Vayu Purana

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.

पर्वतैः सुमहद्भिश्च नदीभिश्च सहस्रशः। अन्तस्तस्मिंस्त्विमे लोका अन्तर्विश्वमिदं जगत्

Within it are immense mountains and thousands of rivers; inside it are these worlds, and within it lies this entire universe.

चन्द्रादित्यौ सनक्षत्रौ सग्रहौ सह वायुना। लोकालोकं च यत् किंचिच्चाण्डे तस्मिन् समर्पितम्

The moon and sun, together with the stars and planets, along with the wind, and whatever else exists between the world and the non-world, all are contained within that cosmic egg.

अद्भिर्दशगुणाभिस्तु बाह्यतोऽण्डं समावृतम्। आपो दशगुणा ह्येवन्तेजसा बाह्यतो वृताः

The egg is enveloped on the outside by waters ten times greater in extent; and those waters themselves are surrounded on the outside by fire, also ten times greater.

तेजौदशगुणेनैव बाह्यतो वायुना वृतम्। वायोर्द्दशगुणेनैव बाह्यतो नभसा वृतम्

That fire is in turn surrounded on the outside by air, ten times greater; and the air is enveloped on the outside by space, also ten times greater.

आकाशेन वृतो वायुः खं च भूतादिना वृतम्। भूतादिर्महता चापि अव्यक्तेन वृतो महान्। एतैरावरणैरण्डं सप्तभिः प्राकृतैर्वृतम्

Air is enclosed by space, and space is covered by the primordial element; the primordial element is enveloped by the great principle, and the great principle by the unmanifest; thus, the egg is covered by these seven natural layers.

एतास्वावृत्य चान्योन्यमष्टौ प्रकृतयः स्थिताः। प्रसर्गकाले स्थित्वा च ग्रसन्त्येताः परस्परम्

Having enveloped each other in this way, the eight primal substances remain; at the time of dissolution, they persist and then consume one another.

एवं परस्परोत्पन्ना धारयन्ति परस्परम्। आधाराधेयभावेन विकारस्य विकारिषु

Thus, arising from one another, they support each other, as substratum and superstratum, in the relationship of the modified and the modifier.

अव्यक्तं क्षेत्रमुद्दिष्टं ब्रह्मा क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते। इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गः क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितस्तु सः। अबुद्धिपूर्वं प्रागासीत् प्रादुर्भूता तडिद्यथा

The unmanifest is called the field, and Brahma is said to be the knower of the field; this is the natural creation, presided over by the knower of the field; before intellect arose, it existed, manifesting suddenly like lightning.

एतद्धिरण्यगर्भस्य जन्म यो वेद तत्त्वतः। आयुष्मान् कीर्तिमान् धन्यः प्रजावांश्च भवत्युत

Whoever truly knows this birth of the Golden Embryo becomes long-lived, renowned, fortunate, and possessed of offspring.

निवृत्तिकामोऽपि नरः शुद्धात्मा लभते गतिम्। पुराणश्रवणान्नित्यं सुखं च क्षेममाप्नुयात्

Even a man who desires renunciation, if his soul is pure, attains liberation; by constantly hearing the Purana, he obtains happiness and well-being.

यद्धि सृष्टेस्तु संख्यातं मया कालान्तरन्द्विजाः। एतत् कालान्तरं ज्ञेयमहर्वै पारमेश्वरम्

O twice-born, what I have described to you as the interval of creation—this interval should be understood as the supreme day of the Lord.

रात्रिस्त्वेतावती ज्ञेया परमेशस्य कृत्स्नशः। अहस्तस्य तु या सृष्टिः प्रलयो रात्रिरुच्यते

The night of the Supreme Lord is to be understood as of equal duration; his day is the period of creation, and his night is called dissolution.

अहश्च विद्यते तस्य न रात्रिरिति धारणा। उपचारः प्रक्रियते लोकानां हितकाम्यया

It is held that he possesses only day and not night; this is a figurative expression, made for the benefit of the worlds.

प्रजाः प्रजानाम्पतय ऋषयो मुनिभिः सह। ऋषीन् सनत्कुमाराख्यान् ब्रह्मसायुज्यगैः सह

The beings, the lords of beings, the seers together with the sages, and the seers known as Sanatkumara, along with those who have attained union with Brahma—

इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थाश्च महाभूतानि पञ्च च। तन्मात्रा इन्द्रियगणो बुद्धिश्च मनसा सह

The senses, their objects, and the five great elements, the subtle elements, the group of senses, intellect together with mind—

अहस्तिष्ठन्ति ते सर्वे परमेशस्य धीमतः। अहरन्ते प्रलीयन्ते रात्र्यन्ते विश्वसंभवः

All these remain during his day, O wise one; at the end of his night, they are withdrawn, and the universe comes into being.

स्वात्मन्यवस्थिते सत्वे विकारे प्रतिसंहते। साधर्म्येणावतिष्ठेते प्रधानपुरुषावुभौ

When the essence abides in its own self and the modifications are absorbed, then both Pradhana and Purusha remain, by virtue of their inherent sameness.

तमः सत्त्वगुणावेतौ समत्वेन व्यवस्तितौ। अत्रोद्रिक्तौ प्रसूतौ च तौ तथा च परस्परम्। गुणसाम्ये लयो ज्ञेयो वैषम्ये सृष्टिरुच्यते

These two—darkness and the quality of goodness—remain established in equilibrium; when one predominates, creation arises, and when they are balanced, dissolution is known.

तिलेषु वा यथा तैवं घृतं पयसि वा स्थितम्। तथा तमसि सत्त्वे च रजोऽव्यक्ताश्रितं स्थितम्

Just as ghee is present in sesame seeds, or as milk is present in water, so too is rajas established, resting unmanifest, within tamas and sattva.

उपास्य रजनीं कृत्स्नां परां माहेश्वरीं तदा। अहर्मुखे प्रवृत्ते च पुरः प्रकृतिसम्भवः

Having worshipped the entire night, the supreme Māheśvarī, then, at the coming of dawn, the origin of creation appeared.