Vayu Purana

सिद्धात्मानो मनुष्यास्ते गन्धर्वसहधर्म्मिणः। इत्येष तेजसः सर्गो ह्यर्व्वाक्स्रोताः प्रकीर्त्तितः

Those humans are perfected souls, sharing the nature of gandharvas; thus, the creation of the luminous, the downward current, is described.

पञ्चमोऽनुग्रहः सर्गश्चतुर्द्धा स व्यवस्थितः। विपर्य्ययेण शक्त्या च तुष्ट्या सिद्ध्या तथैव च। विवृत्तं वर्त्तमानञ्च तेऽर्थं जानन्ति तत्त्वतः

The fifth creation, called grace, is established in four ways: by reversal, by power, by satisfaction, and by accomplishment; they know the true meaning of what is past and what is present.

भूतादिकानां सत्त्वानां षष्ठः सर्गः स उच्यते। विपर्य्ययेण भूतादिरशक्त्या च व्यवस्थितः

The sixth creation is said to be of beings beginning with the elements; it is established by reversal and by lack of power, beginning with the elements.

प्रथमो महतः सर्गो विज्ञेयो महतस्तु सः। तन्मात्राणां द्वितीयस्तु भूतसर्गः स उच्यते

The first creation from Mahat should be understood as originating from Mahat; the second is the creation of the subtle elements, called the creation of the elements.

वैकारिकस्तृतीयस्तु सर्ग ऐन्द्रिय कः स्मृतः। इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गः सम्भूतो भुद्धिपूर्वकः

The third is the Vaikarika creation, remembered as the creation of the senses; thus, the natural creation arises, preceded by intellect.

मुख्यसर्गश्चतुर्थस्तु मुख्या वै स्थावराः स्मृताः। तिर्य्यक्सोताश्च यः सर्गस्तिर्य्यग्योनिः स पञ्चमः

The fourth creation is the principal one, and the principal beings are remembered as immobile; the creation with a horizontal current is the fifth, called the animal birth.

तथोर्द्ध्वस्रोतसां षष्ठो देवसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः। तथार्वाक्स्रोतसां सर्गः सप्तमः स तु मानुषः

Likewise, the sixth is the creation of those with an upward current, remembered as the divine creation; similarly, the seventh is the creation of those with a downward current, which is human.

अष्टमोऽनुग्रहः सर्गः सात्त्विकस्तामसस्तु सः। पञ्चैते वैकृताः सर्गाः प्राकृतास्तु त्रयः स्मृताः

The eighth creation, called grace, is sattvic and tamasic; these five are considered modified creations, and the other three are remembered as natural.

प्राकृतो वैकृतश्चैव कौमारो नवमः स्मृतः। प्राकृतास्तु त्रयः सर्गाः कृतास्ते बुद्धिपूर्व्वकाः

The ninth creation is remembered as both natural and modified, called Kaumara; the three natural creations are accomplished, preceded by intellect.

बुद्धिपूर्व्वं प्रवर्त्तन्ते षट्सर्गा ब्रह्मणस्तु ते। विस्तरानुग्रहं सर्गं कीर्त्त्यमानं निबोधत

Six creations of Brahma proceed, preceded by intellect; listen as the creation of grace is being described in detail.

चतुर्द्धावास्थितः सोऽथ सर्वभूतेषु कृत्स्नशः। विपर्ययेण शक्त्या च तुष्ट्या सिद्ध्या तथैव च

That creation is established in four ways among all beings entirely: by reversal, by power, by satisfaction, and by accomplishment.

स्थावरेषु विपर्यासस्तिर्यग्योनिषु शक्तिता। सिद्धात्मानो मनुष्यास्तु तुष्टिर्द्देवेषु कृत्स्नशः

In immobile beings, there is reversal; in animal births, there is power; humans are perfected souls, and satisfaction is entirely among the gods.

इत्येते प्राकृताश्चैव वैकृताश्च नव स्मृताः। सर्गाः परस्परस्याथ प्रकारा बहवः स्मृताः

Thus, these nine creations, both natural and modified, are remembered; and many forms of creation are remembered as mutually related.

अग्रे ससर्ज्ज वै ब्रह्मा मानसानात्मनः समान्। सनन्दनञ्च सनकं विद्वांसं च सनातनम्

In the beginning, Brahma created the mind-born sons, equal to himself: Sanandana, Sanaka, and the wise Sanatana.

विज्ञानेन निवृत्तास्ते वैवर्तेन महौजसः। संबुद्धाश्चैव नानात्वादपविद्धास्त्रयोऽपिते। असृष्ट्वैव प्रजासर्गं प्रतिसर्गं गताः पुनः

By knowledge, they withdrew, by transformation, possessing great energy; awakened, and due to diversity, the three were cast aside; without creating progeny, they again entered dissolution.

तदा तेषु व्यतीतेषु तदान्यान् साधकांश्च तान्। मानसानसृजद्ब्रह्मा पुनः स्थानाभिमानिनः। आभूतसंप्लवावस्थान्नामतस्तान्निबोधत

Then, when those had passed, Brahmā again mentally created other beings, those who preside over the elements, from the state of dissolution of beings; now hear their names.

आपोऽग्निः पृथिवी वायुरन्तरिक्षं दिशस्तथा। स्वर्गं दिवः समुद्रांश्च नदान् शैलान् वनस्पतीन्

Water, fire, earth, wind, space, directions, heaven, sky, oceans, rivers, mountains, and forest-trees—

ओषधीनां तथात्मानो ह्यात्मानो वृक्षवीरुधाम्। लवाः काष्ठाः कलाश्चैव मुहूर्त्ताः सन्धिरात्र्यहाः

And likewise the essences of herbs, the essences of trees and creepers, moments, sticks, divisions of time, instants, conjunctions, days and nights—

अर्द्धमासाश्च मासाश्च अयनाब्दयुगानि च। स्थानाभिमानिनः सर्वे स्थानाख्याश्चैव ते स्मृताः

Fortnights, months, solstices, years, and ages—all these are presiding beings over their realms, and they are known by the names of their domains.

वक्राद्यस्य ब्राह्मणाः संप्रसूतास्तद्वक्षस्तः क्षत्रियाः पूर्वभागैः। वैश्याश्चोर्वोर्यस्य पद्भ्याञ्च शूद्राः सर्वे वर्णा गात्रतः संप्रसूताः

From his curved (mouth) were born the brāhmaṇas, from his arms the kṣatriyas, from his thighs the vaiśyas, and from his feet the śūdras; thus all the classes arose from his body.

नारायणः परोऽव्यक्तादण्डमव्यक्तसम्भवम्। अण्डाज्जज्ञे पुनर्ब्रह्मा लोकास्तेन कृताः स्वयम्

Nārāyaṇa, transcending the unmanifest, produced the cosmic egg from the unmanifest; from the egg, Brahmā was again born, and he himself created the worlds.

एष वः कथितः पादः समासान्न तु विस्तरात्। अनेनाद्येन पादेन पुराणं संप्रकीर्तितम्

This portion has been told to you in summary, not in detail; by this first section, the Purāṇa has been recounted.

इत्येष प्रथमः पादः प्रक्रियार्थः प्रकीर्तितः। श्रुत्वा तु संहृष्टमनाः काश्यपेयः सनातनः

Thus this first section, concerning the process, has been described; hearing this, Kāśyapa's descendant, the eternal one, was gladdened in heart.

सम्बोध्य सूतं वचसा पप्रच्छाथोत्तरां कथाम्। अतःप्रभृति कल्पज्ञ प्रतिसंधिं प्रचक्ष्व नः

Addressing Sūta with words, he then asked for the next narrative: 'From here onward, knower of cycles, tell us about the interval between cycles.'

समतीतस्य कल्पस्य वर्त्तमानस्य चोभयोः। कल्पयोरन्तरं यच्च प्रतिसंधिर्यतस्तयोः। एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामः अत्यन्तकुशलो ह्यसि

Of the past cycle and the present one, and the interval between the two cycles—what is the connection between them? We wish to know this, for you are extremely skilled.

अत्र वोऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रतिसंधिञ्च यस्तयोः। समतीतस्य कल्पस्य वर्त्तमानस्य चोभयोः

Here I shall declare to you the connection between the two—the past cycle and the present one.

मन्वन्तराणि कल्पेषु येषु यानि च सुव्रताः। यश्चायं वर्त्तते कल्पो वाराहः साम्प्रतः शुभः

The manvantaras in the cycles, and which ones, O virtuous ones, and this present cycle, the auspicious Boar (Varāha) cycle—

अस्मात् कल्पाच्च यः कल्पः पूर्वोऽतीतः सनातनः। तस्य चास्य च कल्पस्य मध्यावस्थान्निबोधत

And the cycle which preceded this one, the ancient and past; now hear of the intermediate state between that cycle and this one.

प्रत्याहृते पूर्वकल्पे प्रतिसंधिं च तत्र वै। अन्यः प्रवर्त्तते कल्पो जनाल्लोकात् पुनः पुनः

When the previous cycle is withdrawn, then, in that interval, another cycle begins again from the world of beings, repeatedly.