Vayu Purana

चीरपत्राजिनानि स्युर्द्धान्यमूलफलौषधम्। उभे सन्ध्येऽवगाहश्च होमश्वारण्य वासिनाम्

Bark garments, leaves, deer skin, grains, roots, fruits, and medicinal herbs, bathing at both twilights, and offering oblations—these are for those dwelling in the forest.

आसन्नमुसले भैक्षमस्तेयं शौचमेव च। अप्रमादोऽव्यवायश्च दया भूतेषु च क्षमा

Alms obtained near the threshing floor, non-stealing, purity, vigilance, celibacy, compassion towards beings, and forgiveness—these are prescribed.

अक्रोधो गुरुशुश्रूषा सत्यञ्च दशमं स्मृतम्। दशलक्षणिको ह्येष धर्मः प्रोक्तः स्वयम्भुवा

Absence of anger, service to the teacher, truthfulness—these are remembered as the tenth; thus, this tenfold characteristic of dharma has been declared by the Self-born.

भिक्षोर्व्रतानि पञ्चात्र पञ्चैवोपव्रतानि च। आचारशुद्धिर्नियमः शौचञ्च प्रतिकर्म च। सम्यग्दर्शनमित्येवं पञ्चैवोपव्रतान्यपि

For the mendicant, there are five vows and five subsidiary vows: purity of conduct, discipline, cleanliness, performance of duties, and right vision—these are the five subsidiary vows as well.

ध्यानं समाधिर्मनसेन्द्रियाणां ससागरैर्भैक्षमथोपगम्य। मौनं पवित्रोपचितैर्विमुक्तिः परिव्रजो धर्ममिमं वदन्ति

Meditation, concentration, control of mind and senses, alms obtained from the ocean of people, silence, purity accumulated—these are said to be the path of liberation for the wandering ascetic.

सर्वे ते श्रेयसे प्रोक्तो आश्रमा ब्रहमणा स्वयम्। सत्यार्ज्जवन्तपः क्षान्तिर्योगेज्या दमपूर्विका

All these stages of life have been declared by Brahmā himself for the highest good: truthfulness, uprightness, austerity, forbearance, yoga, sacrifice, and self-control as their foundation.

वेदाः साङ्गाश्च यज्ञाश्च व्रतानि नियमाश्च ये। न सिद्ध्यन्ति प्रदुष्टस्य भावदोष उपागते

The Vedas with their auxiliaries, sacrifices, vows, and disciplines—none of these succeed for one whose mind is corrupted by faults.

बहिः कर्माणि सर्वाणि प्रसिद्धयन्ति कदाचन। अन्तर्भावप्रदुष्टस्य कुर्वतोऽपि पराक्रमान्

All external actions may sometimes become renowned, but for one whose inner disposition is corrupted, even great efforts do not succeed.

सर्वस्वमपि योदद्यात् कलुषेणान्तरात्मना। न तेन धर्मभाक् स स्याद्भाव एवात्र कारणम्

Even if one were to give away all his possessions with an impure heart, he would not become a partaker of dharma; for the inner disposition alone is the cause here.

एवं देवाः सपितर ऋषयो मनवस्तथा। तेषां स्थानममुष्मिस्तु संस्थितानां प्रचक्षते

Thus, the gods, ancestors, sages, and Manus—their abodes are declared to be in that world for those who are established there.

अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि ऋषीणामूर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्। स्मृतं तु तेषां तत्स्थानं तदेव गुरुवासिनाम्

Eighty-eight thousand sages of pure celibacy are remembered; their abode is indeed that, as is the place of those who dwell with their teacher.

सप्तर्षीणान्तु यत्श्थानं स्मृतन्तद्वै दिवौकसाम्। प्राजापत्यं गृहस्थानां न्यासिनां ब्रह्मणः क्षयः। योगिनाममृतं स्थानं नानाधीनां न विद्यते

The abode of the Seven Sages is remembered as that of the dwellers in heaven; the householder's is that of the progenitors; for renouncers, it is the realm of Brahmā; for yogins, the immortal state—there is no fixed abode for those of various disciplines.

स्थानान्याश्रमिणां तानि ये स्वधर्मे व्यवस्थिताः। चत्वार एते पन्थानो देवयाना विनिर्मिताः

These are the abodes of those in the stages of life who are established in their own dharma; these four paths have been created as the way to the gods.

ब्रह्मणा लोकतन्त्रेण आद्ये मन्वन्तरे भुवि। पन्थानो देवयानाय तेषां द्वारं रविः स्मृतः

By Brahmā, with the system of the worlds, in the first age of Manu on earth, these paths were established for the way to the gods; their gate is said to be the sun.

तथैव पितृयाणानां चन्द्रमाद्वारमुच्यते। एवं वर्णाश्रमाणां वै प्रविभागे कृते तदा। यदास्य न व्यवर्त्तन्त प्रजा वर्णाश्रमात्मिकाः

Likewise, for the paths of the ancestors, the moon is said to be the gate. Thus, when the division of classes and stages of life was made, the people did not deviate from their respective duties.

ततोऽन्या मानसीः सोऽथ त्रेतामगध्येऽसृजत् प्रजाः। आत्मनः स्वशरीराच्च तुल्याश्वैवात्मना तु वै

Then, he created other mind-born beings in the Treta age in Magadha, from his own self and from his own body, equal to himself in essence.

तस्मिस्त्रेतायुगे त्वाद्ये मध्यं प्राप्ते क्रमेण तु। ततोऽन्या मानसीस्तत्र प्रजाः स्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे

In that first Treta Yuga, when the middle period arrived in due course, he again began to create other mind-born beings there.

ततः सत्त्वरजोद्रिक्ताः प्रजाः सोऽथासृजत् प्रभुः। धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां वार्त्तायाश्चैव साधिकाः

Then the Lord created beings dominated by sattva and rajas, endowed with the pursuits of dharma, artha, kama, moksha, and also with means of livelihood.

देवाश्च पितरश्चैव ऋषयो मनवस्तथा। युगानुरूपा धर्मेण यैरिमा विचिताः प्रजाः

The gods, the ancestors, the sages, and the Manus as well—these diverse beings were created according to the yuga, by those who uphold dharma.

उपस्थिते तदा तस्मिन् प्रजाधर्मे स्वयम्मुवः। अभिदध्यौ प्रजाः सर्वा नानारूपास्तु मानसीः

Then, when that law of beings was established, Svayambhuva contemplated all the various forms of mind-born beings.

पूर्वोक्ता या मया तुभ्यञ्जनलोकं समाश्रिताः। कल्पेऽतीते तु ते ह्यासन् देवाद्यास्तु प्रजा इह

Those beings I previously mentioned to you, who have taken refuge in the world of Janas, were the gods and others in the past kalpa, here.

ध्यायतस्तस्य ताः सर्वाः सम्भूत्यर्थमुपस्थिताः। मन्वन्तरक्रमेणेह कनिष्ठे प्रथमे मताः

As he meditated, all those beings appeared for the sake of manifestation, considered to be the youngest in the first cycle of the Manvantara here.

ख्यात्यानुबन्धैस्तैस्तैस्तु सर्वार्थैरिह भाविताः। कुशलाकुशलप्रायैः कर्मभिस्तैः सदा प्रजाः। तत्कर्मफलशेषेण उपष्टब्धाः प्रजज्ञिरे

Endowed with various reputations and connections, and shaped by all kinds of actions—good and bad—the beings were always supported by the residue of their past deeds and were born accordingly.

देवासुरपितृत्वैश्च पशुपक्षिसरीसृपैः। वृक्षनारकिकीटत्वै स्तैस्तैर्भावैरुपस्थिताः। आधीनांर्थ प्रजानाञ्च आत्मनो वै विनिर्ममे

Arriving with the states of gods, asuras, ancestors, animals, birds, reptiles, trees, beings of hell, and insects, he fashioned the beings according to those forms, each dependent on their own nature.

ततोऽभिध्यायतस्तस्य जज्ञिरे मानसीप्रजाः। तच्छरीरसमुत्पन्नैः कार्यैस्तैः कारणैः सह। क्षेत्रज्ञाः समवर्त्तन्त गात्रेभ्यस्तस्य धीमतः

Then, as he meditated, mind-born beings were produced from him, along with the effects and causes that arose from his own body; the knowers of the field came forth from the limbs of that wise one.

ततो देवासुरपितॄन् मानवञ्च चतुष्टयम्। सिसृक्षुम्भांस्येतांश्च स्वात्मना समयूयुजत्

Then, desiring to create, he joined together by his own will the four groups: gods, asuras, ancestors, and humans.

युक्तात्मनस्ततस्तस्य ततो मात्रा स्वयम्भुवः। तमभिध्यायतः सर्गं प्रयत्नोऽभुत् प्रजापतेः

With his mind thus engaged, and with the measures of Svayambhu established, as he meditated, the act of creation became an effort for the Lord of beings.

ततोऽस्य जघनात् पूर्वमसुरा जज्ञिरे सुताः। असुः प्राणः स्मृतो विप्रा स्तज्जन्मानस्ततोऽसुराः

Then, from his lower body, the asuras were first born as sons; since 'asu' means life-breath, O sages, they were called asuras from that birth.

यया सृष्टाः सुरास्तन्वा तां तनुं स व्यपोहत। सापविद्धा तनुस्तेन सद्यो रात्रिरजायत

The form by which the gods were created, he cast off that body; that discarded body became night at once.