Vayu Purana

आधिपत्यं विना ते वै ऐश्वर्येण तु तत्समाः। भवन्ति ब्रह्मणस्तुल्या रूपेण विषयेण च

Without sovereignty, yet equal in majesty, they become like Brahma in form and in domain.

तत्र ते ह्यवतिष्ठन्ति प्रीतियुक्ताः प्रसङ्गमात्। आनन्दं ब्रह्मणः प्राप्य मुच्यन्ते ब्रह्मणा सह

There, they remain, filled with affection due to their connection; having attained the bliss of Brahman, they are liberated along with Brahman.

अवश्यम्भाविनाऽर्थेन प्राकृतेनैव ते स्वयम्। नाना त्वेनाभिसम्बद्धास्तदा तत्कालभाविनः

By the inevitable event, through their own natural state, they themselves are bound in various ways, and at that time, they become as they are destined.

स्वरूपतो बुद्धिपूर्वं यथा भवति जाग्रतः। तत्कालभावि तेषां तु तथा ज्ञानं प्रवर्त्तते

Just as, in the waking state, knowledge arises according to one's own nature and intellect, so too, at that destined time, knowledge manifests for them.

प्रत्याहारे तु भेदानां येषां भिन्नाभिसूष्मणाम्। तैः सार्द्धं प्रतिसृज्यन्ते कार्याणि करणानि च

At the time of withdrawal, those whose subtle elements are distinct, together with them, both actions and instruments are returned.

नानात्वदर्शनात्तेषां ब्रह्मलोकनिवासिनाम्। विनष्टस्वाधिकाराणां स्वेन धर्मेण तिष्ठताम्

Due to perceiving diversity among those residing in Brahma's world, whose authority is lost and who remain in their own dharma.

ते तुल्यलक्षणाः सिद्धाः शुद्धात्मानो निरञ्जनाः। प्रकृतौ कारणातीताः स्वात्मन्येव व्यवस्थिताः

They, accomplished and equal in characteristics, pure in self and unstained, transcending both nature and cause, are established in their own self alone.

प्रख्यापयित्वा ह्यात्मानं प्रकृतिस्तेषु सर्वशः। पुरुषाव्यवहृतत्वेन प्रतीता न प्रवर्त्तते

Having fully revealed itself among them, nature ceases to act, being recognized as inactive with respect to the person.

प्रवर्तिते पुनः सर्गे तेषां वा कारणं पुनः। संयोगे प्राकृते तेषां युक्तानां तत्त्वदर्शिनाम्

When activity resumes in creation, for them, cause arises again; in their union with nature, for those who are joined and who perceive the truth.

अत्रापवर्गिणां तेषामपुनर्मार्गगामिनाम्। अभावः पुनरुत्पत्तौ शान्तानामर्च्चिषामिव

Here, for those who are liberated and do not return to the path, there is absence at rebirth, like the extinguished flames of the peaceful.

ततस्तेषु गतेषूर्द्ध्वं त्रैलोक्यात्सुमहात्मसु। तैः सार्द्धं ये महर्ल्लोकात्तदा नासादिता जनाः। तच्छिष्टाश्चेह तिष्ठन्ति कल्पाद्देहमुपासते

Then, when those great souls depart upward from the three worlds, those who did not attain from Maharloka remain here, and the remnants stay, worshipping the body until the end of the cycle.

गन्धर्वाद्याः पिशाचान्ता मानुषा ब्राह्मणादयः। पशवः पक्षिणश्चैव स्थावराः ससरीसृपाः

Gandharvas and others up to Piśācas, humans, Brahmanas and others, animals, birds, immobile beings, and reptiles.

तिष्ठत्सु तेषु तत्कालं पृथिवीतलवासिषु। सहस्रं यत्तु रश्मीनां सूर्यस्येह विभासते। ते सप्तरश्मयो भूत्वा ह्येकैको जायते रविः

While they remain on the earth's surface at that time, the thousand rays of the sun shine forth here; those seven rays become, each one, a distinct sun.

क्रमेणोत्तिष्ठमानास्ते त्रीन् लोकान् प्रदहन्त्युत। जङ्गमाः स्थावराः चैव नदीः संर्वाश्च पर्वतान्। पूर्वे शुष्का ह्यनावृष्ट्या सूर्यैस्तैश्च प्रधूपिताः

Rising in succession, they burn the three worlds: moving and unmoving beings, rivers, and all mountains; the former are dried by drought and scorched by those suns.

तदा ते विविशुः सर्वे निर्द्दग्धाः सूर्यरश्मिभिः। जङ्गमाः स्थावराः सर्वे धर्माधर्मात्मकास्तु वै

Then, all those beings, moving and unmoving, composed of virtue and vice, are consumed by the sun's rays and enter within.

दग्धदेहास्ततस्ते वै गताः पापयुगात्यये। योन्या तया ह्यनिर्मुक्ताः शुभपापानुबन्धया

With their bodies burned, at the end of the sinful age, those not freed from their birth by the bond of merit and sin depart.

ततस्ते ह्युपपद्यन्ते तुल्यरूपा जने जनाः। विशुद्धिबहुलाः सर्वे मानसीं सिद्धिमास्थिताः

Then, people are born among people of similar form; all are abundant in purity, established in mental accomplishment.

उषित्वा रजनीं तत्र ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः। पुनः सर्गे भवन्तीह ब्रह्मणो मानसीप्रजाः

Having spent the night there, in the realm of Brahman of unmanifest birth, at the new creation, they become here the mental progeny of Brahman.

ततस्तेषु प्रवृत्तेषु जने त्रैलोक्यवासिषु। निर्दग्धेषु च लोकेषु तेषु सूर्यैस्तु सप्तभिः। वृष्ट्या क्षितौ प्लावितायां विशीर्णेष्वालयेषु च

Then, when those people arise among the inhabitants of the three worlds, and when those worlds are burned by the seven suns, with the earth flooded by rain and the dwellings destroyed.

समुद्राश्चैव मेघाश्च आपः सर्वाश्च पार्थिवाः। व्रजन्त्येकार्णवत्वं हि सलिलाख्यास्तदाश्रिताः

The oceans, the clouds, all waters, and all earthly things proceed to become a single expanse, for they are then sustained by what is called water.

आगतागतिकं तद्वै यदा तु सलिलं बहु। संछाद्येमां स्थितां भूमिमर्णवाख्या तदा च सा

That water, which comes and goes, when it becomes abundant, covers this earth; then it is called the ocean.

आभाति यस्मान्नाभान्ति भासन्तो व्याप्तिदीप्तिषु। सर्वतः समनुप्लाव्य तासाञ्चाम्भो विभाव्यते

Because it shines while others do not shine, being radiant and pervasive, after flooding everything, its water is perceived among them.

तदम्भस्तनुते यस्मात् सर्वां पृथ्वीं समन्ततः। धातुस्तनोतिर्विस्तारे तेनाम्भस्तनवः स्मृताः

Because that water spreads throughout the entire earth, it is called 'spreading' by the wise, due to its expansion.

अरमित्येष शीघ्रन्तु निपातः कविभिः स्मृतः। एकार्णवे भवन्त्यापो न शीघ्रास्तेन ते नराः

‘Aram’ is remembered by poets as a swift descent; but in the single ocean, the waters are not swift, and thus, O men, they are called so.

तस्मिन् युगसहस्रान्ते संस्थिते ब्रह्मणोऽहनि। राजन्यां वर्त्तमानायान्तावत्तत् सलिलात्मना

At the end of a thousand ages, when the day of Brahma ceases, while the royal era is ongoing, all becomes of the nature of water.

ततस्तु सलिले तस्मिन्नष्टेऽग्नौ पृथिवीतले। प्रशान्तवातेऽन्धकारे निरालोके समन्ततः

Then, when that water is gone, on the earth's surface, with the fire subdued, wind calmed, darkness prevailing, and light absent everywhere.

येनैवाधिष्ठितं हीदं ब्रह्मा स पुरुषः प्रभुः। विभागमस्य लोकस्य पुनर्वै कर्तुमिच्छति

He, the Lord, by whom this world is governed, Brahma, desires again to create the division of this world.

एकार्णवे तदा तस्मिन्नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे। तदा स भवति ब्रह्मा सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात्

Then, in that single ocean, when all that is stationary and moving is lost, Brahma becomes the thousand-eyed, thousand-footed one.

सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषो रुक्मवर्णो ह्यतीन्द्रियः। ब्रह्मा नारायणाख्यस्तु सुष्वाप सलिले तदा

The Purusha with a thousand heads, golden in hue, beyond the senses, called Brahma and Narayana, then slept upon the waters.