Vayu Purana

अप्रमेयो महावक्रो दंष्ट्री व्यस्तशिरो रुहः। दशबाहुस्त्रिशूलाङ्को नयनैर्विश्वतोमुखः ।। २४.

Immeasurable, with a vast body, bearing fangs, scattered heads and hair, ten-armed, marked with a trident, with many eyes and faces on all sides.

लोकप्रभुः स्वयं साक्षाद्विकृतो मुञ्जमेखली । मेढ्रेणोर्ध्वेन महता नदमानोऽतिभैरवम् ।। २४.

The lord of the worlds himself, manifest, girded with a munja grass belt, with his great organ erect, roaring most terribly.

कः खल्वेष पुमान् विष्णो तेजोराशिर्महाद्युतिः। व्याप्य सर्वा दिशो द्याञ्च इत एवाभिवर्त्तते ।। २४.

Who indeed is this man, O Vishnu, this mass of radiance, of great splendor, who, pervading all directions and the sky, now advances here?

तेनैवमुक्तो भगवान् विष्णुर्ब्रह्माणमब्रवीत्। पद्भ्यान्तलनिपातेन यस्य विक्रमतोऽर्णवे। वेगेन महताकाशे व्यथिताश्च जलाशयाः ।। २४.

Thus addressed, the blessed Vishnu said to Brahma: 'By the mere touch of whose feet, as he strides over the ocean, the waters are agitated with great force in the vast expanse.'

छटाभिर्विष्णुतोऽत्यर्थं सिच्यते पझसम्भवः। घ्राणजेन च वातेन कम्पमानं त्वया सह। दोधूयते महापझं स्वच्छन्दं मम नाभिजम् ।। २४.

By the rays from Vishnu, Pajha is thoroughly drenched; and by the wind from his nostrils, trembling together with you, the great Pajha, born from my navel, is shaken at will.

स एष भगवानीशो ह्यनादिश्चान्तकृद्विभुः। भवानहञ्च स्तोत्रेण ह्युपतिष्ठाव गोध्वजम् ।। २४.

He is that blessed Lord, without beginning, the maker of ends, the all-pervading one. Let us, with hymns, approach the bull-bannered god.

ततः क्रुद्धोऽम्बुजाभास्कं ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच केशवम्। न भवान् न्यूनमात्मानं लोकानां योनिमुत्तमम् ।। २४.

Then, angered, Brahma, lotus-born, spoke to Keshava: 'You do not consider yourself inferior, the supreme source of the worlds.'

ब्रह्माणं लोककर्त्तारं माञ्च वेत्ति सनातनम्। कोऽयं भोः शङ्करो नाम ह्यावयोर्व्यतिरिच्यते ।। २४.

He knows me, Brahma, the eternal creator of the worlds. Who then is this one called Shankara, who surpasses us both?

तस्य तत् क्रोधजं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा विष्णुरभाषत। मा मैवं वद कल्याण परिवादं महात्मनः ।। २४.

Hearing these words born of anger, Vishnu replied: 'Do not speak thus, O auspicious one, do not slander the great soul.'

मायायोगेश्वरो धर्मो दुराधर्षो वरप्रदः। हेतुरस्यात्र जगतः पुराणः पुरुषोऽव्ययः ।। २४.

He is the lord of yoga and maya, righteousness itself, unassailable, bestower of boons, the ancient, imperishable cause of this universe.

जीवः खल्वेष जीवानां ज्योतिरेकं प्रकाशते। बालक्रीडनकैर्द्देवः क्रीडतो शङ्करः स्वयम् ।। २४.

He is indeed the soul among souls, the one light that shines forth. The god Shankara himself plays with toys as a child.

प्रधानमव्ययं ज्योतिरव्यक्तं प्रकृतिस्तमः। अस्य चैतानि नामानि नित्यं प्रसवधर्मिणः। यः कः स इति दुःखार्त्तैर्मृग्यते यतिभिः शिवः ।। २४.

The imperishable principle, the light, the unmanifest, the primal nature, darkness—these are his names, ever productive. He, called 'Who is he?', is sought by ascetics afflicted by sorrow—he is Shiva.

एष बीजी भवान् बीजमहं योनिः सनातनः। एवमुक्रोऽथ विश्वात्मा ब्रह्मा विष्णुमभाषत ।। २४.

'He is the seed, I am the seed, you are the eternal womb.' Thus, having spoken, the soul of the universe, Brahma, addressed Vishnu.

भवान्योनिरहं बीजं कथं बीजी महेश्वरः । एतन्मे सूक्ष्ममव्यक्तं संशयं छेत्तुमर्हसि ।। २४.

'You are the womb, I am the seed—how then is Maheshvara the seed-bearer? This subtle, unmanifest doubt you ought to dispel for me.'

ज्ञात्वा चैवं समुत्पत्तिं ब्रह्मणा लोकतन्त्रिणा। इदं परमसादृश्यं प्रश्रमभ्यवदद्धरिः ।। २४.

Having thus understood the origin from Brahma, the lord of creation, Hari declared this supreme resemblance with great effort.

अस्मान्महत्तरं गुह्यं भूतमव्यन्न विद्यते। महतः परमं धाम शिवमध्यात्मिनां पदम् ।। २४.

There is no secret or being greater than us; the supreme abode of the great, the auspicious state of those devoted to the Self.

द्वैधीभावेन चात्मानं प्रविष्टस्तु व्यवस्थितः। निष्कलः सूक्ष्ममव्यक्तः सकलश्च महेश्वरः ।। २४.

Having entered in a dual form, the Self is established as both; as the partless, subtle, unmanifest, and as the all-formed Great Lord.

अस्य मायाविधिज्ञस्य अगम्यगहनस्य च। पुरा लिङ्गं भवद्बीजं प्रथमं त्वादिसर्गिकम् ।। २४.

Of him who knows the workings of illusion and is unfathomable and inaccessible, the primordial sign, the seed of becoming, was indeed the first to arise at the beginning of creation.

मयि योनौ समायुक्तं तद्बीजं कालपर्ययात्‌। हिरण्मयमपारन्तद्योन्यामण्डमजायत ।। २४.

That seed, united with my womb, in due course of time, became the golden cosmic egg within the boundless womb.

शतानि दशवर्षाणामण्डञ्चाप्सु प्रतिष्ठितम्। अन्ते वर्षसहस्रस्य वायुना तद्द्विधा कृतम् ।। २४.

For ten hundred years, the egg rested in the waters; at the end of a thousand years, it was split in two by the wind.

कपालमेकं द्यौर्जज्ञे कपालमपरं क्षितिः। उल्वन्तस्य महोत्सेधं योऽसौ कनकपर्वतः ।। २४.

One shell became the sky, the other became the earth; and the great golden mountain arose as the central mass.

ततस्तस्मात् प्रबुद्धात्मा देवो देववरः प्रभुः । हिरण्यगर्भो भगवानहं जज्ञे चतुर्भुजः ।। २४.

Then from that, the awakened Self, the supreme god, the blessed Lord with four arms, Hiraṇyagarbha, was born.

ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते वायुना तद्द्विधाकृतम्। अतारार्केन्दुनक्षत्रं शून्यं लोकमवेक्ष्य च। कोऽयमत्रे त्यभिध्याते कुमारास्तेऽभवंस्तदा ।। २४.

Then, at the end of a thousand years, the wind again split it in two; seeing the world empty, without stars, sun, or moon, I wondered, 'Who is here?' and at that moment, you became the Kumāras.

प्रियदर्शनास्सुतनवो येऽतीताः पूर्वजास्तव। भूयो वर्षसहस्रान्ते तत एवात्मजास्तव। भुवनानलसङ्काशाः पझपत्रायतेक्षणाः ।। २४.

Those sons of yours who appeared before, pleasing in form, were born again at the end of another thousand years, shining like the fire of worlds, with eyes wide as lotus petals.

श्रीमान् सनत्कुमारस्तु ऋभुश्चैवोर्द्ध्वरेतसौ । सनातनश्च सनकस्तथैव च सनन्दनः। उत्पन्नाः समकालं ते बुद्धयाऽतीन्द्रियदर्शनाः ।। २४.

Sanatkumāra, the glorious one, and Ṛbhu, both of pure vow, as well as Sanātana, Sanaka, and Sanandana, were all born at the same time, endowed with intellect and perception beyond the senses.

उत्पन्नाः प्रतिघात्मानो जगदुश्च तदैव हि। नारप्स्यन्ते च कर्माणि तापत्रयविवर्जिताः ।। २४.

They were born with bodies of light, and so too was the world; they do not engage in actions and are free from the threefold sufferings.

अस्य सौम्यं बहुक्लेशं जराशोकसमन्वितम्। जीवितं मरणं चैव संभवञ्च पुनः पुनः ।। २४.

This existence is full of many hardships, accompanied by old age and sorrow; life and death, and birth, come again and again.

स्वप्रभूतं पुनः स्वर्गे दुःखानि नरकांस्तथा। विदित्वा चागमं सर्वमवश्यं भवितव्यताम् ।। २४.

Knowing the many pains of heaven and the miseries of hell, and understanding the inevitable cycle of all arrivals, one must accept what is destined.

ऋभुं सनत्कुमारञ्च दृष्ट्वा तव वशे स्थितौ। त्रयस्तु त्रीन् गुणान् हित्वा आत्मजाः सनकादयः। वैवर्त्तेन तु ज्ञानेन निवृत्तास्ते महौजसः ।। २४.

Seeing Ṛbhu and Sanatkumāra under your control, your three sons, Sanaka and the others, having abandoned the three qualities, by the knowledge of transformation, became detached and mighty.