Vayu Purana

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All these remain during his day, O wise one; at the end of his night, they are withdrawn, and the universe comes into being.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

तस्मात्तमोऽव्यक्तमयः क्षेत्रज्ञो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः। संसिद्धः कार्यकरणैर्ब्रह्माऽग्रे समवर्त्तत

From that, tamas composed of the unmanifest, the knower of the field, called Brahma, fully endowed with instruments of action and knowledge, first arose.

तेजसा प्रथमनो धीमानव्यक्तः संप्रकाशते। स वै शरीरी प्रथमः कारणत्वे व्यवस्थितः

He, the unmanifest, endowed with intelligence, shines forth first by his radiance; he, possessing a body, is established first as the cause.

अप्रतीघेन ज्ञानेन ऐश्वर्येण च सोऽन्वितः। धर्मेण चाप्रतीघेन वैराग्येण समन्वितः

He is endowed with unobstructed knowledge, with sovereignty, with unobstructed righteousness, and with detachment.

तस्येश्वरस्याप्रतिघं ज्ञानं वैराग्यलक्षणम्। धर्मैश्वर्यकृता बुद्धिर्ब्राह्मी जज्ञेऽभिमानिनः

His knowledge, unobstructed, is characterized by detachment; the intellect, produced by righteousness and sovereignty, is called Brāhmī, belonging to the self-conscious one.

अव्यक्ताज्जायते चास्य मनसा च यदिच्छति। वशीकृतत्वाद्वैगुण्यात् सुरेशत्वात्स्वभावतः

From the unmanifest, whatever he desires by mind is produced; due to mastery, difference in qualities, lordship over the gods, and by his own nature.

चतुर्मुखस्तु ब्रह्मत्वे कालत्वे चान्तकोऽभवत्। सहस्रमूर्द्धा पुरुषस्तिस्रोऽवस्थाः स्वयम्भुवः

Brahmā, four-faced, became Brahmā and, as time, became the ender; the thousand-headed Puruṣa, the self-born, has three states.

सत्त्वं रजश्च ब्रह्मत्वे कालत्वे च रजस्तमः. सात्विकं पुरुषत्वे च गुणवृत्तिः स्वयम्भुवः

Sattva and rajas are present in the state of Brahma, while rajas and tamas are present in the state of Time. The quality of sattva is predominant in the state of Purusha; such is the operation of the qualities of the self-born.

लोकान् सृजति ब्रह्मत्वे कालत्वे संक्षिपत्यपि। पुरुषत्वे ह्युदासीन स्तिस्रोऽवस्थाः प्रजापते

In the state of Brahma, he creates the worlds; in the state of Time, he withdraws them. In the state of Purusha, he remains indifferent—these are the three conditions of the Lord of creatures.

ब्रह्मा कमलगर्भाभः कालो जात्याञ्जनप्रभः। पुरुषः पुण्डरीकाक्षो रूपं तत्परमात्मनः

Brahma has the appearance of being born from a lotus; Time has the radiance of black collyrium by nature; Purusha is the lotus-eyed one—this is the form of the Supreme Self.

योगेश्वरः शरीराणि करोति विकरोति च। नानाकृतिक्रियारूपनामवृत्तिः स्वलीलया

The Lord of Yoga creates and transforms bodies; by his own play, he assumes various forms, actions, appearances, names, and functions.