Vayu Purana

धर्मादीनि च रूपाणि लोकतत्त्वार्थहेतवः। त्रिगुणस्तु स विज्ञेयः सत्त्वराजसतामसः

Forms such as dharma and others are causes for the meaning of the world-principle; he is to be understood as consisting of the three qualities: sattva, rajas, and tamas.

त्रिगुणाद्रजसोद्रिक्तादहङ्कारस्ततोऽभवत्। महता चावृतः सर्गो भूतादिविकृतस्तु सः

From the predominance of rajas among the three qualities, ego arose; creation is enveloped by the great, and the transformation beginning with the elements is that.

तस्माच्च तमसोद्रिक्तादहङ्कारादजायत। भूततन्मात्रसर्गस्तु भूतादिस्तामसस्तु सः

From the predominance of tamas, ego was born; the creation of the subtle elements and the transformation beginning with the elements is of tamas.

thumb|महाभूताः आकाशं शुषिरं तस्मादुद्रिक्तं शब्दलक्षणम्। आकाशं शब्दमात्रन्तु भूतादिश्चावृणोत् पुनः

From that, space, which is hollow, arose, characterized by sound; space is only sound, and again the transformation beginning with the elements enveloped it.

शब्दमात्रन्तदाकाशं स्पर्शमात्रं ससर्ज ह। भूतादिस्तु विकुर्वाणः शब्दमात्रं ससर्ज्ज ह

He created sound as space, and touch as its essence; the transformation beginning with the elements, having changed, created only sound.

बलवान् जायते वायुः स वै स्पर्शगुणो मतः। आकाशं शब्दमात्रन्तु स्पर्शमात्रं समावृणोत्

From that, powerful wind is born, which is considered to have the quality of touch; space is only sound, and touch enveloped it.

रसमात्रास्तु ता ह्यापो रूपमात्राभिरावृणोत्। आपो रसान् विकुर्वन्त्यो गन्धमात्रं ससर्ज्जिरे

The waters are only taste, and they enveloped form; the waters, transforming taste, produced only smell.

सङ्घातो जायते तस्मात्तस्य गन्धो गुणः स्मृतः। रसमात्रन्तु तत्तोयं गन्धमात्रं समावृणोत्

From that, aggregation is born, and its quality is remembered as smell; from taste comes water, and smell enveloped it.

तस्मिंस्तस्मिंस्तु तन्मात्रा तेन तन्मात्रता स्मृता। अविशेषवाचकत्वादविशेषास्ततः स्मृताः। अशान्तघोरमूढत्वादविशेषास्ततः पुनः

In each, the subtle element is present, thus subtle element-ness is remembered; because they denote non-distinction, they are remembered as non-distinct; because of their restless, fierce, and confused nature, they are again called non-distinct.

भूततन्मात्रसर्गोऽयं विज्ञेयस्तु परस्परात्। वैकारिकादहङ्कारात्सत्वोद्रिक्तात्तु सात्विकात्। वैकारिकः स सर्गस्तु युगपत्सम्प्रवर्त्तते

This creation of the subtle elements is to be understood as arising from one another; from the ego of transformation, when sattva predominates, the creation of transformation arises and proceeds simultaneously.

बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि पञ्चैव पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रियाण्यपि। साधकानीन्द्रियाणि स्युर्द्देवा वैकारिका दश। एकादशं मनस्तत्र देवा वैकारिकाः स्मृता

There are five sense organs and five organs of action; these organs are means, and the ten transformational gods are remembered; the eleventh is the mind, and the transformational gods are remembered as such.

श्रोत्रं त्वक् चक्षुषी जिह्वा नासिका चैव पञ्चमी। शब्दादीनामवाप्त्यर्थं बुद्धियुक्तानि वक्ष्यते

The ear, skin, eyes, tongue, and the fifth, the nose—these are said to be endowed with intelligence for the apprehension of sound and the rest.

पादौ पायुरुपस्थञ्च हस्तौ वाग्दशमी भवेत्। गतिर्विसर्गो ह्यानन्दः शिल्पं वास्यञ्च कर्म च

The feet, anus, genitals, hands, and speech make ten; movement, excretion, pleasure, craftsmanship, enjoyment, and action are their functions.

आकाशं शब्दमात्रञ्च स्पर्शमात्रं समाविशेत्। द्विगुणस्तु ततो वायुः शब्द स्पर्शात्मकोऽभवत्

Space possesses only sound; entering touch alone, it becomes air, which thus has the two qualities of sound and touch.

रूपन्तथैव विशतः शब्दस्पर्शगुणावुभौ। त्रिगुणस्तु ततश्चाग्निः स शब्दस्पर्शरूपवान्

When form is likewise entered, both sound and touch remain; then fire, possessing three qualities, arises—sound, touch, and form.

सशब्दस्पर्शरूपञ्च रसमात्रं समाविशत्। तस्माच्चतुर्गुणा ह्यापो विज्ञेयास्ता रसात्मिकाः

With sound, touch, and form, taste alone is entered; thus, water is to be known as possessing four qualities, and is characterized by taste.

सशब्दस्पर्शरूपेषु गन्धस्तेषु समाविशत्। संयुक्ता गन्धमात्रेण आचिन्वन्ति महीमिमाम्। तस्मात्पञ्चगुणा भूमिः स्थूलभूतेषु दृश्यते

Into those with sound, touch, and form, smell is entered; combined with the quality of smell, they constitute this earth; therefore, earth is seen to possess five qualities among the gross elements.

शान्ता घोराश्च मूढाश्च विशेषास्तेन ते स्मृताः। परस्परानुप्रवेशाद्धारयन्ति परस्परम्

Peaceful, terrible, and dull—these are their distinctions, thus they are remembered; by mutual interpenetration, they sustain one another.

भूमेरन्तस्तिवदं सर्वं लोकालोकघनावृतम्। विशेषा इन्द्रियग्राह्या नियतत्वाच्च ते स्मृताः

Within earth, as it were, everything is contained, enveloped by the mass of worlds and non-worlds; these distinctions are perceptible to the senses, and are thus remembered due to their fixity.

गुणं पूर्वस्य पूर्वस्य प्राप्नुवन्त्युत्तरोत्तरम्। तेषां यावच्च यद्यच्च तत्तत्तावद्गुणं स्मृतम्

Each succeeding one acquires the quality of the preceding one; whatever quality each possesses, that is remembered as its own.

उपलभ्य शुचेर्गन्धं केचिद्वायोरनैपुणात्। पृथिव्यामेव तद्विद्यादेषां वायोश्च संश्रयात्

Some, by the subtlety of air, perceive fragrance even in purity; but this should be known to belong to earth, due to its connection with air.

एते सप्त महावीर्या नानाभूताः पृथक् पृथक्। नाशक्नुवन् प्रजाः स्रष्टुमसमागम्य कृत्स्नशः। ते समेत्य महात्मानो ह्ययोन्यस्यैव संश्रयात्

These seven, of great potency, are various elements, each distinct; they could not create beings without coming together wholly; united, these great ones, by resorting to what is not their own kind—

पुरुषाधिष्ठितत्वाच्च अव्यक्तानुग्रहेण च। महदाद्या विशेषान्ता अण्डमुत्पादयन्ति ते

Because of being presided over by the Purusha and by the favor of the unmanifest, those beginning with Mahat and ending with the particular elements produce the cosmic egg.

एककालं समुत्पन्नं जलबुद्‌बुदवच्च तत्। विशेषेभ्योऽण्डमभवद् बृहत्तदुदकं च यत्। तत्तस्मिन् कार्यकरणं संसिद्धं ब्रह्मणस्तदा

That, arising all at once, is like a bubble of water; from the particular elements the egg came forth, vast and filled with water; then, within it, the instruments and objects of action were perfected for Brahman.

प्राकृतेऽण्डे विबुद्धे सन् क्षेत्रज्ञो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः। स वै शरीरी प्रथमः स वै पुरुष उच्यते

When the primordial egg was awakened, the knower of the field, called Brahman, was present; he, embodied, is the first, and is called Purusha.

आदिकर्त्ता च भूतानां ब्रह्माऽग्रे समवर्त्तत। हिरण्यगर्भः सोऽग्रोऽस्मिन् प्रादुर्भूतश्चतुर्मुखः। सर्गे च प्रति सर्गे च क्षेत्रज्ञो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः

Brahma, the first creator of beings, came forth at the beginning; he, the golden-embryo, appeared first here, four-faced; in each creation and dissolution, the knower of the field is called Brahman.

करणैः सह सृज्यन्ते प्रत्याहारे त्यजन्ति च। भजन्ते च पुनर्देहानसमाहारसन्धिषु

Together with the senses, bodies are created, and at dissolution they are abandoned; again, at the conjunction of causes, bodies are assumed.

हिरण्मयस्तु यो मेरुस्तस्योल्बं तन्महात्मनः। गर्भोदकं समुद्राश्च जराद्यस्थीनि पर्वताः

The golden Meru—its covering is that of the great soul; the ocean is its embryonic fluid, and the mountains are its bones, beginning with old age.

तस्मिन्नण्डे त्विमे लोका अन्तर्भूतास्तु सप्त वै। सप्तद्वीपा च पृथ्वीयं समुद्रैः सह सप्तभिः

Within that egg, indeed, these worlds are contained, seven in number; and the earth with its seven continents, together with the seven oceans.