Vayu Purana

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.

सा तमोबहुला यस्मात्ततो रात्रिस्त्रियामिका। आवृतास्तमसा रात्रौ प्रजास्तस्मात् स्वयम्भुवः

Because that night was full of darkness, it is called the triple-night; in that night, beings of Svayambhu were enveloped by darkness.

दृष्ट्वा सुरांस्तु देवेशस्तनुमन्यामपद्यत। अव्यक्तां सत्त्वबहुलां ततस्तां सोऽभ्ययूयुजत्। ततस्तां युञ्जतस्तस्य प्रियमासीत् प्रभोः किल

Seeing the gods, the Lord of the gods assumed another form, unmanifest and full of sattva; then he united with that form, and as he did so, the Lord was pleased.

ततो मुखे समुत्पन्ना दीव्यतस्तस्य देवताः। यतोऽस्य दीव्यतो जातास्तेन देवाः प्रकीर्त्तिताः

Then, as he shone, the gods were produced from his mouth; because they were born as he shone, they are therefore called 'devas'.

धातुर्द्दिवीति यः प्रोक्तः क्रीडायां स विभाव्यते। तस्यान्तन्वान्तु दिव्यायां जज्ञिरे तेन देवताः

He who is called 'dhatur diviti' in play is thus understood; from that divine form of his, the gods were born.

देवान् सृष्ट्वाथ देवेशस्तनुमन्यामपद्यत। सत्त्वमात्रात्मिकां देवस्ततोऽन्यां सोऽभ्यपद्यत ॥१.९.

Having created the gods, the Lord of the gods then assumed another form; the god took on a body composed solely of sattva, and thereafter he assumed yet another form.

पितृवन्मन्यमानस्तान् पुत्रान् प्राध्यायत प्रभुः। पितरो ह्युपपक्षाभ्यां रात्र्यह्नोरन्तरासृजत्। तस्मात्ते पितरो देवाः पुत्रत्वन्तेन तेषु तत्

Considering them as sons, the Lord desired them; indeed, he created the Pitṛs in the interval between night and day by two wings; therefore, those Pitṛs are divine, and their sonship is thus established among them.

यया सृष्टास्तु पितरस्तान्तनुं स व्यपोहत। सापविद्धा तनुस्तेन सद्यः सन्ध्या प्रजायत

By the form through which the Pitṛs were created, he discarded that body; that discarded form immediately became Sandhyā.

तस्मादहस्तु देवानां रात्रिर्या साऽसुरी स्मृता। तयोर्मध्ये तु वै पैत्री या तनुः सा गरीयसी

Therefore, day belongs to the gods, and night is considered asuric; between these two, the Pitṛ form is the most significant.

तस्माद्देवासुराः सर्वे ऋषयो मनवस्तथा। ते युक्तास्तामुपासन्ते ब्रह्मणो मध्यमान्तनुम्

Thus, all gods, asuras, sages, and Manus, united, worship that middle form of Brahmā.

ततोऽन्यां स पुनर्ब्रह्मा तनुं वै प्रत्यपद्यत। रजोमात्रात्मिकायान्तु मनसा सोऽसृजत् प्रभुः

Then again, Brahmā assumed another form; composed solely of rajas, the Lord created by his mind.