Vayu Purana

करम्भवालुकायाञ्च असिपत्रवने तथा। शिलासम्पेषणे चैव पात्यमानाः स्वकर्मभिः ।। ५६.

In the Karambha sand, in the Asipatra forest, and in the crushing by stones, they are thrown according to their own actions.

तत्र स्थानानि तेषां वै दुःखानामप्यनाकवत्। तेषां लोकान्तरस्थानां विविधैर्नामगोत्रतः ।। ५६.

There, the places of their suffering are countless, and those beings dwelling in other worlds are distinguished by various names and lineages.

भूम्यापसव्यदर्भेषु दत्त्वा पिण्डत्रयन्तु वै। पति तांस्तर्पयन्ते च प्रेतस्थानेष्वधिष्ठिताः ।। ५६.

On the earth, on the left side of the sacred grass, after offering three balls of food, the husband satisfies them, established in the place of the departed.

अप्राप्ता यातनास्थानं सृष्टा ये भुवि पञ्चधा। पश्चादिस्थावरान्तेषु भूतानां तेषु कर्मसु ।। ५६.

Those who have not reached the place of torment, created on earth in five ways, among the immobile and mobile beings, according to their actions.

नानारूपासु जातीषु तिर्यग्योनिषु चातिषु। यदाहारा भवन्त्येते तासु तास्विह योनिषु। तस्मिस्तस्मिंस्तदाहारं श्राद्धदत्तोपतिष्ठति ।। ५६.

In the various forms of birth, in animal wombs and others, whatever food they receive in those wombs, that very food given in the śrāddha reaches them.

काले न्यायागतं पात्रं विधिना प्रतिपादितम्। प्राप्नोत्यन्नं यथा दत्तं बन्धुर्यत्रावतिष्ठते ।। ५६.

At the proper time, the vessel duly appointed by the rite receives the food as it is given, wherever the relative abides.

यथा गोषु प्रनष्टासु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम्। तथा श्राद्धे तदिष्टानां मन्त्रः प्रापयते पितॄन् ।। ५६.

Just as a calf finds its mother among lost cows, so the mantra in the śrāddha brings the ancestors to those who are desired.

एवं ह्यविकलं श्राद्धं श्राद्धदत्तन्तु मन्त्रतः। सनत्कुमारः प्रोवाच पश्यन् दिव्येन चक्षुषा। गतागतिज्ञः प्रेतानां मन्त्रः प्रापयते पितॄन् ।। ५६.

Thus, the śrāddha performed without defect, and the offering given with mantra, Sanatkumara spoke, seeing with divine vision; knowing the coming and going of the departed, the mantra brings the ancestors.

बह्वीकास्वोष्मपाश्चैव दिवाकीर्त्याश्च ते स्मृताः। कृष्णपक्षस्त्वहस्तेषां शुक्लः स्वप्राय शर्वरी ।। ५६.

Those remembered as Bahvika, Asva, Ushmapa, and Divakirtya; the dark fortnight is their domain, the bright is their own night.

इत्ये ते पितरो देवा देवाश्च पितरश्च वै। ऋतार्त्तवा अनेके तु अन्योन्यपितरः स्मृताः ।। ५६.

Thus, the ancestors are gods and the gods are ancestors; many are seasonal, and some are mutually ancestors.

एते तु पितरो देवा मानुषाः पितरश्च ये। प्रीतेषु तेषु प्रीयन्ते श्रद्धायुक्तेन कर्मणा ।। ५६.

These ancestors are gods, and those who are human ancestors; when they are pleased, they are gratified by action performed with faith.

इत्येवं पितरः प्रोक्ताः पिदॄणां सोमपायिनाम्। एतत् पितृमतत्वं हि पुराणे निश्चयो मतः ।। ५६.

Thus, the ancestors are spoken of, the soma-drinking ancestors; this is the doctrine of the ancestors, the conclusion held in the Purana.

इत्यर्कपितृ सोमानामैलस्य च समागमः। सुधामृतस्य चावाप्तिः पितॄणाञ्चैव तर्पणम् ।। ५६.

Thus is the union of the solar and lunar ancestors, and the attainment of nectar and ambrosia, and the satisfaction of the ancestors.

पूर्णिमावास्ययोः कालः पितॄणां स्थानमेव च। समासात्कीर्त्तितस्तुभ्यमेष सर्गः सनातनः ।। ५६.

The time of full moon and new moon, and the place of the ancestors, has been briefly described to you; this is the eternal creation.

वैश्वरूप्यन्तु सर्वस्य कथित़ञ्चैकदेशिकम्। न शक्यं परिसङ्ख्यातुं श्रद्धेयं भूतिमिच्छता ।। ५६.

The universal form of all has been told, and its partial aspect; it cannot be fully enumerated, but should be trusted by one desiring prosperity.

स्वायम्भुवस्य हीत्येष सर्गः क्रान्तो मयात्र वै। विस्तरेणानुपूर्व्या च भूयः किं वर्णयाम्यहम् ।। ५६.

This creation of Svayambhu has been narrated by me here, in detail and in order; what more should I describe?

चतुर्युगानि यान्यासन् पूर्वं स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे । तेषां निसर्गं तत्त्वञ्च श्रोतुमिच्छामि विस्तरात् ।। ५७.

The four ages that existed formerly in the interval of Svayambhu, I wish to hear their origin and essence in detail.

पृथिव्यादिप्रसङ्गेन यन्मया प्रागुदाहृतम्। तेषाञ्चतुर्युगं ह्येतत् प्रवक्ष्यामि निबोधत ।। ५७.

In connection with the earth and other topics, what I have previously mentioned—now, I shall explain to you the four yugas; listen attentively.

सङ्ख्ययेह प्रसङ्ख्याय विस्ताराच्चैव सर्वशः। युगञ्च युगभेदञ्च युगधर्मन्तथैव च ।। ५७.

Here, I shall describe in detail the enumeration, the distinctions of the yugas, and also the characteristics of each yuga.

युगसन्ध्यंशकञ्चैव युगसन्धानमेव च। षट्‌प्रकारयुगाख्यानां प्रवक्ष्यामीह तत्त्वतः ।। ५७.

I shall truly explain here the portions called yuga-sandhya, the junctions of the yugas, and the sixfold accounts of the yugas.

लौकिकेन प्रमाणेन विबुद्धोऽब्दस्तु मानुषः। तेनाब्देन प्रसङ्ख्याय वक्ष्यामीह चतुर्युगम् ।। ५७.५ . निमेषकालः काष्ठा च कलाश्चापि मुहूर्त्तकाः। निमेषकालतुल्यं हि विद्याल्लघ्वक्षरञ्चयत् ।। ५७.

By the worldly measure, a year is reckoned as a human year; by that year, I shall now enumerate the four yugas. The time of a nimeṣa, a kāṣṭhā, and also kalās and muhūrtas—know that the duration equal to a nimeṣa is called a laghu-akṣara.

काष्ठा निमेषा दश पञ्च चैव त्रिंशच्च काष्ठा गणयेत् कलास्ताः। त्रिंशत् कलाश्चैव भवेन्मुहूर्त्तास्तत्र्त्रिंशता रात्र्यहनी समेते ।। ५७.

One should count fifteen nimeṣas as a kāṣṭhā, and thirty kāṣṭhās as a kalā; thirty kalās make a muhūrta, and thirty muhūrtas together form a day and night.

अहोरात्रे विभजते सूर्यो मानुषदैविके। तत्राहः कर्मचेष्टायां रात्रिः स्वप्नाय कल्प्यते ।। ५७.

The sun divides the day and night into human and divine measures; among these, the day is for activity, and the night is designated for sleep.

पित्र्ये रात्र्यहनी मासः प्रविभागस्तयोः पुनः। कृष्ण पक्षस्त्वहस्तेषां शुक्लः स्वप्नाय शर्वरी ।। ५७.

For the ancestors, a month consists of a day and night; again, among these, the dark fortnight is their day, and the bright fortnight is their night for sleep.

त्रिंशच्च मानुषा मासाः पित्र्यो मासश्च स स्मृतः। शतानि त्रीणि मासानां षष्टया चाप्यधिकानि वै। पित्र्यः संवत्सरो ह्येष मानुषेण विभाव्यते ।। ५७.

Thirty human months are considered as one month for the ancestors; three hundred and sixty, plus sixty more, make a year for the ancestors, as reckoned by human calculation.

मानुषेणैव मानेन वर्षाणां यच्छतं भवेत् । पिदॄणां त्रीणि वर्षाणि सङ्खयातानीह तानि वै। चत्वार श्चाधिका मासाः पित्रे चैवेह कीर्त्तिताः ।। ५७.

By the human measure, a hundred years is equivalent to three years for the ancestors, and four additional months are also mentioned for the ancestors here.

लोकिकेनैव मानेन अब्दो यो मानुषः स्मृतः। एतद्दिव्यमहोरात्रं शास्त्रेऽस्मिन् निश्वयो मतः ।। ५७.

By the worldly measure, the year that is called human is regarded in this scripture as a single divine day and night.

दिव्ये रात्र्यहनी वर्षं प्रविभागस्तयोः पुनः । अहस्तत्रोदगयनं रात्रिः स्याद्दक्षिणायनम् ।। ५७.

A divine year is divided into a day and night; among these, the day is the northern course of the sun, and the night is the southern course.

ये ते रात्र्यहनी दिव्ये प्रसङ्खयाते तयोः पुनः। त्रिंशच्च तानि वर्षाणि दिव्यो मासस्तु स स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Those day and night periods, counted as divine, again, thirty of them are considered a divine month.