Vayu Purana

मेहनाच्च मिहेर्द्धातोर्मेघत्वं व्यञ्जयन्ति च। न भ्रश्यन्ति यतस्त्वापस्तदभ्रं कवयो विदुः ।। ५१.

From the act of raining, the cloud's nature is revealed; because the waters do not fall away, the wise know that as a cloud.

मेघानां पुनरुत्पत्तिस्त्रिविधा योनिरुच्यते। आग्नेया ब्रह्मजाश्चैव पक्षजाश्च पृथग्विधाः। त्रिधा घनाः समाख्यातास्तेषां वक्ष्यामि सम्भवम् ।। ५१.

The origin of clouds is said to be threefold: fiery, born of Brahma, and born of wings—these are the different kinds. The clouds are described as threefold; I will explain their origin.

आग्नेयास्त्वर्णजाः प्रोक्तास्तेषां तस्मात् प्रवर्त्तनम्। शीतदुर्दिनवाता ये स्वगुणास्ते व्यवस्थिताः ।। ५१.

The fiery ones are said to be born of fire, and their activity comes from that; those with the qualities of cold, bad weather, and wind are established in their own nature.

महिषाश्च वराहाश्च मत्तमातङ्गगामिनः। भूत्वा धरणिमभ्येत्य विचरन्ति रमन्ति च ।। ५१.

Buffaloes, boars, and intoxicated elephants, after taking form, come to the earth, wander about, and take delight.

जीमूता नाम ते मेघा एतेभ्यो जीवसम्भवाः। विद्युद्गुणविहीनाश्च जलधारावलम्बिनः ।। ५१.

Those clouds are called Jīmūtas; from them, living beings arise. They are without the quality of lightning and are sustained by streams of water.

मूका घना महाकाया प्रवाहस्य वशानुगाः। क्रोशमात्राच्च वर्षन्ति क्रोशार्द्धादपि वा पुनः ।। ५१.

Mute, massive clouds, following the force of the wind, rain down from a distance of a krośa or even half a krośa.

पर्वताग्रनितम्बेषु वर्षन्ति च रमन्ति च। बलाकागर्भदाश्चैव बलाकागर्भधारिणः ।। ५१.

They rain and take delight on the slopes and peaks of mountains; and those that bear the womb of the crane, as well as those that carry the womb of the crane.

ब्रह्मजानाम ते मेघा ब्रह्मनिःश्वाससम्भवाः। ते हि विद्युद्गुणोपेताः स्तनयन्ति स्वनप्रियाः ।। ५१.

O clouds, we know you as born from Brahma's breath; endowed with the quality of lightning, you thunder, delighting in sound.

तेषां शब्दप्रणादेन भूमिः स्वाङ्गरुहोद्घमा। राज्ञी राज्ञाभिषिक्तेव पुनर्यौवनमश्रुते। तेष्वियं प्रीतिमासक्ता भूतानां जीवितोद्भवा ।। ५१.

By the resonance of their sound, the earth's vegetation springs forth, as if the queen, newly anointed by the king, regains her youth; to these clouds, this earth is attached with affection, for from them arises the life of beings.

जीमूता नाम ते मेघास्तेभ्यो जीवस्य सम्भवः। द्वितीयं प्रवहं वायुं मेघास्ते तु समाश्रिताः ।। ५१.

These clouds are called Jīmūtas, and from them the origin of life; they are sustained by the second current of wind.

एते योजनमात्राच्च सार्द्धार्द्धान्निष्कृतादपि। वृष्टिसर्गस्तथा तेषां धारासाराः प्रकीर्त्तिताः। पुष्करावर्त्तका नाम ये मेघाः पक्षसम्भवाः ।। ५१.

From a distance of a yojana and a half, even farther, their rain is produced; their streams are described as continuous; those clouds born of wings are called Puṣkarāvarttakas.

शक्रेण पक्षाश्छिन्ना ये पर्वतानां महोजसाम्। कामगानां प्रवृद्धानां भूतानां शिवमिच्छता ।। ५१.

Their wings were cut off by Indra, those of the mighty mountains, who moved at will and grew, for the welfare of beings.

पुष्करा नाम ते मेघा बृहन्तस्तोय मत्सराः। पुष्करावर्त्तकास्तेन कारणेनेह शब्दिताः ।। ५१.

Those great clouds are called Puṣkaras, vast and filled with water, full of rivalry; thus, for this reason, they are called Puṣkarāvarttakas.

नानारूपधराश्चैव महाघोरतराश्च ते। कल्पान्तवृष्टेः स्रष्टारः संवर्त्ताग्नेर्नियामकाः ।। ५१.

They assume various forms and are exceedingly fierce; they are the creators of the rain at the end of an age and the regulators of the fire of dissolution.

वर्षन्त्येते युगान्तेषु तृतीयास्ते प्रकीर्त्तिताः। अनेकरूपसंस्थानाः पूरयन्तो महीतलम् । वायुं परं वहन्तः स्युराश्रिताः कल्पसाधकाः ।। ५१.

These, the third kind, rain at the end of the ages, taking on many forms and appearances, filling the surface of the earth, bearing the supreme wind, and are established as the agents of the cosmic cycle.

यान्यस्याण्डकपालस्य प्राकृतस्याभवंस्तदा। तस्माद्ब्रह्मा समुत्पन्नश्चतुर्वक्त्रः स्वयम्भुवः। तान्येवाण्डकपालस्य सर्वे मेघाः प्रकीर्त्तिताः ।। ५१.

Whatever arose from the shell of the cosmic egg at the beginning, from that Brahma was born, self-existent and four-faced; all those clouds are said to be of the shell of the cosmic egg.

तेषामाप्यायनं धूमः सर्वेषामविशेषतः । तेषां श्रेष्ठस्तु पर्ज्जन्यश्चत्वारश्चैव दिग्गजाः ।। ५१.

Their nourishment is smoke, equally for all; among them, Parjanya is the best, along with the four elephants of the quarters.

गजानां पर्वतानाञ्च मेघानां भोगिभिः सह। कुलमेकं पृथग्भूतं योनिरेका जलं स्मृतम् ।। ५१.

The families of elephants, mountains, and clouds, together with serpents, are considered as one group, with a single origin, which is water.

पर्जन्यो दिग्गजाश्चैव हेमन्ते शीतसम्भवाः। तुषारवृष्टिं वर्षन्ति सर्वसस्यविवृद्धये ।। ५१.

Parjanya and the elephants of the quarters, in winter, arising from cold, pour down frost-rain for the growth of all crops.

श्रेष्ठः परिवहो नाम तेषां वायुरपाश्रयः। योऽसौ बिभर्त्ति भगवान् गङ्गामाकाशगोचराम्। दिव्यामतिजलां पुण्यां विद्यां स्वर्गपथिस्थिताम् ।। ५१.

Among them, the best wind is called Parivaha, the support of waters, who, as the divine Lord, bears the celestial Ganga, pure, sacred, and established on the path to heaven.

तस्याविष्पन्दजन्तोयं दिग्गजाः पृथुभिः करैः। शीकरं सम्प्रमुञ्चन्ति नीहार इति स स्मृतः ।। ५१.

From its motionless water, the elephants of the quarters, with their broad trunks, release spray, which is known as mist.

दक्षिणेन गिरिर्योऽसौ हेमकूट इति स्मृतः। उदग् हिमवतः शैलादुत्तरस्य च दक्षिणे। पुण्ड्रं नाम समाख्यातं नगरं तत्र वै स्मृतम् ।। ५१.

To the south is the mountain called Hemakūṭa; north of Himavat, and to the south of the northern region, is the city known as Puṇḍra.

तस्मिन्निपतितं वर्षं यत्तुषारसमुद्भवम् । ततस्तदावहो वायुर्हिमशैलात् समुद्वहन्। आनयत्यात्मयोगेन सिञ्चमानो महागिरिम् ।। ५१.

The rain that falls there, produced from frost, is then carried by the wind from the snowy mountain, bringing it by its own power and sprinkling the great mountain.

हिमवन्तमतिक्रम्य वृष्टिशेषं ततः परम्। इहाभ्येति ततः पश्चादपरान्तविवृद्धये ।। ५१.

Crossing Himavat, the remaining rain then comes here, later increasing the western region.

मेघावाप्यायतश्चैव सर्वमेतत् प्रकीर्त्तितम् । सूर्य एव तु वृष्टिनां स्रष्टा समुपदिश्यते ।। ५१.

Thus, the expansion of clouds has been described; indeed, the sun alone is taught as the creator of rains.

ध्रुवेणा वेष्टितः सूर्यस्ताभ्यां वृष्टिः प्रवर्त्तते। ध्रुवेणावेष्टितो वायुर्वृष्टिं संहरते पुनः ।। ५१.

The sun, encircled by the Pole Star, brings about rain through these two; the wind, encircled by the Pole Star, again withdraws the rain.

ग्रहान्निःसृत्य सूर्यात्तु कृत्स्ने नक्षत्रमण्डले । वारस्यान्ते विशत्यर्कं ध्रुवेण परिवेष्टितम् ।। ५१.

Emerging from the planets and from the sun, at the end of the day, it enters the sun, which is encircled by the Pole Star, within the entire region of the stars.

अतः सूर्यरथस्याथ सन्निवेशं निबोधत। संस्थितैनैकचक्रेण पञ्चारेण त्रिनाभिना ।। ५१.

Now, listen to the arrangement of the sun’s chariot: it is established with a single wheel, five spokes, and three hubs.

हिरण्मयेन भगवान् पर्वणा तु महौजसा। नष्टवर्त्मान्धकारेण षट्‌प्रकारैकनेमिना। चक्रेण भास्वता सूर्यः स्यन्दनेन प्रसर्प्पति ।। ५१.

The blessed sun, of great brilliance, moves with a golden axle, a path lost in darkness, a single rim of six kinds, and a radiant wheel as his chariot.