Vayu Purana

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.

यदेतद्रक्तवर्णाभं तृतीयं वः स्मृतं मया । त्रिजिह्वं लेलिहानं तु एतत् त्रेतायुगं द्विजाः ।। ३२.

That which is described by me as the third, resembling the color of blood, with three tongues, licking, O twice-born, this is the Tretā Yuga.

अत्र यज्ञप्रवृत्तिस्तु जायते हि महेश्वरात्। ततोऽत्र इज्यते यज्ञस्तिस्रो जिह्वास्त्रयोऽग्नयः । इष्ट्वा चैवाग्नयो विप्राः कालजिह्वा प्रवर्त्तते ।। ३२.

In this age, the performance of sacrifice arises from the Great Lord; therefore, in this age, sacrifice is performed, three tongues, three fires; and, O Brāhmaṇas, after offering into the fires, the tongue of Time is set in motion.

यदेतद्वै मुखं भीमं द्विजिह्वं रक्तपिङ्गलम्। द्विपादोऽत्र भविष्यामि द्वापरं नाम तद्युगम् ।। ३२.

That which is this terrible face, with two tongues, red and tawny, in this I will be two-footed; that age is called Dvāpara.

यदेतत् कृष्णवर्णाभं तुरीयं रक्तलोचनम्। एकजिह्वं पृथुश्यामं लेलिहानं पुनः पुनः ।। ३२.

That which is the fourth, resembling black in color, with red eyes, with one tongue, broad and dark, licking again and again—

ततः कलियुगं घोरं सर्वलोकभयङ्करम्। कल्पस्य तु मुखं ह्येतच्चतुर्थं नाम भीषणम् ।। ३२.

Then comes the dreadful Kali Yuga, terrifying to all the worlds; this is indeed the fourth, fearsome face of the age-cycle.

न मुखं नापि निर्वाणं तस्मिन् भवति वै युगे। कालग्रस्ता प्रजा चापि युगे तस्मिन् भविष्यति ।। ३२.

In that age, there is neither face nor liberation; in that age, the beings will be seized by Time.

ब्रह्मा कृतयुगे पूज्यस्त्रेतायां यज्ञ इच्यते। द्वापरे पूज्यते विष्णुरहम्पूज्यश्चतुर्ष्वपि ।। ३२.

Brahmā is worshipped in Kṛta Yuga, sacrifice is said to be in Tretā; in Dvāpara, Viṣṇu is worshipped, and I am worshipped in all four.

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च यज्ञश्च कालस्यैव कलास्त्रयः। सर्वेष्वेव हि कालेषु चतुर्मूर्तिर्महेश्वरः ।। ३२.

Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and sacrifice are the three aspects of Time; in all the ages, the Great Lord is the four-formed one.

अहं जनो जनयिता (वः) कालः कालप्रवर्त्तकः। युगकर्ता तथा चैव परं परपरायणः ।। ३२.

I am the people, the creator (of you), Time, the mover of Time; the maker of the ages, and the supreme, the ultimate refuge.

तस्मात् कलियुगं प्राप्य लोकानां हितकारणात्। अभयार्थञ्च देवानामुभयोर्लोकयोरपि ।। ३२.

Therefore, upon the arrival of Kali Yuga, for the welfare of the worlds, and for the sake of fearlessness for the gods, in both worlds—