Vayu Purana

प्रजाः स्रष्टुं तथाकूतिं यस्मादाह प्रजापतिः। तस्मात् स पुरुषो ज्ञेय आकूतिः कल्पसंज्ञितः ।। २१.

Because Prajapati spoke of Akuti for the creation of beings, therefore that person is to be known as Akuti, named as a kalpa.

पञ्चविंशतिमः कल्पो विज्ञातिः परिकीर्त्तितः। विज्ञातिश्च तथा देवी मिथुनं सम्प्रसूयते ।। २१.

The twenty-fifth kalpa is called Vijnati; Vijnati, the goddess, together with her mate, was born.

ध्यायतः पुत्रकामस्य मनस्यध्यात्मसंज्ञितम्। विज्ञातं वै समासेन विज्ञातिस्तु ततः स्मृतः ।। २१.

As Brahma, desiring sons, meditated with a mind intent on knowledge, knowledge arose in summary, and thus Vijnati is remembered.

षड्‌विंशस्तु ततः कल्पो मन इत्यभिधीयते। देवी च शाङ्करी नाम मिथुनं सम्प्रसूयते ।। २१.

The twenty-sixth kalpa is then called Mana; the goddess named Shankari, together with her mate, was born.

प्रजा वै चिन्तमानस्य स्रष्टुकामस्य वै तदा। यस्मात् प्रजासम्भवनादुत्पन्नस्तु स्वयम्भुवा । तस्मात् प्रजासम्भवनाद्भावनासम्भवः स्मृतः ।। २१.

When, desiring to create beings, he was reflecting, and from that reflection beings arose from the self-born one, therefore, from the arising of beings, it is remembered as Bhavana-sambhava.

सप्तविंशतिमः कल्पो भावो वै कल्पसंज्ञितः। पौर्णमासी तथा देवी मिथुनं समपद्यत ।। २१.

The twenty-seventh kalpa is called Bhava; the goddess Paurnamasi, together with her mate, was born.

प्रजा वै स्रष्टुकामस्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः। ध्यायतस्तु परं ध्यानं परमात्मानमीश्वरम् ।। २१.

Desiring to create beings, Brahma, the supreme lord, meditated upon the supreme meditation, the supreme self, the Lord.

अग्निस्तु मण्डलीभूत्वा रश्मिजालसमावृतः । भुवन्दिवञ्चविष्टभ्य दीप्यते स महावपुः ।। २१.

Agni, having become circular and enveloped in a net of rays, blazed forth, spanning the earth and the heavens with his great form.

ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते सम्पूर्णे ज्योतिमण्डले। आविष्टया सहोत्पन्नमपश्यत् सूर्यमण्डलम् ।। २१.

Then, at the end of a thousand years, when the circle of light was complete, he saw the solar orb arise together with that radiance.

यस्माददृश्यो भूतानां ब्रह्मणा परमेष्ठिना। दृष्टस्तु भगवान् देवः सूर्य्यः सम्पूर्णमण्डलः ।। २१.

Because the Lord, the supreme Brahma, who was invisible to beings, was seen as the blessed god Surya, with his full orb.

सर्व्वे योगाश्च मन्त्राश्च मण्डलेन सहोत्थिताः। यस्मात् कल्पो ह्ययं दृष्टस्तस्मात्तं दर्श मुच्यते ।। २१.

All yogas and mantras arose together with the orb; because this kalpa was seen, it is therefore called Darsha.

यस्मान्मनसि सम्पूर्णो ब्रहमणः परमेष्ठिनः। पुरा वै भगवान् सोमः पौर्णमासी ततः स्मृता ।। २१.

Because the revered Soma, complete in the mind of the supreme Brahma, was formerly present, therefore the full moon is remembered as Paurṇamāsī.

तस्मात्तु पर्वदर्शे वै पौर्णमासञ्च योगिभिः। उभयोः पक्षयोर्ज्येष्ठमात्मनो हितकाम्यया ।। २१.

Therefore, on the day of Parvadarśa and Paurṇamāsa, the yogis, desiring their own welfare, consider these two as the foremost in both fortnights.

दर्शञ्च पौर्णमासञ्च ये यजन्ति द्विजातयः। न तेषां पुनरावृत्तिर्ब्रह्मलोकात् कदाचन ।। २१.

Those twice-born who perform the Darśa and Paurṇamāsa sacrifices never return from the world of Brahma.

योऽनाहिताग्निः प्रयतो वीराध्वानं गतोपि वा । समाधाय मनस्तीव्रं मन्त्रमुच्चारयेच्छनैः ।। २१.

Even one who has not established the sacred fires, if pure and having undertaken the path of heroes, should fix his mind intensely and softly recite the mantra.

त्वमग्ने रुद्रो असुरो मही दिवस्त्वं शर्व्वो मारुतं पृष्ट ईशिषे। * त्वं पाशगन्धर्व्वशिषं पूषा विधत्तपासिना। इत्येव मन्त्रं मनसा सम्यगुच्चारयेद्द्विजः। अग्निं प्रविशते यस्तु रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति ।। २१.

"You, Agni, are Rudra, the Asura, great in the heavens; you are Śarva, the lord of the Maruts; you are Pāśa, Gandharva, Śiṣa, Pūṣan, the giver with the axe." Thus, a twice-born should properly recite this mantra in his mind; whoever enters the fire goes to the world of Rudra.

सोमश्चाग्निस्तु भगवान् कालो रुद्र इति श्रुतिः। तस्माद्यः प्रविशेदग्निं स रुद्रान्न निवर्त्तते ।। २१.

The scripture declares that Soma, Agni, Bhagavān, Kāla, and Rudra are one; therefore, whoever enters the fire does not return from Rudra.

अष्टाविंशतिमः कल्पो बृहदित्यभिसंज्ञितः। ब्रह्मणः पुत्रकामस्य स्रष्ठुकामस्य वै प्रजाः। ध्यायमानस्य मनसा बृहत्साम रथन्तरम् ।। २१.

The twenty-eighth kalpa is known as Bṛhat; when Brahma, desiring sons and creation, was meditating with his mind, the Bṛhat Sāman and Rathantara arose.

यस्मात्तत्र समुत्पन्नो बृहतः सर्व्वतोमुखः। तस्मात्तु बृहतः कल्पो विज्ञेयस्तत्त्वचिन्तकैः ।। २१.

Because from that Bṛhat, facing all directions, arose, therefore, the kalpa is to be known as Bṛhat by those who contemplate the truth.

अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणां योजनानां प्रमाणतः । रथन्तरन्तुविज्ञेयं परमं सूर्य्यमण्डलम्। तस्मादण्डन्तु विज्ञेयमभेद्यं सूर्यमण्डलम् ।। २१.

The supreme solar orb, called Rathantara, is to be known as measuring eighty-four thousand yojanas; therefore, the solar orb is to be understood as the indivisible sphere.

यत्सूर्य्यमण्डलञ्चापि बृहत्साम तु भिद्यते। भित्वा चैवं द्विजा यान्ति योगात्मानो दृढव्रताः। सङ्घातमुपनीताश्च अन्ये कल्पा रथन्तरे ।। २१.

When the solar orb is divided by the Bṛhat Sāman, then, having thus broken through, the steadfast yogins, devoted to vows, proceed; and other kalpas are brought together in the Rathantara.

इत्येतत्तु मया प्रोक्तं चित्रमध्यात्मदर्शनम्। अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि कल्पानां विस्तरं शुभम् ।। २१.

Thus I have spoken to you of the wondrous inner vision; now I shall further declare the auspicious expanse of the kalpas.

अत्यद्भुतमिदं सर्व्वं कल्पानान्ते महामुने। रहस्यं वै समाख्यातं मन्त्राणाञ्च प्रकल्पनम् ।। २२.

All this is most marvelous at the end of the kalpas, O great sage; the secret has indeed been told, as well as the arrangement of the mantras.

न तवाविदितं किञ्चित् त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते। तस्माद्विस्तरतः सर्व्वाः कल्पसंख्या ब्रवीहि नः ।। २२.

Nothing is unknown to you in the three worlds; therefore, tell us in detail the full number of the kalpas.

अत्र वः कथयिष्यामि कल्पसंख्यां यथा तथा। युगाग्रं च वर्षाग्रन्तु ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः ।। २२.

Here I shall tell you, just as it is, the number of kalpas, as well as the beginning of yugas and years of the supreme Brahma.

एकं कल्पसहस्रन्तु ब्रह्मणोऽब्दः प्रकीर्त्तितः। एतदष्टसहस्रन्तु ब्रह्मणस्तद्युगं स्मृतम् ।। २२.

A thousand kalpas is said to be a year of Brahma; eight thousand such is remembered as a yuga of Brahma.

एकं युगसहस्रन्तु सवनं तत् प्रजापतेः। सवनानां सहस्रन्तु द्विगुणं त्रिवृतं तथा ।। २२.

A thousand yugas is the savana of Prajāpati; and a thousand savanas, twice and thrice that, as well.

ब्रह्मणः स्थितिकालस्य चैतत् सर्वं प्रकीर्तितम्। तस्य संख्यां प्रवक्ष्यामि पुरस्ताद्वै यथाक्रमम् ।। २२.

All this is declared as the duration of Brahma's existence; I shall tell you the reckoning of that in order, from the beginning.

अष्टाविंशतिर्ये कल्पा नामतः परिकीर्तिताः। तैषां पुरस्ताद्वक्ष्यामि कल्पसंज्ञां, यथाक्रमम् ।। २२.

The twenty-eight kalpas that are named, I shall now declare their names to you, in order, from the beginning.