Vayu Purana

विबुधा ईजिरे तत्र सहस्रं प्रतिवत्सरान्। भ्रमतो धर्मचक्रस्य यत्र नेमिरशीर्यत। कर्मणा तेन विख्यात नैमिषं मुनिपूजितम्

There, the gods performed the sacrifice for a thousand years; where the rim of Dharma's wheel did not wear out as it turned; by that act, Naimiṣa, honored by sages, became renowned.

यत्र सा गोमती पुण्या सिद्धचारण सेविता। रोहिणी सुषुवे तत्र ततः सौम्योऽभवत् सुतः

There, the sacred river Gomati, frequented by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, flowed; there Rohiṇī gave birth, and from her was born the gentle son.

शक्तिर्ज्येष्ठः समभवद्वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः। अरुन्धत्याः सुता यत्र शतमुत्तमतेजसः

Śakti, the eldest, was born to the great-souled Vasiṣṭha; and there, from Arundhatī, a hundred sons of supreme brilliance were born.

कल्माषपादो नृपतिर्यत्र शप्तश्च शक्तिना। यत्र वैरं समभवद्विश्वामित्रवसिष्ठयोः

Where King Kalmāṣapāda was cursed by Śakti, and where enmity arose between Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha.

अदृश्यन्त्यां समभवन्मुनिर्यत्र पराशरः। पराभवो वसिष्ठस्य यस्मिन् जातेऽप्यवर्त्तत

Where the sage Parāśara was born of the invisible union, and where Vasiṣṭha’s defeat persisted even after his birth.

तत्र ते ईजिरे सत्रं नैमिषे ब्रह्मवादिनः। नैमिषे ईजिरे यत्र नैमिषेयास्ततः स्मृताः

There, the Brahman-knowers performed a sacrificial session at Naimiṣa; because they performed it at Naimiṣa, they are called Naimiṣeyas.

तत्सत्रमभवत्तेषां समा द्वादश धीमताम्। पुरूरवसि विक्रान्ते प्रशासति वसुन्धराम्

That sacrificial session of the wise lasted twelve years, while the mighty Purūravas ruled the earth.

अष्टादश समुद्रस्य द्वीपानश्नन् पुरूरवाः। तुतोष नैव रत्नानां लोभादिति हि नः श्रुतम्

Purūravas consumed the eighteen islands of the ocean, yet he was never satisfied by the desire for jewels—so we have heard.

उर्वशी चकमे यं च देवहूतिप्रणोदिता। आजहार च तत्सत्रं स्वर्वेश्यासहसङ्गतः

Urvaśī desired him, prompted by Devahūti, and she brought him to that sacrificial session, joining him with the queen of heaven.

तस्मिन्नरपतौ सत्रं नैमिषेयाः प्रचक्रिरे। यं गर्भे सुषुवे गङ्गा पावकाद्दीप्ततेजसम्। तदुल्बं पर्वते न्यस्तं हिरण्यं प्रत्यपद्यत

During the reign of that king, the Naimiṣeyas performed the sacrifice; the one whom Gaṅgā bore in her womb from Pāvaka, blazing with brilliance—his embryo, placed on the mountain, turned into gold.

हिरण्मयं ततश्चक्रे यज्ञवाटं महात्मनाम्। विश्वकर्मा स्वयं देवो भावयन् लोकभावनम्

Then Viśvakarman himself, the god who creates the worlds, fashioned from that gold a sacrificial enclosure for the great-souled ones.

बृहस्पतिस्ततस्तत्र तेषाममिततेजसाम्। ऐलः पुरूरवा भेजे तं देशं मृगयां चरन्

Then Bṛhaspati, among those of immeasurable brilliance, and Aila Purūravas, came to that place while roaming for the hunt.

तं दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चार्यं यज्ञवाटं हिरण्मयम्। लोभेन हतविज्ञानस्तदादातुं प्रचक्रमे

Seeing that wondrous golden sacrificial enclosure, his mind overcome by greed, he set out to take it.

नैमिषेयास्ततस्तस्य चुक्रुधुर्नृपतेर्भृशम्। निजघ्नुश्चापि संक्रुद्धाः कुशवज्रैर्मनीषिणः। ततो निशान्ते राजानं मुनयो दैवनोदिताः

Then the Naimiṣeyas became very angry with the king; enraged, the wise ones struck him with blades of sacred grass as thunderbolts. Then, at night’s end, the sages, prompted by fate, approached the king.

कुशवज्रैर्विनिष्पिष्टः स राजा व्यजहात्तनुम् । और्वशेयं ततस्तस्य पुत्रञ्चक्रुर्नृपं भुवि

Crushed by the blades of sacred grass, that king gave up his body; then, from him, the descendants of Urvaśī made his son king on earth.

नहुषस्य महात्मानं पितरं यं प्रचक्षते। स तेषु वर्त्तते सम्यग् धर्मशीलो महीपतिः। आयुरारोग्यमत्युग्रं तस्मिन् स नरसत्तमः

He whom they call the great-souled father of Nahuṣa—he dwells among them, a righteous king, possessing immense life and vigor, that best of men.

सान्त्वयित्वा च राजानं ततो ब्रह्मविदां वराः। सत्रमारेभिरे कर्त्तुं यथावद्धर्मभूतये

Having consoled the king, the foremost of the knowers of Brahman then began the sacrificial session properly, for the sake of upholding dharma.

बभूव सत्रं तत्तेषां बह्वाश्चर्यं महात्मनाम्। विश्वं सिसृक्षमाणानां पुरा विश्वसृजामिव

That sacrificial session of theirs was wondrous and great, as if they were the creators of the universe wishing to bring forth the worlds anew.

वैखानसैः प्रियसखैर्वालखिल्यैर्मरीचिकैः। अन्यैश्च मुनिभिर्जुष्टं सूर्यवैश्वानरप्रभैः

It was attended by Vaikhānasa ascetics, dear friends, Vālakhilyas, Marīcikas, and other sages, shining with the brilliance of the sun and fire.

पितृदेवाप्सरःसिद्धैर्गन्धर्वोरगचारणैः। सम्भारैस्तु शुभैर्जुष्टं तैरेवेन्द्रसदो यथा

It was graced by ancestors, gods, apsarases, siddhas, gandharvas, serpents, and celestial beings, adorned with auspicious offerings, just like the assembly of Indra.

स्तोत्रसत्रग्रहैर्देवान् पितृन् पित्र्यैश्च कर्मभिः। आनर्चुश्च यथाजाति गन्धर्वादीन् यथाविधि

With hymns, sacrificial sessions, and offerings, they worshipped the gods and ancestors with ancestral rites, and honored the gandharvas and others according to proper order.

आराधयितुमिच्छन्तस्ततः कर्मान्तरेष्वथ। जगुः सामानि गन्धर्वा ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः

Desiring to worship, then, in other rites, the Gandharvas sang Sāman hymns, and the groups of Apsarases danced.

व्याजहुर्मुनयो वाचं चित्राक्षरपदां शुभाम्। मन्त्रादितत्त्वविद्वांसो जगदुश्च परस्परम्

The sages, knowing the essence of mantras and other truths, spoke auspicious words with varied and beautiful syllables, and conversed with one another.

वितण्डावचनाश्चैके निजघ्नुः प्रतिवादिनः। ऋषयस्तत्र विद्वांसः साङ्ख्यार्थन्यायकोविदाः

Some learned seers, skilled in Sāṅkhya meanings and logic, refuted their opponents with words resembling debates.

न तत्र दुरितं किंचिद्विदधुर्ब्रह्मराक्षसाः। न च यज्ञहनो दैत्या न च यज्ञमुषोऽसुराः

There, the Brahmarākṣasas did not commit any evil; nor did the Daityas destroy the sacrifice, nor did the Asuras steal it.

प्रायश्चित्तं दुरिष्टं वा न तत्र समजायत। शक्तिप्रज्ञा क्रियायोगैर्विधिरासीत् स्वनुष्ठितः

No expiation or evil act arose there; by the power of ability, wisdom, and proper action, the ritual was performed as prescribed.

एवं वितेनिरे सत्रं द्वादशाब्दं मनीषिणः। भृग्वाद्या ऋषयो धीरा ज्योतिष्टोमान् पृथक् पृथक्। चक्रिरे पृष्ठगमनान् सर्वानयुतदक्षिणान्

Thus, the wise seers, beginning with Bhṛgu, performed the twelve-year sacrificial session, each conducting separate Jyotiṣṭoma rites, each with countless gifts.

समाप्तयज्ञास्ते सर्वे वायुमेव महाधिपम्। पप्रच्छुरमितात्मानं भवद्भिर्यदहं द्विजाः। प्रणोदितश्च वंशार्थं स च तानब्रवीत्प्रभुः

When all those with self-restraint had completed the sacrifice, they asked Vāyu, the great lord, 'O twice-born, as you have prompted us for the sake of lineage,' and the lord spoke to them.

शिष्यः स्वयम्भुवो देवः सर्वप्रत्यक्षदृग्वशी। अणिमादिभिरष्टाभिरैश्वर्यैर्यः समन्वितः

He is the disciple of self-born God, who sees all directly and is master, endowed with the eight powers beginning with aṇimā.