Vayu Purana

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.

एतावान् सन्निवेशस्तु मया शक्यः प्रभावितु म्। एतावदेव श्रोतव्यं सन्निवेशे तु पार्थिव ।। ४९.

Only this much arrangement can be accomplished by me; only this much should be heard regarding the arrangement of the earthly realm.

सप्त प्रकृतयस्त्वेता धारयन्ति परस्परम्। तास्वल्पपरिमाणेन प्रसङ्ख्यातुमिहोच्यते। असङ्ख्येयाः प्रकृतयस्तिर्यगूर्द्ध्वमधश्च याः ।। ४९.

These seven primal substances support each other; among them, those with small measure can be enumerated here, but the primal substances extending horizontally, upwards, and downwards are innumerable.

तारकासन्निवेशश्च यावद्दिव्यं तु मण्जलम्। मर्यादासन्निवेशस्तु भूमेस्तदनुमण्डलम्। अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि पृथिव्यां वै द्विजोत्तमाः ।। ४९.

The arrangement of the stars extends as far as the celestial sphere; the arrangement of the boundaries of the earth is up to its own sphere; beyond this, I shall further explain about the earth, O best of twice-born.

अधःप्रमाणमूर्द्ध्वञ्च वर्ण्यमानं निबोधत। पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम्। अनन्तधातवो ह्येते व्यापकास्तु प्रकीर्तिताः ॥ ५०.

Now hear of the measurement below and above: earth, wind, space, water, and light as the fifth—these are called the infinite elements, all-pervading.

जननी सर्वभूतानां सर्व भूतधरा धरा। नानाजनपदाकीर्णा नानाधिष्ठानपत्तना ॥ ५०.

The earth is the mother of all beings, the bearer of all creatures, filled with many peoples and adorned with many cities and abodes.

नानानदनदीशैला नैकजातिसमाकुला। अनन्ता गीयते देवी पृथिवी बहुविस्तरा ॥ ५०.

With many rivers, mountains, and teeming with various kinds of beings, the goddess earth is sung as infinite and of great expanse.

नदीनदसमुद्रस्थास्तथा क्षुद्राश्रयाः स्थिताः। पर्वताकाशसंस्थाश्च अन्तर्भूमिगताश्च याः ॥ ५०.

Those beings who dwell in rivers, streams, and oceans, as well as those who reside in small enclosures, those established on mountains and in the sky, and those who are within the earth—

आपोऽनन्ताश्च विज्ञेयास्तथाग्निः सर्वलौकिकः। अनन्तः पठ्यते चैव व्यापकः सर्वसम्भवः ॥ ५०.

The waters are to be understood as endless, and likewise, fire in all the worlds is said to be infinite, all-pervading, and the source of everything.

तथाकाशमनालम्बं रम्यं नानाश्रयं स्मृतम्। अनन्तं प्रथितं सर्वं वायुश्चाकाशसम्भवः ॥ ५०.

In the same way, space is considered unsupported, delightful, and having various abodes; it is proclaimed as infinite and all-pervading, and wind arises from space.

आपः पृथिव्यामुदके पृथिवी चोपरि स्थिता। आकाशञ्चापरमधः पुनर्भूमिः पुनर्ज्जलम् ॥ ५०.

Water is within the earth, and the earth is established above the water; above that is space, and below again is earth, and then again water.