Vayu Purana

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.

क्षोभयामास योगेन परेण परमेश्वरः। प्रधानं पुरुषञ्चैव प्रविश्याण्डं महेश्वरः

The Supreme Lord, by supreme yoga, stirred both Pradhāna and Puruṣa, and, entering the cosmic egg, became Maheśvara.

प्रधानात् क्षोभ्यमाणात्तु रजो वै समवर्त्तत। रजः प्रवर्त्तकं तत्र बीजेष्वपि यथा जलम्

From the agitation of Pradhāna, rajas indeed arose; rajas is the initiator of activity there, just as water is in seeds.

गुणवैषम्यमासाद्य प्रसूयन्ते ह्यधिष्ठिताः। गुणेभ्यः क्षोभ्य माणेभ्यस्त्रयो देवा विजज्ञिरे। आश्रिताः परमा गुह्याः सर्वात्मानः शरीरिणः

When the qualities become unequal, beings are produced, governed by them; from the agitated qualities, three gods were born—subtle, supreme, hidden, the selves of all embodied beings.

रजो ब्रह्मा तमो ह्यग्निः सत्त्वं विष्णुरजायत। रजःप्रकाशको ब्रह्मा स्रष्ट्टृत्वेन व्यवस्थितः

Rajas became Brahmā, tamas indeed became Agni, sattva became Viṣṇu; Brahmā, manifesting rajas, is established as the creator.

तमःप्रकाशकोऽग्निस्तु कालत्वेन व्यवस्थितः। सत्त्वप्रकाशको विष्णुरौदासीन्ये व्यवस्थितः

Agni, manifesting tamas, is established as time; Viṣṇu, manifesting sattva, is established in detachment.

एत एव त्रयो देवा एत एव त्रयोऽग्नयः। परस्पराश्रिता ह्येते परस्परमनुव्रताः

These very three are the gods, these very three are the fires; they are mutually dependent, devoted to one another.

परस्परेण वर्त्तन्ते धारयन्ति परस्परम्। अन्योन्यमिथुनाह्येते ह्यन्योन्यमुपजीविनः। क्षणं वियोगो न ह्येषान्न त्यजन्ति परस्परम्

They act with one another, sustain one another; these are paired with each other, living by mutual support; there is never a moment of separation among them, nor do they ever abandon one another.

ईश्वरो हि परो देवो विष्णुस्तु महतः परः । ब्रह्मा तु रजसोद्रिक्तः सर्गायेह प्रवर्त्तते। परश्च पुरुषो ज्ञेयः प्रकृतिश्च परा स्मृता

The Supreme Lord is indeed the highest god; Viṣṇu is beyond the great; Brahmā, abundant in rajas, proceeds here for creation; the Supreme is to be known as Puruṣa, and Prakṛti is called supreme.

अधिष्ठितोऽसौ हि महेश्वरेण प्रवर्त्तते चोद्यमानः समन्तात्। अनुप्रवर्त्तन्ति महान्त एव चिरस्थिताः स्वे विष्ये प्रियत्वात्

He, governed by Maheśvara, acts, being impelled on all sides; the great ones, long established in their own domains, follow after, out of affection.

प्रधानं गुणवैषम्यात्सर्गकाले प्रवर्त्तते। ईश्वराधिष्ठितात् पूर्वन्तस्मात्सदसदात्मकात्। ब्रह्मा बुद्धिश्च मिथुनं युगपत्सम्बभूवतुः

Pradhāna, due to the inequality of the qualities, acts at the time of creation; from the one governed by the Lord, from that prior existent and non-existent, Brahmā and Buddhi, as a pair, arose simultaneously.