Vayu Purana

सुराणामसुराणाञ्च श्रुत्वा वाक्यं पितामहः। प्रत्युवाच महातेजा लोकानां हितकाम्यया ।। ५४.

Hearing the words of the gods and demons, the grandsire, desiring the welfare of the worlds, replied with great brilliance.

श्रृणुध्वं देवताः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः। यत्तदग्रे समुत्पन्नं मथ्यमाने महोदधौ ।। ५४.

Hear, all you gods and ascetic sages, what first arose when the great ocean was being churned.

विषं कालानलप्रख्यं कालकूटेति विश्रुतम्। येन प्रोद्भूतमात्रेण कृतकृष्णो जनार्दनः ।। ५४.

A poison, resembling the fire of time and famed as Kālakuṭa, appeared, by whose very emergence Janārdana became dark.

तस्य विष्णुरहञ्चापि सर्वे ते सुरपुङ्गवाः। न शक्नुवन्ति वै सोढुं वेगमन्ये तु शङ्करात् ।। ५४.

Neither Viṣṇu nor I, nor all those foremost gods, were able to endure its force—only Śaṅkara could.

इत्युक्त्वा पझगर्भाभः पझयोनिरयोनिजः । ततः स्तोतुं समारब्धो ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।। ५४.

Having spoken thus, the one whose womb is the lotus, the self-born, began to praise Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds.

नमस्तुभ्यं विरूपाक्ष नमस्तेऽनेकचक्षुषे। नमः पिनाकहस्ताय वज्रहस्ताय वै नमः ।। ५४.

Salutations to you, O three-eyed one, salutations to you of many eyes; homage to the wielder of Pināka, homage indeed to the one who holds the thunderbolt.

नमस्त्रैलोक्यनाथाय भूतानाम्पतये नमः। नमः सुरारिसंहर्त्रे तापसाय त्रिचक्षुषे ।। ५४.

Homage to the lord of the three worlds, to the lord of beings; homage to the destroyer of the enemies of the gods, to the ascetic, to the three-eyed one.

ब्रहमणे चैव रुद्राय विष्णवे चैव ते नमः। साङ्ख्याय चैव योगाय भूतग्रामाय वै नमः ।। ५४.

Homage to you as Brahmā, as Rudra, and as Viṣṇu; homage to you as Sāṅkhya, as Yoga, and as the host of beings.

मन्मताङ्गविनाशाय कालकालाय वै नमः। रुद्राय च सुरेशाय देवदेवाय ते नमः। ५४.

Homage to the destroyer of Madana and the elephant, to the death of death; homage to Rudra, to the lord of gods, to the god of gods.

कपर्दिने करालाय शङ्कराय कपालिने। विरूपायैकरूपाय शिवाय वरदाय च ।। ५४.

To the matted-haired, the fierce, the beneficent, the skull-bearer; to the deformed, the singularly formed, the auspicious, and the bestower of boons—homage.

त्रिपुरघ्नाय वन्द्याय मातॄणाम्पतये नमः। बुद्धाय चैव शुद्धाय मुक्ताय केवलाय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the destroyer of Tripura, the venerable one, the lord of the Mothers; to the wise, the pure, the liberated, and the solitary one.

नमः कमलहस्ताय दिग्वासाय शिखण्डिने । लोक त्रयवलिधात्रे च चन्द्राय वरुणाय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the lotus-handed, the sky-clad, the crested one; to the sustainer of the three worlds, to the moon, and to Varuṇa.

अग्राय चैव चोग्राय विप्रायानेकचक्षुषे। रजसे चैव सत्त्वाय तमसेऽव्यक्तयोनये ।। ५४.

Homage to the foremost and the terrible, to the wise, to the one with many eyes; to rajas, to sattva, to tamas, and to the unmanifest source.

नित्यायानित्यरूपाय नित्यानित्याय वै नमः। व्यक्ताय चैवाव्यक्ताय व्यक्ताव्यक्ताय वै नमः ।। ५४.

Homage to the eternal and the impermanent form, to the eternal and the non-eternal; to the manifest, the unmanifest, and the manifest-unmanifest.

चिन्त्याय चैवाचिन्त्याय चिन्त्याचिन्त्याय वै नमः। भक्तानामार्तिनाशाय नरनारायणाय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the conceivable and the inconceivable, to the conceivable-inconceivable; to the destroyer of the distress of devotees, to Nara-Nārāyaṇa.

उमाप्रियाय शर्वाय नन्दिचक्राङ्किताय च। पक्षमासार्द्धमासाय नमः संवत्सराय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the beloved of Umā, to Śarva, to the one marked by the circle of Nandi; to the fortnight, the month, the half-month, and to the year.

बहुरूपाय मुण्डाय दण्डिनेऽथ वरूथिने। नमः कपालहस्ताय दिग्वासाय शिखणिडने ।। ५४.

Homage to the many-formed, the shaven-headed, the staff-bearer, and the leader; to the skull-handed, the sky-clad, and the crested one.

ध्वजिने रथिने चैव यमिने ब्रह्मचारिणे। ऋग्यजुः सामवेदाय पुरुषायेश्वराय च। इत्येवमादिचरितैस्तुभ्यं देव नमोऽस्तु ते ।। ५४.

To the bannered, the charioteer, the restrainer, the celibate; to the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, to the Person, to the Lord—thus, with such deeds, I bow to you, O god.

एवं स्तुतस्ततो देवैः प्रणिपत्य वरानने ।। ५४.

Thus praised by the gods, having bowed down, O beautiful-faced one—

ज्ञात्वा तु भक्तिं मम देवदेवो गङ्गाजलाप्लावितकेशदेशः। सूक्ष्मोऽतियोगातिशयादचिन्त्यो न हि प्लुतो व्यक्तमुपैति चन्द्रः ।। ५४.

Knowing my devotion, the Lord of gods, with hair washed by the waters of the Ganga, is subtle, beyond measure, and inconceivable; just as the moon, though immersed, does not become clearly manifest.

एवं भगवता पूर्वं ब्रह्मणा लोककर्तृणा। स्तुतोऽहं विविधैः स्तोत्रै र्वेदवेदाङ्गसम्भवैः ।। ५४.

Thus, formerly, I was praised by the Blessed Lord Brahma, the creator of the worlds, with various hymns arising from the Vedas and their branches.

ततः प्रीतो ह्यहं तस्मै ब्रह्मणे सुमहात्मने। ततोऽहं सूक्ष्मया वाचा पितामहमथाब्रुवम् ।। ५४.

Then, being pleased with that great-souled Brahma, I addressed him with subtle words.

भगवन् भूतभव्येश लोकनाथ जगत्पते। किं कार्ये ते मया ब्रह्मन् कर्त्तव्यं वद सुव्रत ।। ५४.

O Lord, master of past and future, lord of the worlds, ruler of the universe, what task should I perform for you, O Brahma? Speak, O steadfast one.

श्रुत्वा वाक्यं ततो ब्रह्मा प्रत्युवाचाम्बुजेक्षणः । भूतभव्यभवन्नाथ श्रूयतां कारणेश्वर ।। ५४.

Hearing these words, Brahma, lotus-eyed, replied: 'O Lord of past, future, and present, O Lord of causes, listen.'

सुरासुरैर्मथ्यमाने पयोधावम्बुजेक्षण। भगवन्मेघ सङ्काशं नीलजीमूतसन्निभम् ।। ५४.

When the ocean was being churned by gods and demons, O lotus-eyed one, a being appeared, dark as a rain-cloud, resembling a blue thundercloud.

प्रादुर्भूतं विषङ्घोरं संवर्त्ताग्निसमप्रभम्। कालमृत्युरिवोद्भूतं युगान्तादित्यवर्च्चसम् ।। ५४.

A dreadful poison arose, blazing like the fire of dissolution, emerging like Time and Death, shining with the radiance of the sun at the end of an age.

त्रैलोक्योत्सादि सूर्याभं विस्फुरन्तं समन्ततः। अग्रे समुत्थितं तस्मिन् विषङ्कालानलप्रभम् ।। ५४.

It blazed on all sides, sun-like, threatening to destroy the three worlds; at the forefront arose that poison, glowing like the fire of time.

तं दृष्ट्वा तुं वयं सर्वे भीताः सम्भ्रान्तचेतसः। तत् पिबस्व महादेव लोकानां हितकाम्यया । भवानग्र्यस्य भोक्ता वै भवांश्वैव वरः प्रभुः ।। ५४.

Seeing that, we all became fearful, our minds agitated; 'O great god, for the welfare of the worlds, drink it. You alone are the foremost enjoyer, you alone are the supreme lord.'

त्वामृतेऽन्यो महादेव विषं सोढुं न विद्यते । नास्ति कश्चित् पुमान् शक्तस्त्रैलोक्येषु च गीयते ।। ५४.

'Except for you, O great god, there is no one able to endure this poison; in all the three worlds, no man is said to be capable.'