Vayu Purana

यस्मात्क्षेत्रं विजानाति तस्मात्क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते। क्षेत्रप्रत्ययतो यस्मात्क्षेत्रज्ञः शुभ उच्यते ।। ४०.

Because he knows the field, he is called the knower of the field; because of the knowledge of the field, the knower of the field is called auspicious.

क्षेत्रज्ञः स्मर्य्यते तस्मात्क्षेत्रं तज्ज्ञैर्विभाष्यते। क्षेत्रत्वप्रत्ययं दृष्टं क्षेत्रज्ञः प्रत्ययी सदा ।। ४०.

Therefore, he is remembered as the knower of the field, and the field is explained by those who know it; the perception of field-ness is seen, and the knower of the field is always the perceiver.

क्षयणात् करणाच्चैव क्षतत्राणात्तथैव च। भोज्यत्वाद्विषयत्वाच्च क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रविदो विदुः ।। ४०.

Because of decay, instrumentality, and likewise because of injury and protection, and because it is to be enjoyed and is an object, the field is thus known by those who know the field.

महदाद्यं विशेषान्तं सवैरूप्यं विलक्षणम्। विकारलक्षणं तद्वै साक्षरक्षरमेव च ।। ४०.

From the great principle to the particular, all with their distinctions and differences, are marked by transformation; that is called both perishable and imperishable.

तमेव च विकारन्तु यस्माद्वै क्षरते पुनः। तस्माच्च कारणाच्चैव क्षरमित्यभिधीयते ।। ४०.

That very transformation is called perishable because it again decays; and because of that cause, it is designated as perishable.

सुखदुःखमोहभावा भोज्यमित्यभिधीयते। अचेतत्वाद्धि विषयस्तद्धि धर्म्मविभुः स्मृतः ।। ४०.

Pleasure, pain, and delusion are called the objects of experience; because it is insentient, the object is indeed said to be pervaded by qualities.

न क्षीयते न क्षरति विकारप्रसृतन्तु तत्। अक्षरं तेन चाप्युक्तमक्षीणत्वात्तथैव च ।। ४०.

That which neither diminishes nor perishes, though change arises from it, is therefore called imperishable, because it does not decay.

यस्मात्पुर्य्यनुशेते च तस्मात्पुरुष उच्यते। पुरप्रत्ययिको यस्मात्पूरुषेत्यभिधीयते ।। ४०.

Because it dwells within the city (body), it is called puruṣa; and because it is associated with the city, it is also designated as puruṣa.

पुरुषं कथयस्वाथ कथन्तज्ज्ञैर्विभाष्यते। शुद्धो निरञ्जनाभासो ज्ञानाज्ञानविवर्जितः ।। ४०.

Now, describe the puruṣa—how do the wise speak of it? Pure, stainless, appearing as if without qualities, devoid of both knowledge and ignorance.

अस्ति नास्तीति सोऽन्यो वा बद्धो मुक्तो गतः स्थितः। नैर्हेतिकान्तनिर्द्देश्यसूक्तस्तस्मिन्न विद्यते ।। ४०.

Whether it is, is not, is other, bound, liberated, gone, or established—none of these uncaused, final descriptions are found in it.

शुद्धत्वान्न तु देश्यो वै दृष्टत्वात्समदर्शनः। आत्मप्रत्ययकारी सारनूनञ्चापि हेतुकम्। भावग्राह्यमनुमान्यं चिन्तयन्न प्रमुह्यते ।। ४०.

Because of its purity, it cannot be indicated; because it is seen, it is not an object of ordinary perception; it is self-evident, essential, neither excessive nor deficient, and not caused; grasping its nature through inference, one does not fall into confusion.

यदा पश्यति ज्ञातारं शान्तार्थं दर्शनात्मकम्। दृश्यादृश्येषु निर्द्देश्यं तदा तदुद्धरं वरम् ।। ४०.

When one perceives the knower, whose nature is peace and vision, who is beyond the seen and unseen, then that highest liberation is attained.

एवं ज्ञात्वा स विज्ञाता ततः शान्तिं नियच्छति। कार्य्ये च कारणे चैव बुद्ध्यादौ भौतिके तदा ।। ४०.

Having known thus, that knower attains peace; in both effect and cause, in intellect and the elements, then.

संप्रयुक्तो वियुक्तो वा जीवतो वा मृतस्य च। विज्ञाता न च दृश्येत पृथक्त्वेनेह सर्व्वशः ।। ४०.

Whether joined or separated, living or dead, the knower is never seen as entirely distinct here in any way.

स्वेनात्मानं तमात्मानं कारणात्मा नियच्छति। प्रकृतौ कारणे चैव स्वात्मन्येवोपतिष्ठति ।। ४०.

By its own self, that self, the causal self, restrains itself; in both nature and cause, it abides only in its own self.

अस्ति नास्तीति सोऽन्यो वा इहामुत्रेति वा पुनः। एकत्वं वा पृथक्त्वं वा क्षेत्रज्ञपुरुषेति वा ।। ४०.

Whether it is, is not, is other, here or hereafter, whether one or many, as the knower of the field or as puruṣa.

आत्मवान् स निरात्मा वा चेतनोऽचेतनोऽपि वा। कर्त्ता वा सोऽप्यकर्त्ता वा भोक्ता वा भोज्यमेव वा ।। ४०.

Whether possessed of self or without self, conscious or unconscious, whether agent or non-agent, enjoyer or merely the object to be enjoyed.

यज्ज्ञात्वा न निवर्त्तन्ते क्षेत्रज्ञे तु निरञ्जने। अवाच्यं तदनाख्यानादग्राह्यत्वादहेतुनि ।। ४०.

Knowing which, one does not return, regarding the stainless knower of the field—it is inexpressible, because it cannot be declared, grasped, or caused.

अप्रतर्क्यमचिन्त्यत्वादवाप्यत्वाच्च सर्वशः। नाभिलिम्पति तत्तत्त्वं सम्प्राप्य मनसा सह ।। ४०.

Because it cannot be reasoned about, is inconceivable, and wholly unattainable, that reality, once reached along with the mind, does not become tainted.

क्षेत्रेज्ञे निर्गुणे शुद्धे शान्ते क्षीणे निरञ्जने। व्यपे(ये)तसुखदुःखे च निरुद्धे शान्तिमागते ।। ४०.

In the knower of the field, who is without qualities, pure, peaceful, exhausted, stainless, beyond pleasure and pain, restrained, and established in peace.

निरात्मके पुनस्तस्मिन्वाच्यावाच्यो न विद्यते। एतौ संहारविस्तारौ व्यक्ताव्यक्तौ ततः पुनः ।। ४०.

In that which is without self, there is neither the expressible nor the inexpressible; these two—dissolution and expansion, manifest and unmanifest—arise again from that.

सृजते ग्रसते चैव ग्रस्तः पर्यवतिष्ठते। क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितं सर्वं पुनः सर्वं प्रवर्त्तते ।। ४०.

It creates and consumes, and when consumed, it remains; all is governed by the knower of the field, and again all proceeds forth.

अधिष्ठानप्रवृत्तेन तस्य ते बुद्धिपूर्वकम्। साधर्म्यवैधर्म्यकृतसंयोगो विधितस्तयोः। अनादिमान् स संयोगो महापुरुषजः स्मृतः ।। ४०.

Through the activity of its governance, and with the guidance of intellect, the union of similarity and dissimilarity is established by ordinance; this union, without beginning, is said to arise from the Great Person.

यावच्च सर्गप्रतिसर्गकालस्तावच्च तिष्ठति सुसन्निरुध्य। पूर्वं हितव्ये तदबुद्धिपूर्वं प्रवर्त्तते तत्पुरुषार्थमेव ।। ४०.

As long as the time of creation and dissolution endures, it remains firmly restrained; previously, when it is to be released, it acts without intellect, solely for the purpose of that Person.

एषा निसर्गप्रतिसर्गपूर्वं प्रधानिकी चेश्वरकारिता च। अनाद्यनन्ता ह्यभिमानपूर्वकं वित्रासयन्ती जगदभ्युपैति ।। ४०.

This, which is prior to natural and secondary creation, is both the action of Pradhāna and of the Lord; without beginning and endless, arising from self-conceit, it terrifies and overtakes the world.

इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गस्तृतीयो हेतुलक्षणः। उक्तो ह्यस्मिंस्तदात्यन्तं कविभिस्तत्प्रमुच्यते ।। ४०.

Thus, this third, natural creation, characterized by causality, has been described; in this, the poets say that it is ultimately released.

इत्येष प्रतिसर्गोवस्त्रिविधः कीर्त्तितो मया ४०.

Thus, this threefold dissolution has been recounted by me.

सूत सुमहदाख्यानं भवता परिकीर्तितम्। प्रजानां मनुभिः सार्द्धं देवानामृषिभिः सह ।। ४१.

Sūta, you have narrated a great story, together with the Manus for the people, and with the gods and sages.

पितृगन्धर्वभूतानां पिशाचोरगरक्षसाम्। दैत्यानां दानवानां च यक्षाणामेव पक्षिणाम् ।। ४१.

Of the ancestors, Gandharvas, spirits, Piśācas, serpents, and Rākṣasas, of the Daityas, Dānavas, Yakṣas, and also of the birds.