Vayu Purana

मध्यमो ह्येष सूतस्य धर्मः क्षत्रोपजीवनम्। रथनागाश्वचरितं जघन्यञ्च चिकित्सितम्

This is the intermediate duty of the sūta: to live by serving kṣatriyas, to be skilled in chariots, elephants, and horses, and lastly, in medicine.

तत् स्वधर्ममहं पृष्टो भवद्भिर्ब्रह्मवादिभिः। कस्मात् सम्यङ्न विब्रूयां पुराणमृषिपूजितम्

You seekers of Brahman have asked me about my own duty; why should I not properly speak of the Purāṇa, honored by the ancient sages?

पितॄणां मानसी कन्या वासवी समपद्यत। अपध्याता च पितृभिर्मत्स्ययोनौ बभूव सा

The mind-born daughter of the Fathers became Vāsavī; condemned by her fathers, she was born in the form of a fish.

अरणीव हुताशस्य निमित्तं यस्य जन्मनः। तस्यां जातो महायोगी व्यासो वेदविदां वरः

Like the lower stick for kindling fire, she became the cause of his birth; in her was born the great yogi Vyāsa, foremost among knowers of the Veda.

तस्मै भगवते कृत्वा नमो व्यासाय वेधसे।। पुरुषाय पुराणाय भृगुवाक्यप्रवर्त्तिने। मानुषच्छद्मरूपाय विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे

To that blessed one, to Vyāsa the creator, I bow; to the primeval person, the ancient one, the promulgator of Bhṛgu’s words; to Viṣṇu, who is mighty, taking the form of a man as a disguise.

जातमात्रञ्च यं वेद उपतस्थे ससङ्ग्रहः। धर्ममेव पुरस्कृत्य जातूकर्णादवाप तम्

The Veda, complete with its branches, attended upon him as soon as he was born; having placed dharma first, he received it from Jātūkarṇa.

मतिं मन्थानमाविध्य येनासौ श्रुतिसागरात्। प्रकाशं जनितो लोके महाभारतचन्द्रमाः

By churning his mind as a churning stick, he brought forth from the ocean of the Veda the radiant moon of the Mahābhārata into the world.

वेदद्रुमश्च यं प्राप्य सशाखः समपद्यत। भूमिकालगुणान् प्राप्य बहुशाखो यथा द्रुमः

The tree of the Veda, having reached him, became full of branches; having attained the qualities of place and time, it became manifold-branched, like a tree.

तस्मादहमुपश्रुत्य पुराणं ब्रह्मवादिनः। सर्वज्ञात्सर्ववेदेषु पूजिताद्दीप्ततेजसः

Therefore, having heard the Purāṇa from the knower of Brahman, honored by all, radiant with splendor, and all-knowing in all the Vedas,

पुराणं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि यदुक्तं मातरिश्वना। पृष्टेन मुनिभिः पूर्वं नैमिषीयैर्महात्मभिः

I shall now relate the Purāṇa as spoken by Mātariśvan, when previously questioned by the great sages of Naimiṣa.

महेश्वरः परोऽव्यक्तश्चतुर्बाहुश्चतुर्मुखः। अचिन्त्यश्चाप्रमेयश्च स्वयम्भूर्हेतुरीश्वरः

The great Lord, the supreme, the unmanifest, four-armed, four-faced, inconceivable, immeasurable, self-born, the cause, the Lord—

अव्यक्तं कारणं यद्यन्नित्यं सदसदात्मकम्। महदादिविशेषान्तं सृजतीति विनिश्चयः

The unmanifest, which is the cause, eternal, of the nature of being and non-being, from which arises the great principle down to the particular—this is the settled view.

अण्डं हिरण्मयञ्चैव बभूवाप्रतिमं ततः। अण्डस्यावरणञ्चाद्भिरपामपि च तेजसा

Then arose the golden egg, incomparable; and the covering of the egg was by waters, and by fire as well.

वायुना तस्य नभसा नभो भूतादिना वृतम्। भूतादिर्महता चैव अव्यक्तेनावृतो महान्

By wind, by ether, and by the principle of elements, it was enveloped; the principle of elements was covered by the great principle, and the great by the unmanifest.

अतोऽत्र विश्वदेवानामृषीणाञ्चोपवर्णितम्। नदीनां पर्वतानाञ्च प्रादुर्भावोऽत्र शस्यते

Here is described the appearance of the Viśvadevas, the sages, the rivers, and the mountains.

मन्वन्तराणां सर्वेषां कल्पानाञ्चोपवर्णनम्। कीर्त्तनं ब्रह्मक्षत्रस्य ब्रह्म जन्म च कीर्त्त्यते

Here is recounted the description of all the Manvantaras and Kalpas, the praise of Brahmins and Kṣatriyas, and the birth of Brahmā is also celebrated.

अतो ब्रह्मणि स्रष्टृत्वं प्रजासर्गोपवर्णनम्। अवस्थाश्चात्र कीर्त्त्यन्ते ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः

Here, the creative power of Brahmā is described, the account of the creation of beings, and the states of Brahmā, whose birth is unmanifest, are narrated.

कल्पानां वत्सराश्चैव जगतः स्थापनन्तथा। शयनञ्च हरेरत्र पृथिव्युद्धरणन्तथा

Here are the years of the Kalpas, the establishment of the world, the sleep of Hari, and the raising up of the earth.

सन्निवेशः पुरादीनां वर्णाश्रमविभागशः। वृक्षाणां गृहसंस्थानां सिद्धानाञ्चविनाशनम्

The arrangement of cities and so forth, the division of castes and stages of life, the forms of trees and houses, and the destruction of the Siddhas.

योजनानां पथाञ्चैव सञ्चरो बहुविस्तरः। स्वर्गे स्थानविभागश्च मर्त्त्यानां भुविचारिणाम्

The extensive courses of the paths, the movement along them, and the divisions of realms in heaven for mortals who dwell upon the earth—these are described.

वृक्षाणामोषधीनाञ्च वीरुधाञ्च प्रकीर्त्तनम्। वृक्षनारकिकीटत्वं मर्त्त्यानां परिकीर्त्तितम्

The enumeration of trees, herbs, and creepers is given, as well as the mention of mortals being reborn as trees, animals, or insects.

देवतानामृषीणाञ्च द्वे सृती परिकीर्त्तिते। अन्नादीनां तनूनाञ्च सर्जनन्त्यजनन्तथा

The two courses of the gods and sages are described, along with the creation and dissolution of beings who subsist on food and possess bodies.

प्रथमं सर्वशास्त्राणां पुराणं ब्रह्मणा स्मृतम्। अनन्तरञ्च वक्रेभ्यो वेदास्तस्य विनिःसृताः

The first of all scriptures, the Purāṇa, was remembered by Brahmā; then, from his mouths, the Vedas were produced.

अङ्गानि धर्मशास्त्रञ्च व्रतानि नियमास्तथा। पशूनां पुरुषाणाञ्च सम्भवः परिकीर्तितः

The limbs, the Dharmaśāstra, the vows, and observances are described, as well as the origin of animals and humans.

तथा निर्वचनं प्रोक्तं कल्पस्य च परिग्रहः। नव सर्गाः पुनः प्रोक्ता ब्रह्मणो बुद्धिपूर्वकाः

Thus, the explanation of terms is given, and the enumeration of the Kalpa; again, the nine creations of Brahmā, arising from his intellect, are described.

त्रयोऽन्ये बुद्धिपूर्वास्तु ततो लोकानकल्पयत्। ब्रह्मणोऽवयवेभ्यश्च धर्मादीनां समुद्भवः

Three other creations, also arising from intellect, are described; then he fashioned the worlds, and from the limbs of Brahmā arose Dharma and the others.

ये द्वादश प्रसूयन्ते प्रजाः कल्पे पुनः पुनः। कल्पयोरन्तरं प्रोक्तं प्रतिसन्धिश्च यस्तयोः

The twelve kinds of beings that are produced again and again in each Kalpa are described, as well as the interval between Kalpas and the connection between them.

तमोमात्रावृतत्वाच्च ब्रह्मणोऽधर्मसम्भवः। तथैव शतरूपायाः सम्भवश्च ततः परम्

Because of being enveloped by the measure of darkness, the origin of adharma from Brahmā is described, and likewise the origin of Śatarūpā thereafter.

प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ प्रसूत्याकूतयश्च ताः। कीर्त्त्यन्ते धूतपाप्मानो येषु लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः

Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, the offspring, and Ākūti—these are recounted, purified of sin, in whom the worlds are established.