेत्रज्ञाः करणैः पुनः ।। ४०.

Having attained the state of swiftness, remaining in their respective places, at dissolution the knowers of the field are separated again from the instruments.

अव्यक्तं क्षेत्रमित्याहुर्ब्रह्म क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते। साधर्म्यवैधर्म्मकृतसंयोगोऽनादिमांस्तयोः ।। ४०.

They say the unmanifest is the field, and Brahman is called the knower of the field; the conjunction of these two, caused by similarity and dissimilarity, is without beginning.

एवं सर्गेषु विज्ञेयं क्षेत्रज्ञेष्विह ब्राह्मणाः । ब्रह्मविच्चैव विज्ञेयः क्षेत्रज्ञानात्पृथक्पृथक् ।। ४०.

Thus, in creations, O Brahmins, it should be understood that among the knowers of the field, Brahman is to be known as distinct from each of the knowers of the field.

विषयाविषयत्वञ्च क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोः स्मृतम्। ब्रह्मा तु विषयो ज्ञेयोऽविषयः क्षेत्रमुच्यते ।। ४०.

The distinction of being an object or not is taught regarding the field and the knower of the field; Brahman is the knowable object, while the field is said to be not an object.

क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितं क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञार्थं प्रचक्षते। बहुत्वाच्च शरीराणां शरीरी बहुधा स्मृतः ।। ४०.

The field, presided over by the knower of the field, is said to exist for the sake of the knower of the field; because of the multiplicity of bodies, the embodied one is remembered as manifold.