Vayu Purana

ऋषीणामग्निकल्पानां नैमिषारण्यवासिनाम् । ऋषिः श्रुतिधरः प्राज्ञः सावर्णिर्न्नाम नामतः ।। २१.

Among the sages resembling fire, dwelling in Naimisha forest, there was a sage, wise and learned in the scriptures, named Savarni.

तेषां सोप्यग्रतो भूत्वा वायुं वाक्यविशारदः। सातत्यं तत्र कुर्वन्तं प्रियार्थे सत्रयाजिनाम्। विनयेनोपसंगम्य पप्रच्छ स महाद्युतिम् ।। २१.

He, standing before them, approached Vayu, eloquent in speech, who was continually engaged there for the sake of the sacrificial priests, and with humility, asked the radiant one.

विभो पुराणसं बद्धां कथां वै वेदसंमिताम्। श्रोतुमिच्छामहे सम्यक् प्रसादात्सर्वदर्शिनः ।। २१.

O Lord, we wish to hear the ancient story bound by tradition, in accordance with the Vedas, from you, the all-seeing, with your grace.

हिरण्यगर्भो भगवान् ललाटान्नीललोहितम्। कथं तत्तेजसं देवं लब्धवान् पुत्रमात्मनः ।। २१.

How did the blessed Hiranyagarbha, from his forehead, obtain the blue-red one as his son, the divine being of that radiance?

कथं च भगवान् जज्ञे ब्रह्मा कमलसंभवः। रुद्रत्वं चैव सर्वस्य स्वात्मजस्य कथं पुनः ।। २१.

And how was the blessed Brahma, lotus-born, created? How did his own son again become Rudra of all?

कथं च विष्णो रुद्रेण सार्द्धं प्रीतिरनुत्तमा। सर्वे विष्णुमया देवा सर्वे विष्णुमया गणाः ।। २१.

And how did Vishnu, together with Rudra, have supreme affection? All gods are pervaded by Vishnu, all hosts are pervaded by Vishnu.

न च विष्णुसमा काचिद्गतिरन्या विधीयते। इत्येवं सततं देवा गायन्ते नात्र संशयः। भवस्य सकथं नित्यं प्रणामं कुरुते हरिः ।। २१.

Nor is any other path prescribed equal to Vishnu; thus, the gods always sing, there is no doubt; how does Hari always perform salutation to Bhava?

एवमुक्ते तु भगवान् वायुः सावर्णिमब्रवीत्। अहो साधु त्वया साधो पृष्टः प्रश्नो ह्यनुत्तमः ।। २१.

When this was spoken, the blessed Vāyu said to Sāvarṇi: 'Ah, well done, O noble one! You have asked an excellent question, truly unsurpassed.'

भवस्य पुत्रजन्मत्वं ब्रह्मणः सोऽभवद्यथा। ब्रह्मणः पद्म योनित्वं रुद्रत्वं शंकरस्य च ।। २१.

The birth of Bhava as a son, how he came from Brahmā; Brahmā's birth from the lotus, and Śaṃkara's becoming Rudra—

द्वाभ्यामपि च सम्प्रीतिर् विष्णोश्चैव भवस्य च । यच्चापि कुरुते नित्यं प्रणामं शंकरस्य च। विस्तरेणानुपूर्व्याच्च श्रृणुत ब्रुवतो मम ।। २१.

And the mutual affection between Viṣṇu and Bhava, and also the constant reverence shown to Śaṃkara—hear all this from me in detail and proper order as I speak.

मन्वन्तरस्य संहारे पश्चिमस्य महात्मनः। आसीत्तु सप्तमः कल्पः पद्मो नाम द्विजोत्तम। वाराहः साम्प्रतस्तेषां तस्य वक्ष्यामि विस्तरम् ।। २१.

At the dissolution of the last Manvantara of the great-souled one, there was the seventh Kalpa, called Padma, O best of twice-born; now, the present one is Vārāha—I will explain its details.

कियता चैव कालेन कल्पः सम्भवते कथम्। किं च प्रमाणं कल्पस्य तत्र प्रब्रूहि पृच्छताम् ।। २१.

By what measure of time does a Kalpa arise, and how? What is the duration of a Kalpa? Tell that, as it is questioned.

मन्वन्तराणां सप्तानां कालसंख्या यथाक्रमम्। प्रवक्ष्यामि समासेन ब्रुवतो मे निबोधत ।। २१.

I will declare, in summary and in order, the reckoning of time for the seven Manvantaras; listen as I speak.

कोटीनां द्वे सहस्रे वै अष्टौ कोटिशतानि च । द्विषष्टिश्च तथा कोट्यो नियुतानि च सप्ततिः। कल्पार्द्धस्य तु संख्यायामेतत् सर्वमुदाहृतम् ।। २१.

Two thousand crores, and eight hundred crore hundreds, and sixty-two crores, and seventy niyutas—this is all stated as the number for half a Kalpa.

पूर्वोक्तौ च गुणच्छेदौ वर्षाग्रं लब्दमादिशेत् । शतं चैव तु कोटीनां कोटीनामष्टसप्ततिः। द्वे च शतसहस्रे तु नवतिर्नियुतानि च ।। २१.

As previously mentioned, the division and multiplication yield the measure of years: one hundred crores, then seventy-eight crores, two hundred thousand, and ninety niyutas.

मानुषेण प्रमाणेन यावद्वैवस्वतान्तरम्। एष कल्पस्तु विज्ञेयः कल्पार्द्धद्विगुणीकृतः ।। २१.

By human reckoning, up to the end of Vaivasvata Manu, this is to be understood as a Kalpa, which is twice the measure of half a Kalpa.

अनागतानां सप्तानामेतदेव यथाक्रमम्। प्रमाणं कालसंख्याया विज्ञेयं मतमैश्वरम् ।। २१.

For the seven future Manvantaras as well, this same reckoning of time is to be known, according to the divine view.

नियुतान्यष्टपञ्चाशत्तथाऽशीतिशतानि च। चतुरशीतिश्चवान्यानि प्रयुतानि प्रमाणतः ।। २१.

Fifty-eight niyutas, and eighty hundreds, and eighty-four prayutas—this is the measure.

सप्तर्षयो मनुश्चैव देवाश्चेन्द्रपुरोगमाः। एतत् कालस्य विज्ञेयं वर्षाग्रन्तु प्रमाणतः ।। २१.

The Seven Sages, Manu, and the gods led by Indra—this is the measure of years for them, to be understood.

एवं मन्वन्तरं तेषां मानुषान्तः प्रकीर्त्तितः। प्रणवान्ताशचव ये देवाः साध्या देवगणाश्च ये। विश्वेदेवाशचव ये नित्याः कल्पं जीवन्ति ते गणाः ।। २१.

Thus, the Manvantara for them is said to end with humanity; and those gods who end with the syllable 'praṇava', the Sādhyas, and the groups of Viśvedevas—these eternal groups live for a Kalpa.

अयं यो वर्त्तते कल्पो वाराहः स तु कीर्त्त्यते। यस्मिन् स्वायम्भुवाद्याश्च मनवश्च चतुर्द्दश ।। २१.

This Kalpa that is now ongoing is called Vārāha, in which there are the fourteen Manus, beginning with Svāyambhuva.

कस्माद्वाराहकल्पोयं नामतः परिकीर्तितः। कस्माच्च कारणाद्देवो वराह इति कीर्त्त्यते ।। २१.

Why is this Kalpa called Vārāha by name? And for what reason is the god called Varāha?

को वा वराहो भगवान् कस्य योनिः किमात्मकः। वराहः कथमुत्पन्न एतदिच्छाम वेदितुम् ।। २१.

Who indeed is the blessed Varāha? Of whom is he born, and what is his nature? How did Varāha come into being? We wish to know this.

वराहस्तु यथोत्पन्नो यस्मिन्नर्थे च कल्पितः। वाराहश्च यथा कल्पः कल्पत्वं कल्पना च या ।। २१.

How Varāha was born, for what purpose he was conceived, and how the Kalpa is called Vārāha, and what is meant by 'Kalpa' and its conception—

कल्पयोरन्तरं यच्च तस्य चास्य च कल्पितम्। तत्सर्वं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् ।। २१.

The difference between Kalpas, and what is imagined for each—this all I will now explain, as I have seen and heard.

भवस्तु प्रथमः कल्पो लोकादौ प्रथितः पुरा। ज्ञातव्यो भगवानत्र ह्यानन्दः साम्प्रतः स्वयम् ।। २१.

Bhava is the first kalpa, renowned since the beginning of the worlds; here, the Lord is to be understood as Ananda, manifest at present.

ब्रह्मस्थानमिदं दिव्यं प्राप्तं वा दिव्यसम्भवम्। द्वितीयस्तु भुवः कल्पस्तृतीयस्तप उच्यते ।। २१.

This is the divine seat of Brahma, attained or of divine origin; the second is the Bhuvaḥ kalpa, and the third is called Tapas.

भवश्चतुर्थो विज्ञेयः पंचमो रम्भ एव च। ऋतुकल्पस्तथा षष्ठः सप्तमस्तु क्रतुः स्मृतः ।। २१.

Bhava is known as the fourth, Rambha as the fifth; Ṛtu-kalpa is the sixth, and Kratu is remembered as the seventh.

अष्टमस्तु भवेद्वह्निर्नवमो हव्यवहनः। सावित्रो दशमः कल्पो भुवस्त्वेकादशः स्मृतः ।। २१.

The eighth is Vahni, the ninth is Havyavahana; the tenth kalpa is Sāvitri, and the eleventh is called Bhuvas.