Vayu Purana

गायत्री चैव त्रिष्टुप् च जगती चैव या स्मृता। त्र्यम्बका नामतः प्रोक्ता योनयः सवनस्य ताः ।। ३१.

Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, and Jagatī—these are remembered as the sources of the Soma pressing, and are called by the name Tryambaka.

ताभिरेकत्वभूताभिस्त्रिविधाभिः स्ववीर्यतः। त्रिसाधनपुरोडाशस्त्रि कपालः स वै स्मृतः ।। ३१.

With these threefold forms, united as one by his own power, the sacrificial cake prepared with three implements is remembered as having three skulls.

इत्येतत्पञ्चवर्षं हि युगं प्रोक्तं मनीषिभिः। यच्चैव पञ्चधात्मा वै प्रोक्तः संवत्सरो द्विजैः। सैकं षट्कं विजज्ञेऽथ मध्वादीनृतवःकिल ।। ३१.

Thus, this five-year cycle is declared by the wise as a yuga; and the year, said by the twice-born to have fivefold nature, is known as a group of six, and then the seasons such as Madhu and others.

ऋतुपुत्रार्त्तवः पञ्च इति सर्गः समासतः। इत्येष पवमानो वै प्राणिनां जीवितानि तु ।। ३१.

The five seasons, offspring of the seasons, are thus the creation in brief; thus, this purifier is indeed the life of living beings.

नदी वेगसमायुक्तं कालो धावति संहरन्। अहोरात्रकरस्तस्मात् स वायुरभवत्पुनः ।। ३१.

Time, endowed with the speed of a river, runs on, gathering up all; therefore, he who causes day and night is again Vāyu.

एते प्रजानां पतयः प्रधानाः सर्वदेहिनाम् । पितरः सर्व लोकानां लोकात्मानः प्रकीर्तिताः ।। ३१.

These are the lords of creatures, the chief ones among all embodied beings; they are called the fathers of all worlds, the souls of the worlds.

ध्यायतो ब्रह्मणो वक्रादुद्यन् समभवद्भवः। ऋषिर्विप्रो महादेवो भूतात्मा प्रपितामहः ।। ३१.

From the curved mouth of Brahmā, as he meditated, arose Bhava—the sage, the seer, the great god, the soul of beings, the great grandsire.

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां प्रणवायोपपद्यते। आत्मवेशेन भूतानामङ्गप्रत्यङ्गसम्भवः ।। ३१.

The lord of all beings is manifested as Praṇava; by entering into beings, he becomes the origin of every limb and part.

अग्निः संवत्सरः सूर्यश्चन्द्रमा वायुरेव च। युगाभिमानी कालात्मा नित्यं संक्षेपकृद्विभुः। उन्मादकोऽनुग्रहकृत्स इद्वत्सर उच्यते ।। ३१.

Agni, the year, the sun, the moon, and Vāyu—he is the presiding spirit of the yugas, the soul of time, ever the summarizer and the mighty one; he is the agitator, the giver of grace, and is called the year.

रुद्राविष्टो भगवता जगत्यस्मिन् स्वतेजसा। आश्रयाश्रयसंयोगात्तनुभिर्नामभिस्तथा ।। ३१.

Rudra, possessed by the blessed one, abides in this world by his own splendor, through the union of support and supported, with forms and names accordingly.

ततस्तस्य तु वीर्येण लोकानुग्रहकारकम्। द्वितीयं भद्रसंयोगं सन्ततस्यैककारकम् ।। ३१.

Then, by his power, for the benefit of the worlds, he brings about a second auspicious union, as the single cause of continuity.

देवत्वञ्च पितृत्वञ्च कालत्वञ्चास्य यत्परम्। तस्माद्वै सर्वथा भद्रस्तद्वद्भिरभिपूज्यते ।। ३१.

His divinity, his status as ancestor, and his identity as Time—these are his highest forms; therefore, he is always auspicious and is to be especially revered by those devoted to him.

पतिः पतीनां भगवान् प्रजेशानां प्रजापतिः। भवनः सर्वभूतानां सर्वेषां नीललोहितः। ओषधीः प्रतिसन्धत्ते रुद्रः क्षीणाः पुनः पुनः ।। ३१.

He is the lord of lords, the blessed one, the lord of progenitors, the abode of all beings, the blue-throated one of all; Rudra, who repeatedly restores the exhausted plants.

इत्येषां यदपत्यं वै न तच्छक्यं प्रमाणतः। बहुत्वात् परिसङ्ख्यातुं पुत्रपौत्रमनन्तकम् ।। ३१..

The offspring of these beings truly cannot be measured; because of their multitude, it is impossible to enumerate their sons and grandsons, which are without end.

इमं वंशं प्रजेशानां महतां पुण्यकर्मणाम्। कीर्त्तयन् स्थिरकीर्त्तीनां महतीं सिद्धिमाप्नुयात् ।। ३१.

Whoever recounts this lineage of the lords of creatures, the great ones of virtuous deeds and enduring fame, attains great accomplishment.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रणवस्य विनिश्वयम्। ओङ्कारमक्षरं ब्रह्म त्रिवर्णञ्चादितः स्मृतम् ।। ३२.

Now, I will explain in detail the essence of the sacred syllable; the syllable Om is Brahman, known from the beginning as threefold.

यो यो यस्य यथा वर्णो विहितो देवतास्तथा। ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि वायुरग्निस्तथा जलम् ।। ३२.

For each letter, as it is assigned, so too are the deities; the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, as well as Vāyu, Agni, and water.

तस्मात्तु अक्षरादेव पुनरन्ये प्रजज्ञिरे। चतुर्द्दश महात्मानो देवानां ये तु दैवताः ।। ३२.

From that very syllable, others were again born—the fourteen great souls who are the deities of the gods.

तेषु सर्वगतश्चैव सर्वगः सर्वयोगवित् । अनुग्रहाय लोकानामादिमध्यान्त उच्यते ।। ३२.

Among them, he who is present in all, who is all-pervading and knower of all yogas, is said to be the beginning, middle, and end, for the blessing of the worlds.

सप्तर्षयस्तथेन्द्रा ये देवाश्च पितृभिः सह। अक्षरान्निः सृताः सर्वे देवदेवान्महेश्वरात् ।। ३२.

The seven sages, the Indras, the gods together with the ancestors—all these issued forth from the syllables, from the great lord of gods, Maheśvara.

इहामुत्र हितार्थाय वदन्ति परमं पदम्। पूर्वमेव मयोक्तस्ते कालस्तु युगसंज्ञितः ।। ३२.

For the sake of welfare here and hereafter, they speak of the supreme state; I have already told you before, Time is known as the yugas.

कृतं त्रेता द्वापरञ्च युगादिः कलिना सह। परिवर्त्तमानैस्तैरेव भ्रममाणेषु चक्रवत् ।। ३२.

Kṛta, Tretā, and Dvāpara are the beginnings of the yugas, along with Kali; as they revolve, they move in cycles like a wheel.

देवतास्तु तदोद्विग्नाः कालस्य वशमागताः. न शक्नुवन्ति तन्मानं संस्स्थापयितुमात्मना ।। ३२.

Then the deities, distressed and subject to the power of Time, are unable by themselves to establish its measure.

तदा ते वाग्यता भूत्वा आदौ मन्वन्तरस्य वै। ऋषयश्चैव देवाश्च इन्द्रश्चैव महातपाः ।। ३२.

At that time, at the beginning of the manvantara, the sages, the gods, and mighty Indra, having become silent, approached.

समाधाय मनस्तीव्रं सहस्रं परिवत्सरान्। प्रपन्नास्ते महादेवं भीताः कालस्य वै तदा ।। ३२.

Having fixed their minds intensely for a thousand years, they, being afraid of Time, sought refuge in the great god.

अयं हि कालो देवेशश्चतुर्मूर्तिश्चतुर्मुखः । कोऽस्य विद्यान्महादेव अगाधस्य महेश्वर ।। ३२.

This Time is the lord of gods, four-formed and four-faced; who can know his knowledge, O great Maheśvara, who is unfathomable?

अथ दृष्ट्वा महादेवस्तं तु कालञ्चतुर्मुखम्। न भेतव्यमिति प्राह को वः कामः प्रदीयताम् ।। ३२.

Then, seeing that Time with four faces, the great god said, 'Do not fear; what is your desire? Let it be granted.'

तत्करिष्याम्यहं सर्वं न वृथायं परिश्रमः । उवाच देवो भगवान् स्वयङ्कालः सुदुर्जयः ।। ३२.

'I will accomplish all this; your effort will not be in vain,' said the blessed god himself, who is Time, most difficult to overcome.

यदेतस्य मुखं श्वेतं चतुर्जिह्वं हि लक्ष्यते। एतत् कृतयुगं नाम तस्य कालस्य वै मुखम्। असौ देवः सुरश्रेष्ठो ब्रह्मा वैवस्वतो मुखः ।। ३२.

That face of his which is white and marked by four tongues is known as the Kṛta Yuga, the face of Time; that god, the best of gods, is Brahmā, the Vaivasvata face.