Vayu Purana

अयोगुडनिभो वह्निः समन्तान्मण्डलाकृतिः। समन्ताद्धनवातेन धार्यमाणः स तिष्ठति। घनवातस्तथाकाशन्धारयाणस्तु तिष्ठति ।। ४९.

The fire, resembling a lump of iron, is circular on all sides; being sustained by the dense wind all around, it stands; likewise, the dense wind supports space and remains.

भूतादिश्च तथाकाशं भूताद्यञ्चाप्यसौ महान् । महान् व्याप्तो ह्यनन्तेन अव्यक्तेन तु धार्यते ।। ४९.

The element-origin and likewise space, and also the great one arising from the element-origin, the great one is pervaded by the infinite, which is sustained by the unmanifest.

अनन्तमपरिव्यक्तन्दशधा सूक्ष्म एव च। अनन्तमकृतात्मानमनादिनिधनञ्च तत् ।। ४९.

It is infinite, unmanifest, tenfold, and subtle; it is infinite, uncreated in essence, without beginning or end.

अतीत्य पर तो घोरमनालम्बमनामयम्। नैकयोजनसाहस्रं विप्रकृष्टं तमोवृतम् ।। ४९.

Beyond even that, fierce, without support, free from affliction, at a distance of many thousands of yojanas, covered in darkness.

तम एव निरालोकममर्यादमदेशिकम्। देवानामप्यविदिंतं व्यवहारविवर्ज्जितम् ।। ४९.

That darkness is devoid of light, without boundaries, without location; unknown even to the gods, devoid of activity.

तमसोऽन्ते च विख्यातमाकाशान्ते च भास्वरम्। मर्यादायामतस्तस्य शिवस्यायतनं महत् ।। ४९.

At the end of darkness and at the end of space, a radiant place is renowned; at the boundary of that, the great abode of Shiva.

त्रिदशानामगम्यन्तु स्थानं दिव्यमिति श्रुतिः। महतो देवदेवस्य मर्यादायां व्यवस्थितम् ।। ४९.

The scriptures declare that this divine place is inaccessible to the gods; at the boundary of the great Lord of gods, it is established.

चन्द्रादित्यावतप्तास्तु ये लोकाः प्रथिता बुधैः। ते लोका इत्यभिहिता जगतश्च न संशयः ।। ४९.

The worlds heated by the moon and sun, which are proclaimed by the wise, these worlds are thus named, and there is no doubt about the universe.

रसातलतलात् सप्त सप्तैवोर्द्ध्वतलाः क्षितौ। सप्तस्कन्धास्तथा वायोः सब्रह्मसदना द्विजाः ।। ४९.

From Rasātala and Talātala, seven, and likewise seven upper realms on earth; seven regions of wind, and the abodes of Brahma, O twice-born.

आपातालाद्दिवं यावदत्र पञ्चविधा गतिः। प्रमाणमेतज्जगत एष संसारसागरः ।। ४९.

From the lowest region up to heaven, here there are five kinds of movement; this is the measure of the universe, this is the ocean of transmigration.

अनाद्यन्ता प्रयात्येवं नैकजातिसमुद्भवाः। विचित्रा जगतः सा वै प्रवृत्तिरनवस्थिता ।। ४९.

Without beginning or end, it proceeds thus, arising from many kinds of birth; the manifold activity of the world is indeed unstable.

यथैतद् भौतिकं नाम निसर्गबहुविस्तरम्। अतीन्द्रियैर्महाभागैः सिद्धैरपि न लक्ष्यते ।। ४९.

Just as this material realm is called naturally vast, even by the great and accomplished, it cannot be perceived by the senses.

पृथिव्याञ्चाग्निवायूनां महतस्तमसस्तथा। ईश्वरस्य तु देवस्य अनन्तस्य द्विजोत्तमाः ।। ४९.

Of earth, fire, wind, the great darkness, and of the Lord, the infinite God, O best of twice-born.

क्षयो वा परिमाणं वा अन्तो वापि न विद्यते। अनन्त एष सर्वत्र सर्वस्थानेषु पठ्यते। तस्य चोक्तं मया पूर्वं तस्मिन्नामानुकीर्त्तने ।। ४९.

There is neither destruction nor measure nor end; this is infinite everywhere, spoken of in all places; and I have previously described its names.

य एष शिवनाम्ना हि तद्वः कार्त्स्न्येन कीर्तितम्। स एष सर्वत्र गतः सर्वस्थानेषु पूज्यते ।। ४९.

This, known by the name Shiva, has been fully proclaimed to you; it is present everywhere, worshipped in all places.

भूमौ रसातले चैव आकाशे पवनेऽनले। अर्णवेषु च सर्वेषु दिवि चैव न संशयः ।। ४९.

On earth, in Rasātala, in space, in wind, in fire, in all oceans, and in heaven, there is no doubt.

तथा तपसि विज्ञेय एष एव महाद्युतिः। अनेकधा विभक्ताङ्गो महायोगी महेश्वरः। सर्वलोकेषु लोकेश इज्यते बहुधा प्रभुः ।। ४९.

Likewise, in austerity, know this very one of great radiance; with many divided forms, the great yogi, the great Lord; in all worlds, the Lord of worlds is worshipped in many ways, the mighty one.

एवं परस्परोत्पन्ना धार्यन्ते च परस्परान्। आधाराधेयभावेन विकारास्ते विकारिणः ।। ४९.

Thus, those modifications that arise from one another are sustained by each other, in the relationship of support and supported; these modifications belong to mutable things.

पृथ्व्यादयो विकारास्ते परिच्छिन्नाः परस्परम्। परस्पराधिकाश्चैव प्रविष्टाश्च परस्परम् ।। ४९.

These modifications, beginning with earth, are limited and distinct from each other; yet, they also pervade one another and possess mutual predominance.

यस्माद्विष्टाश्च तेऽन्योन्यं तस्मात् स्थैर्यमुपागताः। प्रागासन् ह्यविशेषास्तु विशेषान्योन्यवेशनात्। पृथिव्याद्याश्च वाय्वन्ताः परिच्छिन्नास्त्रयस्तु ते ।। ४९.

Because they have entered into each other, they have attained stability; previously they were undifferentiated, but distinctions arose from their mutual interpenetration; and the three—earth and so on, up to wind—are thus delimited.

गुणापचयसारेण परिच्छेदो विशेषतः। शेषाणां तु परिच्छेदः सौक्ष्म्यान्नेह विभाव्यते ।। ४९.

By the essence of the decrease of qualities, delimitation occurs in particular; but the delimitation of the remaining (elements), due to their subtlety, is not perceived here.

भूतेभ्यः परतस्तेभ्यो ह्यालोकः परतः स्मृतः। भूतान्यालोक आकाशे परिच्छिन्नानि सर्वशः ।। ४९.

Beyond these elements, light is considered to be further; and all the elements, along with light, are entirely delimited within space.

पात्रे महति पात्राणि यथैवान्तर्गतानि तु। भवन्त्यन्योन्यहीनानि परस्परसमाश्रयात्। तथा ह्यालोक आकाशे भेदास्त्वन्तर्गता मताः ।। ४९.

Just as, within a large vessel, smaller vessels are contained, and though separate, they exist by mutual dependence—so too, the distinctions of light within space are understood to be contained within each other.

कृत्स्नान्येतानि चत्वारि अन्योन्यस्याधिकानि तु । यावदेतानि भूतानि तावदुत्पत्ति रुच्यते ।। ४९.

All these four (elements) are mutually predominant; as long as these elements exist, so long is their origination accepted.

जन्तूनामिह संस्कारो भूतेष्वन्तर्गतो मताः। प्रत्याख्याय च भूतानि कार्योत्पत्तिर्न विद्यते ।। ४९.

Here, the transformation of living beings is considered to be contained within the elements; and without the elements, the production of effects does not occur.

तस्मात्परिमिता भेदाः स्मृताः कार्यात्मकास्तु ते। कारणात्मकास्तथैव स्युर्भेदा ये महदादयः ।। ४९.

Therefore, the distinctions that are considered are limited and are of the nature of effects; but those distinctions beginning with the great principle are of the nature of causes.

इत्येष सन्निवेशो वो मया प्रोक्तो विभागशः। सप्तद्वीपसमुद्राया याथातथ्येन वै द्विजाः ।। ४९.

Thus, I have described to you, in detail, the arrangement of the seven-island ocean, exactly as it is, O twice-born.

विस्तारान्मण्जलाच्चैव प्रसंख्यातेन चैव हि । वैश्वरूपं प्रधानस्य परिमाणैकदेशिकम् ।। ४९.

By extent, by measure, and by enumeration, the various forms of the primordial substance are described, each with its own dimension.

अदिष्ठानं भगनतो यस्य सर्वमिदं जगत् । एवं भूतगणाः सप्त सन्निविष्टाः परस्परम् ।। ४९.

That which has the Supreme Lord as its foundation—this entire world—thus, the seven groups of elements are mutually arranged.