ब्रह्मणो दिवसे ब्रह्मन्मनवस्तु चतुर्दश । भवन्ति परिमाणं च तेषां कालकृतं श्रृणु
In a day of Brahmā, O brāhmaṇa, there are fourteen Manus; listen to the measure of their time, as determined by calculation.
सप्तर्षयः सुराः शक्रो मनुस्तत्सूनवो नृपाः । एककाले हि सृज्यन्ते संह्रियन्ते च पूर्ववत्
The Seven Sages, the gods, Indra, Manu, and the kings who are his sons—all are created and dissolved together, just as before.
चतुर्यगुणां संख्याता साधिका ह्रोकासप्ततिः । मन्वन्तरं मनोः कालः सुरादीनां च सत्तम
Seventy-one and a little more, multiplied by four, is the period called a manvantara, O best of beings, which is the time of Manu and the gods.
अष्टौ शत सहस्त्राणि दिव्ययां संख्यया स्मृतम् । द्विपत्रचाशत्तथान्यानि सहस्त्राण्यधिकानि तु
Eight hundred and seventy-two thousand, in divine reckoning, is remembered; and there are other thousands, twice as many and more.
त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तु सम्पूर्णाः संख्याताः संख्याया द्विज । सप्तषष्टिस्तथान्यानि नियुतानि महामुने
Three hundred million are counted as the full number, O twice-born; and there are sixty-seven more 'niyutas', O great sage.
विंशतिस्तु सह्स्त्राणि कालोऽयमधिकं विना । मन्वन्तरस्य सड्खयेयं मानुषैर्वत्सरैर्द्विज
There are twenty thousand more, without excess; this is the reckoning of a manvantara in human years, O twice-born.
चतुर्दशगुणो ह्योष कालो ब्राह्ममहः स्मृतम् । ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको नाम तस्यान्ते प्रतिसत्र्चरः
Fourteen times that period is called a day of Brahmā; at its end comes what is known as the incidental (naimittika) dissolution.
तदा ही दह्राते सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं भूर्भुवादिकम् । जनं प्रयान्ति तापार्था महर्लोकनिवासिनः
Then, at that time, all the three worlds—Bhū, Bhuvaḥ, and others—are dissolved; those dwelling in Maharloka, seeking relief from heat, go to Janaloka.
एकार्णवे तु त्रैलोक्ये ब्रह्म नारायणात्मकः । भोगिशय्यां गतः शेते त्रैलोक्यग्रासबृंहितः
When the three worlds are a single ocean, Brahmā, whose essence is Nārāyaṇa, lies upon the serpent-bed, magnified by the absorption of the worlds.
जनस्थैर्योगिभिर्देवाश्चिन्त्यमानोऽब्जसम्भवः । तत्प्रमाणां हि तां रात्रिं तदन्ते सृजते पुनः
The gods and yogis in Janaloka contemplate the lotus-born one; for a night of equal measure, and at its end, he creates again.
एवं तु ब्रह्मणो वर्षमेवं वर्षशतं च यत् । शतं हि तस्य वर्षाणां परमायुर्महात्मनः
In this way, a year of Brahmā is as has been described, and a hundred such years is his lifespan; for a hundred years is the supreme lifespan of that great being.
एकमस्य व्यतीतं तु परार्द्ध ब्रह्मणोऽनघ । तस्यान्तेऽभून्महाकल्पः पाद्य इत्यभिविश्रुतः
O sinless one, one parārdha of Brahmā has passed; at its end occurred the great kalpa known as Pādya.
द्वितीयस्य परार्द्धस्य वर्तमानस्य वै द्विज । वाराह इति कल्पोऽयं प्रथमः परिकीर्तितः
O twice-born, in the second parārdha, which is now ongoing, the first kalpa is renowned as the Vārāha Kalpa.
श्रीमैत्रेय उवाच । ब्रह्मानारायणाख्योऽसौ कल्पादौ भगवान्यथा । ससर्ज सर्वभूतानि तदाचक्ष्व महामुने
Śrī Maitreya said: At the beginning of the kalpa, the blessed one called Brahmā-Nārāyaṇa created all beings; tell me of this, O great sage.
श्रीपराशर उवाच । प्रजाः ससर्ज भगवान्ब्रह्मा नारायणात्मकः । प्रजापतिपतिर्देवो यथा तन्मे निशामय
Śrī Parāśara said: The blessed Brahmā, whose essence is Nārāyaṇa, created the creatures; listen to how the lord of the progenitors, the god, did so.
अतीतकल्पावसाने निशासुप्तोत्थितः प्रभुः । सत्त्वोद्रि क्तस्तथा ब्रह्मा शून्यं लोकमवैक्षत
At the end of the previous kalpa, when night had passed and he awoke, Brahmā, endowed with sattva, saw the world as empty.
नारायणः परोऽचिन्त्यः परोषामपि स प्रभुः । ब्रह्मस्वरूपी भगवाननादिः सर्वसम्भवः
Nārāyaṇa, the supreme, inconceivable, even beyond the highest, that lord, the blessed one, is the form of Brahmā, the origin of all, and the source of everything.
इमं चोदाहरन्त्यत्र श्लोकं नारायणं प्रति । ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणं देवं जगतः प्रभवाप्ययम्
Here, they recite a verse about Nārāyaṇa: The god who is the form of Brahmā is the origin and dissolution of the world.
आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः । अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः
The waters are called 'nārā'—indeed, the waters are said to be the offspring of Nara; their abode was first in Him, therefore He is remembered as Nārāyaṇa.
तोयान्तःस्थां महीं ज्ञात्वा जगत्येकार्णवीकृते । अनुमानात्तदुद्धारं कर्तुकामः प्रजापतिः
Knowing that the earth was within the waters, when the world had become a single ocean, the Lord of creatures, desiring to raise it up, inferred the means to do so.
अकरोत्स्वतनूमन्यां कल्पादिषु यथा पुरा । सत्स्यकूर्मादिकां तद्वद्वाराहं वरुरास्थितः
As in previous cycles, He assumed another body—such as the forms of fish, tortoise, and others; in the same way, He took the form of the Boar.
वेदयज्ञमयं रूपमश्षोजगतः स्थितौ । स्थितः स्थिरात्मा सर्वात्मा परमात्मा प्रजापतिः
The Lord of creatures, steadfast, the Self of all, the Supreme Self, took a form composed of Veda and sacrifice for the support of the world.
जनलोकगतैस्सिद्धैस्सनकाद्यैरभिष्टुतः । प्रविवेश तदा तोयमात्माधारो धराधरः
Praised by the perfected beings dwelling in Janaloka, such as Sanaka and others, He, the sustainer of the earth and foundation of all, then entered the waters.
निरीक्ष्य तं तदा देवी पातालातलमागतम् । तुष्टाव प्रणता भूत्वा भक्तिनम्रा वसुन्धरा
Seeing Him then, the goddess Earth, who had come from the lowest netherworld, bowed in devotion and praised Him, her heart full of devotion.
श्रीपृथिव्युवाच । नमस्ते पुण्डरीकाक्ष शंखचक्रगदाधर । मामुद्धरास्मादद्य त्वं त्वत्तोऽहं पूर्वमुत्थिता
Śrī Earth said: Salutations to You, lotus-eyed One, bearer of conch, discus, and mace; today, please lift me up from here, for I arose from You before.
त्वयाहमुद्धृता पूर्वं त्वन्मयाहं जनार्दन । तथान्यानि च भूतानि गगनादीन्यश्षोतः
By You I was raised up before, O Janārdana, and I am made of You; so too are the other beings, such as the sky and the rest, arisen from You.
नमस्ते परमात्मात्मन्पुरुषात्मन्नमोस्तु ते । प्रधानव्यक्तभूताय कालभूताय ते नमः
Salutations to You, Supreme Self, Self of all beings; homage to You, who are the unmanifest source of matter, and who are Time itself.
त्वं कर्ता सर्वभूतानां त्वं पाता त्वं विनाशकृत् । सर्गादिषु प्रभो ब्रह्मविष्णुरुद्रा त्मरूपधृक्
You are the creator of all beings, You are their protector, and You are the cause of their destruction; in creation and other acts, O Lord, You assume the forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra.
सम्भक्षयित्वा सकलं जगत्येकार्णवीकृते । श्षोए! त्वमेव गोविंद चिन्त्यमानो मनीषिभिः
Having consumed all creation when the world became a single ocean, O Govinda, You alone are contemplated by the wise.
भवतो यत्परं तत्त्वं तन्न जानाति कश्चन । अवतारेषु यद्रू पं तदर्चन्ति दिवौकसः
No one knows Your highest reality; in Your incarnations, the forms You assume are worshipped by the dwellers of heaven.