Vayu Purana

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.

सत्त्वोद्रेकात् प्रबुद्धस्तु शून्यं लोकमवेक्ष्य च। इमञ्चोदाहरन्त्यत्र श्लोकं नारायणं प्रति

Awakened by the predominance of sattva, and seeing the world empty, they cite here a verse about Narayana.

आपो नाराख्यास्तनव इत्यपान्नाम शुश्रुमः। आपूर्य नाभिं तत्रास्ते तेन नारायणः स्मृतः

We have heard that waters are called 'naras' and their spreading is 'tanava'; filling the navel, he dwells there, thus he is remembered as Narayana.

सहस्रशीर्षा सुमनाः सहस्रपात् सहस्रचक्षुर्वदनः सहस्रभुक्। सहस्रबाहुः प्रथमः प्रजा पतिस्त्रयीपथे यः पुरुषो निरुच्यते

The Purusha with a thousand heads, blessed mind, thousand feet, thousand eyes, mouths, and thousandfold consumption; thousand-armed, the first lord of creatures, who is declared in the threefold path.

आदित्यवर्णो भुवनस्य गोप्ता एको ह्यपूर्वः प्रथमं तुराषाट्। हिरण्यगर्भः पुरुषो महात्मा स पठ्यते वै तमसःपरस्तात्

Of the color of the sun, the sole protector of the world, unique and foremost, swift, the Purusha called Hiranyagarbha, the great soul, is spoken of as beyond darkness.

कल्पादौ रजसोद्रिक्तो ब्रह्मा भूत्वाऽसृजत् प्रजाः। कल्पान्ते तमसोद्रिक्तो कालो भूत्वाऽग्रसत् पुनः

At the beginning of the cycle, Brahma, dominated by rajas, created beings; at the end of the cycle, dominated by tamas, Time, having become supreme, devoured them again.

स वै नारायणा ख्यस्तु सत्त्वोद्रिक्तोऽर्णवे स्वपन्। त्रिधा विभज्य चात्मानं त्रैलोक्ये समवर्त्तत

He, known as Narayana, dominated by sattva, slept in the ocean; dividing himself threefold, he manifested in the three worlds.

सृजते ग्रसते चैव वीक्षन्ते च त्रिभिस्तु तान्। एकार्णवे तदा लोके नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे

He creates, devours, and observes them with those three; in that single ocean, when the world is lost, both stationary and moving.

चतुर्युगसहस्रान्ते सर्वतः सलिलावृते। ब्रह्मा नारायणाख्यस्तु अप्रकाशार्णवे स्वपन्

At the end of four thousand ages, when all is covered by water, Brahma called Narayana sleeps in the dark ocean, unmanifest.

चतुर्विधाः प्रजा ग्रस्त्वा ब्राह्म्यां रात्र्यां महार्णवे। पश्यन्ति तं महर्ल्लोकात् सुप्तं कालं महर्षयः

Having consumed the fourfold beings during Brahmā’s night in the great ocean, the great sages in the Maharloka behold time as asleep.

भृग्वादयो यथा सप्त कल्पे ह्यस्मिन् महर्षयः। ततो विवर्त्तमानैस्तैर्महान् परिगतः परः

Just as the seven sages beginning with Bhṛgu exist in this cycle, so too, when the cycle turns, the great is encompassed by those exalted ones.

गत्यर्थाद् ऋषयो धातोर्न्नामनिर्वृत्तिरादितः। तस्मादृषिपरत्वेन महांस्तस्मान्महर्षयः

The sages, from the root meaning of movement, have their name originating from the beginning; therefore, due to their supreme sagehood, they are called ‘maharṣis’.

महर्ल्लोकस्थितैर्दृष्टः कालः सुप्तस्तदा च तैः। सत्याद्याः सप्त येह्यासन् कल्पेऽतीते महर्षयः

Time, asleep, is seen by those dwelling in Maharloka; and in the past cycle, the seven sages beginning with Satya existed.

एवं ब्राह्मीषु रात्रीषु ह्यती तासु सहस्रशः। दृष्टवन्तस्तथा ह्यन्ये सुप्तं कालं महर्षयः

Thus, during countless Brahmā’s nights that have passed, other great sages likewise have witnessed time as asleep.

कल्पयामास वै ब्रह्मा तस्मात् कालो निरुच्यते

Brahmā indeed created the cycle; hence, time is so named.

स स्रष्टा सर्वभूतानां कल्पादिषु पुनः पुनः। व्यक्ताव्यक्तो महादेवस्तस्य सर्वमिदं जगत्

He is the creator of all beings, again and again at the beginning of cycles; the great god, manifest and unmanifest, and this entire world is his.

इत्येष प्रतिसन्धिर्वः कीर्त्तितः कल्पयोर्द्वयोः। साम्प्रतातीतयोर्मध्ये प्रागवस्था बभूव या

Thus, this continuity between the two cycles—past and present—has been described to you, along with the prior state that existed between them.

कीर्त्तिता तु समासेन कल्पे कल्पे यथा तथा। साम्प्रतं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि कल्पमेतं निबोधत

It has been recounted in brief how it is in each cycle; now I shall tell you of this present cycle, listen attentively.

तुल्यं युगसहस्रस्य नैशं कालमुपास्य सः। शर्वर्यन्ते प्रकुरुते ब्रह्मत्वं सर्गकारणात्

Having worshipped the night equal to a thousand ages, at the end of the darkness, he attains Brahmahood for the purpose of creation.

ब्रह्मा तु सलिले तस्मिन् वायुर्भूत्वा तदाचरत्। अन्धकारे तदा तस्मिन् नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे

Brahmā, in those waters, became the wind and moved therein; in that darkness, all that is stationary and moving was destroyed.

जलेन समनुव्याप्ते सर्वतः पृथिवीतले। अविभागेन भूतेषु समन्तात्सुस्थितेषु च

When water had thoroughly pervaded the earth everywhere, and all beings stood firmly, undivided, on all sides,