Vayu Purana

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.

अत्यद्भुतानि कर्म्माणि विधिमान्धर्म्मनिश्चयः। विचित्राश्च कथायोगा जन्म चाग्र्यमनुत्तमम् ।। ४१.

The deeds are exceedingly wondrous, the determination of law and unrighteousness, and the varied connections of stories, and the supreme, unsurpassed birth.

तत्कथ्यमानमस्माकं भवता श्लक्ष्णया गिरा। मनःकर्मसुखं सौते प्रीणात्याभूतसम्भवम् ।। ४१.

As it is narrated to us by you with gentle speech, O Sūta, it delights our minds and actions, bringing joy from what has never been before.

एवमाराध्य ते सूतं सत्कृत्य च महर्षयः । पप्रच्छुः सत्रिणः सर्वे पुनः सर्गप्रवर्त्तनम् ।। ४१.

Thus, having honored and worshipped Sūta, all the great sages assembled at the sacrifice questioned him again about the process of creation.

कथं सूत महाप्राज्ञ पुनं सर्गः प्रपत्स्यते। बन्धेषु सम्प्रलीनेषु गुणसाम्ये तमोमये ।। ४१.

How, O Sūta, wise one, will creation arise again, when all is dissolved in bondage, when the qualities are in equilibrium and immersed in darkness?

विकारेष्वविसृष्टोषु ह्यव्यक्ते चात्मनि स्थिते। अप्रवृत्तौ ब्रह्मणस्तु महासायुज्यगैस्तदा । कथं प्रपत्स्यते सर्गस्तन्नः प्रब्रूहि पृच्छताम् ।। ४१.

When the transformations are not released, and the unmanifest abides in the self, and when Brahman is inactive, merged in supreme unity, how will creation arise? Tell us, who ask.

एवमुक्तस्ततः सूतस्तदासौ लोमहर्षणः । व्याख्यातुमुपचक्राम पुनः सर्गप्रवर्त्तनम् ।। ४१.

Thus addressed, Sūta, Lomaharṣaṇa, then began to explain again the process of creation.

अहं वौ वर्त्तयिष्यामि यथा सर्गः प्रपत्स्यते। पूर्ववत्स तु विज्ञेयः समासात्तं निबोधत ।। ४१.

I shall narrate how creation will arise; it should be understood as before, in summary—listen to that.

दृष्टं चैवानुमेयञ्च तर्कं वक्ष्यामि युक्तितः। तस्माद्वाचो निवर्त्तन्ते ह्यप्राप्य मनसा सह ।। ४१.

I will speak of what is seen and what is inferred, reasoning according to logic; therefore, speech withdraws, unable to reach it, along with the mind.

अव्यक्तवत् परोक्षत्वाद्घ्रहणं तद्दुरासदम्। विकारैः प्रतिसंदृष्टे गुणसाम्ये निवर्त्तते ।। ४१.

Because of its subtlety and remoteness, its grasp is difficult; when the qualities are in equilibrium, it ceases, observed only through transformations.

प्रधानं पुरुषाणाञ्च साधर्म्म्येणैव तिष्ठति। धर्म्माधर्म्मौ प्रलीयेते अव्यक्तौ प्राणिनां सदा ।। ४१.

Pradhāna and the souls remain together in similarity; righteousness and unrighteousness always dissolve into the unmanifest for living beings.