Vayu Purana

सप्त द्वीपाः समुद्राश्च अन्योन्यस्य तु मण्डलम्। सन्निकृष्टाः स्वभावेन समावृत्य परस्परम्

The seven islands and oceans, each encircling the other, are naturally close together, surrounding one another.

भूराख्यांश्चतुरो लोकांश्चन्द्रादित्यौ ग्रहैः सह। पूर्वं तु निर्म्ममे ब्रह्मा स्थानानीमानि सर्वशः

Brahmā first created the earth named Bhū, the four worlds, the moon and sun along with the planets, and all these places entirely.

कल्पस्य चास्य ब्रह्मा वै ह्यसृजत् स्थानिनः पुरा। आपोऽग्रिः पृथिवी वायुरन्तरिक्षं दिवं तथा

At the beginning of this kalpa, Brahmā formerly created the stationary elements: waters, fire, earth, wind, space, and also the heavens.

स्वर्गं दिशः समुद्रांश्च नदीः सर्वांश्च पर्वतान्। ओषधीनां तथात्मानमात्मानं वृक्षवीरुधाम्

He created heaven, the directions, the oceans, all the rivers and mountains, as well as the essence of herbs and of trees and plants.

लवाः काष्ठाः कलाश्चैव मुहूर्तं सन्धिरात्र्यहम्। अर्द्धमासांश्च मासांश्च अयनाब्दयुगानि च

He created moments, time divisions, lunar days, conjunctions, nights and days, fortnights, months, solstices, years, and ages.

स्थानाभिमानिनश्चैव स्थानानि च पृथक् पृथक्। स्थानात्मानः स सृष्ट्वा वै युगावस्थां विनिर्ममे

He also created the presiding deities of the places and the places themselves, each separately; having created the essences of the places, he established the order of the ages.

कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च कलिं चैव तथा युगम्। कल्पस्यादौ कृतयुगे प्रथमे सोऽसृजत् प्रजाः

The Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali ages—at the beginning of the kalpa, in the first Kṛta age, he created the beings.

प्रागुक्ता या मया तुभ्यं पूर्वकालं प्रजास्तु ताः। तस्मिन् संवर्त्तमाने तु कल्पे दग्धास्तदाऽग्निना

The beings I previously described to you, those from the earlier time—when that kalpa was dissolved, they were then burned by fire.

अप्राप्ता यास्तपोलोकं जनलोकं समाश्रिताः। प्रवर्तन्ति पुनः सर्गे बीजार्थं ता भवन्ति हि

Those who had not reached Tapoloka but had taken refuge in Janaloka, they again manifest at creation, serving as seeds.

बीजार्थेन स्थितास्तत्र पुनः सर्गस्य कारणात्। ततस्ताः सृज्यमानास्तु सन्तानार्थं भवन्ति हि

Remaining there for the sake of the seed, they become the cause of the new creation; then, when they are created, they exist for the sake of continuation.

धर्म्मार्थकाममोक्षाणामिह ताः साधकाः स्मृताः। देवाश्च पितरश्चैव ऋषयो मनवस्तथा

Here, they are considered the accomplishers of righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation; they are the gods, ancestors, seers, and Manus.

ततस्ते तपसा युक्तः स्थानान्यापूरयन्ति हि। ब्रह्मणो मानसास्ते वै सिद्धात्मानो भवन्ति हि

Endowed with asceticism, they fill the places; born from the mind of Brahmā, they become perfected beings.

ये सर्गा द्वेषयुक्तेन कर्मणा ते दिवं गताः। आवर्त्तमाना इह ते सम्भवन्ति युगे युगे

Those who, through actions tainted by aversion, have gone to heaven, return here and are born again in each age.

स्वकर्मफलशेषेण ख्याताश्चैव तथात्मिकाः। संभवन्ति जनाल्लोकात् कर्मसंशयबन्धनात्

By the remaining results of their own actions, beings, known and of such nature, arise from the world of people, bound by the uncertainty of karma.

आशयः कारणं तत्र बोद्धव्यं कर्मणां तु सः। तैः कर्मभिस्तु जायन्ते जनाल्लोकाः शुभाशुभैः

Intention is to be understood as the cause there; it is indeed the basis of actions. By those actions, beings and worlds are born, whether auspicious or inauspicious.

गृह्णन्ति ते शरीराणि नानारूपाणि योनिषु। देवाद्यस्थावरान्ते च उत्पद्यन्ते परस्परम्

They take on bodies of various forms in different wombs, from gods down to immovable beings, and are born in mutual succession.

तेषां ये यानि कर्माणि प्राक् सृष्टेः प्रतिपेदिरे। तान्येते प्रतिपद्यन्ते सृज्यमानाः पुनः पुनः

The actions which they had acquired before creation, those very actions these newly created beings repeatedly assume.

हिस्राहिंस्रे मृदुक्रूरे धर्माधर्मे ऋतानृते। तद्भाविताः प्रपद्यन्ते तस्मात्तत्तस्य रोचते

Shaped by violence or nonviolence, gentleness or cruelty, righteousness or unrighteousness, truth or falsehood, they attain corresponding states; therefore, each is drawn to what accords with their nature.

कल्पेष्वासन् व्यतीतेषु रूपनामानि यानि च। तान्येवानागते काले प्रायशः प्रतिपेदिरे

The forms and names that existed in past cycles, those very ones are generally assumed again in future times.

तस्मात्तु नामरूपाणि तान्येव प्रतिपेदिरे। पुनः पुनस्ते कल्पेषु जायन्ते नामरूपतः

Therefore, those same names and forms are assumed again; in each cycle, they are born repeatedly with those names and forms.

ततः सर्गे ह्यवष्टब्धे सिसृक्षोर्ब्रह्मणस्तु वै। प्रजास्ता ध्यायतस्तस्य सत्याभिध्यायिनस्तदा

Then, when creation was established and Brahmā desired to create, those beings came forth as he meditated, intent on truth.

मिथुनानां सहस्रन्तु सोऽसृजद्वै मुखात्तदा। जनास्ते ह्युपपद्यन्ते सत्त्वोद्रिक्ताः सुचेतसः

At that time, he created a thousand pairs from his mouth; those beings, endowed with abundant sattva and clear minds, were born accordingly.

सहस्रमन्यद्वक्षस्तो मिथुनानां ससर्ज्ज ह। ते सर्वे रजसोद्रिक्ताः शुष्मिणश्चाप्यशुष्मिणः

He then created another thousand pairs from his chest; all of them, dominated by rajas, were both energetic and lacking energy.

सृष्ट्वा सहस्रमन्यत्तु द्वन्द्वानामूरुतः पुनः। रजस्तमोभ्यामुद्रिक्ता ईहाशीलास्तु ते स्मृताः

Again, he created another thousand pairs from his arms; these, dominated by rajas and tamas, are known to be driven by desire and habit.

पद्भ्यां सहस्रमन्यत्तु मिथुनानां ससर्ज्ज ह। उद्रिक्तास्तमसा सर्वे निःश्रीका ह्यल्पतेजसः

From his feet, he created yet another thousand pairs; all of these, dominated by tamas, were devoid of splendor and had little energy.

ततो वै हर्षमानास्ते द्वन्द्वोत्पन्नास्तु प्राणिनः। अन्योन्या हृच्छपाविप्टा मैथुनायोपचक्रमुः

Then, those beings born in pairs, filled with joy, overcome by mutual desire in their hearts, began to engage in union.

ततःप्रभृति कल्पेऽस्मिन् मिथुनोत्पत्तिरुच्यते। मासे मासेर्त्तवं यद्यत्तदाज्ञासिद्धि योषितात्

From that time in this cycle, the origin of pairs is declared; in each month, conception occurs according to the command and fulfillment in women.

तस्मात्तदा न सुषुवुः सेवितैरपि मैथुनैः। आयुषोऽन्ते प्रसूयन्ते मिथुनान्येव ते सकृत्

Therefore, at that time, they did not conceive even through repeated unions; only at the end of life do those pairs produce offspring, and that only once.

कुटकाः कुविकाश्चैव उत्पद्यन्ते मुमूर्षिताः। ततःप्रभृति कल्पेऽस्मिन् मिथुनानां हि सम्भवः

Kuṭakas and Kuvikas are born among those about to die; from that time in this cycle, the origin of pairs indeed occurs.