Vayu Purana

द्वाविंशे परिवर्त्ते तु व्यासः शुक्लायनो यदा। तदाऽप्यहं भविष्यामि वाराणस्यां महामुनिः ।। २३.

In the twenty-second cycle, when Vyāsa is born as Śuklāyana, at that time I too will be present in Vārāṇasī as a great sage.

नाम्ना वै लाङ्गली भीमो यत्र देवाः सवासवाः। द्रक्ष्यन्ति मां कलौ तस्मिन्नवतीर्णं हलायुधम् ।। २३.

By name, I will be called Lāṅgalī Bhīma, where the gods along with Indra will see me, descended in the age of Kali as Halāyudha.

तत्रापि मम ते पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति सुधार्मिकाः। तुल्यार्चिर्मधुपिङ्गाक्षः श्वेतकेतुस्तथैव च ।। २३.

There also, my sons will be born, righteous in conduct: Tulyārcis, Madhupiṅgākṣa, and likewise Śvetaketu.

तेऽपि माहेश्वरं योगं प्राप्य ध्यानपरायणाः। विरजा ब्रह्मभूयिष्ठा रुद्रलोकाय संस्थिताः ।। २३.

They too, having attained the supreme yoga of Maheśvara, devoted to meditation, pure, established in Brahman, remain in the world of Rudra.

परिवर्त्ते त्रयोविंशे तृणबिन्दुर्यदा मुनिः। व्यासो भविष्यति ब्रह्म तदाऽहं भविता पुनः। श्वेतो नाम महाकायो मुनिपुत्रः सुधार्मिकः ।। २३.

In the twenty-third cycle, when the sage Tṛṇabindu becomes Vyāsa, then I shall again be present, named Śveta, of great stature, a sage’s son, righteous in conduct.

तत्र कालञ्जरिष्यामि तदा गिरिवरोत्तमे। तेन कालञ्जरो नाम भविष्यति स पर्वतः ।। २३.

There, I shall become Kālañjara at that most excellent mountain; therefore, that mountain will be known as Kālañjara.

तत्रापि मम ते पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति महौजसः। उषिजो बृहदुक्थश्च देवलः कविरेव च। प्राप्य माहेश्वरं योगं रुद्रलोकं गता हि ते ।। २३.

There also, my sons—mighty in strength—will be born: Uṣija, Bṛhaduktha, Devala, and Kavi; having attained the yoga of Maheśvara, they have indeed gone to the world of Rudra.

परिवर्त्ते चतुर्विंशे ऋक्षो व्यासो भविष्यति। तत्राऽहं भविता ब्रह्मन् कलौ तस्मिन् युगान्तिके। शूली नाम महायोगी नैमिषे योगि वन्दिते ।। २३.

At the twenty-fourth cycle, Ṛkṣa will become Vyāsa; there, O Brahman, I shall be born at the end of that Kali age as Śūlī, the great yogi, honored by the yogis at Naimiṣa.

तत्रापि मम ते पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति तपस्विनः। शलिहोत्रोऽग्निवेश्यश्च युवनाश्चः शरद्वसुः । तेऽपि योगबलोपेता रुद्रं यास्यन्ति सुव्रताः ।। २३.

There also, my sons will be ascetics: Śalihotra, Agniveśya, Yuvanāśca, and Śaradvasu; endowed with the power of yoga, those virtuous ones too will go to Rudra.

पञ्चविंशे पुनः प्राप्ते परिवर्त्ते यथाक्रमम्। वसिष्ठस्तु यदा व्यासः शक्तिर्नाम भविष्यति ।। २३.

When the twenty-fifth cycle arrives in due order, Vasiṣṭha will become Vyāsa, known as Śakti.

तदाऽप्यहं भविष्यामि दण्डी मुण्डीशरः प्रभुः। कोटिवर्षं समासाद्य नगरं देवपूजितम् ।। २३.

Then also I shall be Daṇḍī Muṇḍīśara, the lord, reaching the city worshipped by the gods for ten million years.

तत्रापि मम ते पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति क्रमागताः। योगात्मानो महात्मानः सर्वे ते ह्यूर्द्ध्वरेतसः ।। २३.

There too, my sons will be born in succession, all possessing the essence of yoga, great souls, and steadfast in celibacy.

छगलः कुम्भकर्षाश्यः कुम्भश्चैव प्रबाहुकः। प्राप्य माहेश्वरं योगं गमिष्यन्ति तथैव ते ।। २३.

Chagala, Kumbhakarṣāśya, Kumbha, and Prabāhuka—having attained the yoga of Maheśvara, they too will go likewise.

षड्‌विंशे परिवर्त्ते तु यदा व्यासः पराशरः। तदाऽप्यहं भविष्यामि सहिष्णुर्नाम नामतः। पुण्यं रुद्रवनं प्राप्य कलौ तस्मिन् युगान्तिके ।। २३.

In the twenty-sixth cycle, when Vyāsa is Parāśara, then also I shall be known as Sahiṣṇu by name, reaching the sacred Rudra forest at the end of that Kali age.

तत्रापि मम ते पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति सुधार्मिकाः। उलूको वैद्युतश्चैव सर्वको ह्याश्वलायनः। प्राप्य माहेश्वरं योगं गन्तारस्ते तथैव हि ।। २३.

There too, my sons will be righteous: Ulūka, Vaidyuta, Sarvaka, and Āśvalāyana; having attained the yoga of Maheśvara, they too will go in the same way.

सप्तविंशतिमे प्राप्ते परिवर्त्ते क्रमागते। जातूकर्ण्यो यदा व्यासो भविष्यति तपोधनः ।। २३.

When the twenty-seventh cycle arrives in due order, Jātūkarṇya, rich in austerity, will become Vyāsa.

तदाऽप्यहं भविष्यामि सोमशर्म्मा द्विजोत्तमः। प्रभासतीर्थमासाद्य योगात्मा लोकविश्रुतः ।। २३.

Then also I shall be Somaśarman, best of twice-born, renowned in the world as one whose essence is yoga, having reached the holy place of Prabhāsa.

तत्रापि मम ते पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति तपोधनाः। अक्षपादः कणादश्च उलूको वत्स एव च ।। २३.

There too, my sons will be rich in austerity: Akṣapāda, Kaṇāda, Ulūka, and Vatsa.

योगात्मानो महात्मानो विमलाः शुद्धबुद्धयः। प्राप्य माहेश्वरं योगं रुद्रलोकं ततो गताः ।। २३.

All possessing the essence of yoga, great souls, pure and of clear intellect; having attained the yoga of Maheśvara, they then went to the world of Rudra.

अष्टाविंशे पुनः प्राप्ते परिवर्त्ते क्रमागते। पराशरसुतः श्रीमान् विष्णुर्लोकपितामहः ।। २३.

When the twenty-eighth cycle arrives in due order, the illustrious son of Parāśara, Viṣṇu, the grandsire of the world—

यदा भविष्यति व्यासो नाम्ना द्वैपायनः प्रभुः। तदा षष्ठेन चांशेन कृष्णः पुरुषसत्तमः। वसुदेवाद्यदुश्रेष्ठो वासुदेवो भविष्यति ।। २३.

When Vyāsa will be the lord called Dvaipāyana by name, then, with a sixth part, Kṛṣṇa, the best of men, son of Vasudeva and foremost of the Yadus, will be Vāsudeva.

तदा चाहं भविष्यामि योगात्मा योगमायया। लोकविस्मयनार्थाय ब्रह्मचारिशरीरकः ।। २३.

Then also I shall be one whose essence is yoga, by the power of yogic illusion, taking the form of a celibate, for the purpose of astonishing the worlds.

श्मशावे मृतमुत्सृष्टं दृष्ट्वा लोकमनाथकम्। ब्राह्मणानां हितार्थाय प्रविष्टो योगमायया ।। २३.

Seeing the abandoned dead in the cremation ground, with the world bereft of guardians, for the welfare of the brāhmaṇas, I entered by yogic illusion.

दिव्यां मेरुगुहां पुण्यां त्वया सार्द्धञ्च विष्णुना। भविष्यामि तदा ब्रह्मन् नकुली नाम नामतः ।। २३.

O Brahman, at that time, together with you and Viṣṇu, I will dwell in the divine, meritorious cave of Meru, bearing the name Nakulī.

कायारोहणमित्येवं सिद्धक्षेत्रञ्च वैतदा। भविष्यति तु विख्यातं यावद्भूमिर्द्धरिष्यति ।। २३.

That place will then be renowned as Kāyārohaṇa, a field of accomplishment, for as long as the earth endures.

तत्रापि मम ते पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति तपस्विनः । कुशइकश्चैव गार्ग्यश्च मित्रको रुष्ट एव च ।। २३.

There too, my sons—ascetics—will be born: Kuśaika, Gārgya, Mitraka, and Ruṣṭa.

योगयुक्ता महात्मानो ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः। प्राप्य माहेश्वरं योगं विमला ह्यूर्द्ध्वरेतसः। रुद्रलोकं गमिष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् ।। २३.

Endowed with yoga, great-souled, Brahmins accomplished in the Vedas, having attained the yoga of Maheśvara, pure and with their seed directed upward, they will go to the world of Rudra, where return is exceedingly rare.

इत्येतद्वै मया प्रोक्तमवतारेषु लक्षणम्। मन्वादिकृष्णपर्यन्तमष्टाविंशयुगक्रमात्। तत्र स्मृतिसमूहानां विभागो धर्मलक्षणम् ।। २३.

Thus I have described to you the characteristics of the descents, from Manu onward up to Kṛṣṇa, through the sequence of twenty-eight yugas; therein, the divisions of the collections of traditions are the marks of dharma.

चत्वारि भारते वर्षे युगानि मुनयो विदुः । कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च तिष्यं चेति चतुर्युगम् ।। २४.

O sages, four yugas are known in the land of Bhārata: Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Tiṣya—these are the four ages.