Vayu Purana

अत्रिश्चैव वसिष्ठश्च सप्त स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे। अग्नीध्रश्चातिबाहुश्च मेधा मेधातिथिर्वसुः ।। ३१.

And also Atri and Vasishtha—these seven in the Svayambhuva interval; Agnidhra, Atibahu, Medha, Medhatithi, and Vasu.

ज्योतिष्मान् द्युतिमान् हव्यः सवनः पुत्र एव च ३१.

Jyotishman, Dyutiman, Havya, Savana, and also Putra.

वायुप्रोक्ता महासत्त्वा राजानः प्रथमेऽन्तरे। सासुरन्तत्सगन्धर्वं सयक्षोरगराक्षसम्। सपिशाचमनुष्यञ्च सुपर्णाप्सरसाङ्गणम् ।। ३१.

The great-souled kings proclaimed by Vayu in the first interval included Asuras, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Nagas, Rakshasas, Pisachas, humans, Suparnas, Apsaras, and women.

नो शक्यमानुपूर्व्येण वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि। बहुत्वान्नामधेयानां सङ्ख्या तेषां कुले तथा ।। ३१.

It is not possible to recount them all in order, even in hundreds of years, because of the multitude of their names and the number of their families.

या वै व्रजकुलाख्यास्तु आसन् स्वायम्बुवेऽन्तरे। कालेन बहुनातीता अयनाब्दयुगक्रमैः ।। ३१.

Those who were called the Vraja clans existed in the Svayambhuva interval, and with the passage of much time, through cycles of years and ages, they have passed away.

क एष भगवान् कालः सर्वभूतापहारकः। कस्य योनिः किमादिश्च किन्तत्त्वं स किमात्मजः ।। ३१.

Who is this revered Time, the taker of all beings? What is his origin, what is his beginning, what is his true nature, and whose offspring is he?

किमस्य चक्षुः का मूर्तिः के चास्यावयवाः स्मृताः। किंनामधेयः कोऽस्यात्मा एतत् प्रब्रूहि पृच्छताम् ।। ३१.

What is his eye, what is his form, what are said to be his limbs? What is his name, who is his self? Tell this to those who ask.

श्रूयतां कालसद्भावः श्रुत्वा चैवावधार्यताम्। सूर्ययोनिर्निमेषादिः सङ्ख्याचक्षुः स उच्यते ।। ३१.

Hear now the true nature of Time, and, having heard, understand it well: his origin is the Sun, his beginning is the blink of an eye; he is called the measurer, and his eye is reckoning.

मूर्त्तिरस्य त्वहोरात्रे निमेषावयवश्च सः। संवत्सरशतं त्वस्य नाम चास्य कलात्मकम्। साम्प्रतानागतातीतकालात्मा स प्रजापतिः ।। ३१.

His form is day and night; his limbs are the moments; his name is a hundred years, composed of divisions of time; he is the lord of beings, embodying present, future, and past.

पञ्चानां प्रविभक्तानां कालावस्थां निभोधत। दिनार्द्धमासमासैस्तु ऋतुभिस्त्वयनैस्तथा ।। ३१.

Now understand the fivefold divisions of time: by day, half-month, month, season, and by the movements of the sun.

संवत्सरस्तु प्रथमो द्वितीयः परिवत्सरः। इद्वत्सरस्तृतीयस्तु चतुर्थश्चानुवत्सरः ।। ३१.

The first is the year, the second is the parivatsara, the third is the idvatsara, and the fourth is the anuvatsara.

वत्सरः पञ्चमस्तेषां कालः स युगसंज्ञितः। तेषान्तु तत्त्वं वक्ष्यामि कीर्त्त्यमानं निबोधत ।। ३१.

The fifth among them is the vatsara; this time is known as a yuga. Now I will explain their true nature—listen as it is declared.

ऋतुरग्निस्तु यः प्रोक्तः स तु संवत्सरो मतः। आदित्ये यस्त्वसौ सारः कालाग्निः परिवत्सरः ।। ३१.

The fire of the seasons is called the year; the essence in the sun is the fire of time, known as the parivatsara.

शुक्लकृष्णा गतिश्चापि अपां सारमयः खगः। स इडावत्सरः सोमः पुराणे निश्चयो मतः ।। ३१.

The movement of waxing and waning, the bird made of the essence of waters, is the idvatsara; Soma is its determination in the Purāṇas.

यश्चायं तपते लोकांस्तनुभिः सप्तसप्तभिः। आशुकर्त्ता च लोकस्य सवायुरिति वत्सरः ।। ३१.

He who shines upon the worlds with his sevenfold rays, who swiftly acts for the world, is called Vatsara, the Sun and the Wind.

अहङ्कारात् रुदन् रुद्रः सद्भूतो ब्रह्मणस्त्रयः। स रुद्रो वत्सरस्तेषां विजज्ञे नीललोहितः। तेषां हि तत्त्वं वक्ष्यामि कीर्त्यमानं निबोधत ।। ३१.

From ego, crying, arose Rudra, truly existing from Brahmā; that Rudra, blue and red, became their Vatsara. Now I will declare their true nature—listen as it is spoken.

अङ्गप्रत्यङ्गसंयोगात् कालात्मा प्रपितामहः। ऋक्साम यजुषां योनिः पञ्चानां पतिरीश्वरः ।। ३१.

By the union of limbs and sub-limbs, the soul of time is the Grandfather; he is the source of Ṛk, Sāman, and Yajus, the lord and ruler of the five.

सोऽग्निर्यजुश्च सोमश्च स भूतः स प्रजापतिः। प्रोक्तः संवत्सरश्चेति सूर्यो योऽग्निर्मनीषिभिः ।। ३१.

He is Agni, Yajus, Soma, he is the being, he is Prajāpati; he is called the year, and the Sun, who is Agni, by the wise.

यस्मात् कालविभागानां मासर्त्वयनयोरपि। ग्रहनक्षत्रशीतोष्णवर्षायुःकर्मणां तथा। योजितः प्रविभागानां दिवसानाञ्च भास्करः ।। ३१.

Because of the divisions of time—months, seasons, and movements—of planets, stars, cold, heat, rain, life, and actions, the Sun is joined to the divisions of days.

वैकारिकः प्रसन्नात्मा ब्रह्मपुत्रः प्रजापतिः। एकेनैकोऽथ दिवसो मासोऽथर्तुः पितामहः ।। ३१.

Of the mental type, with a clear self, the son of Brahmā, Prajāpati; by one, he is one—the day, the month, the season, the Grandfather.

आदित्यः सविता भानुर्जीवनो ब्रह्मसत्कृतः। प्रभवश्चात्य यश्चैव भूतानां तेन भास्करः ।। ३१.

He is Āditya, Savitṛ, Bhānu, the giver of life, honored by Brahmā; he is the source and end of beings, and thus is the Sun.

ताराभिमानी विज्ञेयस्तृतीयः परिवत्सरः। सोमः सर्वौषधिपतिर्यस्मात्स प्रपितामहः ।। ३१.

The third, Parivatsara, is to be known as the lord of the stars; Soma, the lord of all herbs, from whom the Grandfather comes.

आजीवः सर्वभूतानां योगक्षेमकृदीश्वरः। अवेक्षणाणः सततं बिभर्ति जगदंशुभिः ।। ३१.

He is the sustainer of the life of all beings, the lord who brings about their welfare and protection; ever watchful, he upholds the world with his rays.

तिथीनां पर्वसन्धीनां पूर्णिमादर्शयोरपि। योनिर्निशाकरो यश्च योऽमृतात्मा प्रजापतिः ।। ३१.

He is the source of the lunar phases, the junctions of the lunar days, and of the full and new moons; he is the origin of the moon, the immortal one, and the lord of creatures.

तस्मात् स पितृमान् सोम ऋग्यजुश्छन्दआत्मकः। प्राणापानसमानाद्यैर्व्यानोदानात्मकैरपि ।। ३१.

Therefore, Soma, possessing ancestors, is of the nature of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama meters, and also consists of the vital airs—prāṇa, apāna, samāna, vyāna, and udāna.

कर्मभिः प्राणिनां लोके सर्वचेष्टाप्रवर्त्तकः। प्राणापानसमानानां वायूनाञ्च प्रवर्त्तकः ।। ३१.

By actions in the world of living beings, he is the instigator of all activity, and he sets in motion the vital airs—prāṇa, apāna, samāna, and the winds.

पञ्चानाञ्चेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिस्मृति जलात्मनाम्। समानकालकरणः क्रियाः सम्पादयन्निव ।। ३१.

He brings about the actions of the five senses, mind, intellect, memory, and the elements of water, as if producing them at the same time.

सर्वात्मा सर्वलोकानामावहः प्रवहादिभिः। विधाता सर्वभूतानां क्षमी नित्यं प्रभञ्जनः ।। ३१.

He is the self of all, the bearer of all worlds through the currents and the like; he is the creator of all beings, ever patient, and the eternal disperser.

योनिरग्नेरपां भूमे रवेश्चन्द्रमसश्चयः। वायुः प्रजापिर्भूतं लोकात्मा प्रपितामहः ।। ३१.

He is the source of fire, water, earth, the sun, and the moon; Vāyu is the progenitor of beings, the soul of the worlds, and the great grandsire.