The Naimittika and Prakritika Dissolutions of the World

Verse 1 (garuda.1.224.1)

सूत उवाच । चतुर्युगसहस्रान्ते ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको लयः । अनावृष्टिश्च कल्पान्ते जायते शतवार्षिकी

sūta uvāca caturyugasahasrānte brāhmo naimittiko layaḥ anāvṛṣṭiśca kalpānte jāyate śatavārṣikī

Suta said: At the end of a thousand cycles of the four yugas, the occasional (naimittika) dissolution of Brahma occurs; and at the end of the kalpa, a hundred-year drought arises.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.224.2)

उतिष्ठन्ति तदा रौद्रा दिवि सप्त दिवाकराः । ते तु पीत्वा जलं सर्वं शोषयन्ति जगत्त्रयम्

utiṣṭhanti tadā raudrā divi sapta divākarāḥ te tu pītvā jalaṁ sarvaṁ śoṣayanti jagattrayam

Then seven fierce suns arise in the sky; drinking up all the water, they dry out the three worlds.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.224.3)

भूर्भुवः स्वर्महर्लोकं चराचरं जनस्तथा । विष्णुश्च रुद्रो भूत्वासौ पातालानि दहत्यधः

bhūrbhuvaḥ svarmaharlokaṁ carācaraṁ janastathā viṣṇuśca rudro bhūtvāsau pātālāni dahatyadhaḥ

The worlds Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svah, Mahah, and Janah, with all that is moving and unmoving — having burnt these, Vishnu, becoming Rudra, burns the netherworlds below as well.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.224.4)

विष्णुर्दहेत्त्रिलोकञ्चि मुखान्मेघान् सृजत्यलम् । वर्षन्ते वै वर्षशतं नानावर्णा महाघनाः

viṣṇurdahettrilokañci mukhānmeghān sṛjatyalam varṣante vai varṣaśataṁ nānāvarṇā mahāghanāḥ

Vishnu, having burnt the three worlds, then creates abundant clouds from his mouth; great clouds of various colors rain for a hundred years.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.224.5)

विष्णुरूपःशतं वाति वर्षाणां वायुरूर्जितः । विष्णुरे कार्णवी भूते वर्षे ब्रह्मस्वरूपधृक् । शेतेऽनन्तासने विष्णुर्नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे

viṣṇurūpaḥśataṁ vāti varṣāṇāṁ vāyurūrjitaḥ viṣṇure kārṇavī bhūte varṣe brahmasvarūpadhṛk śete'nantāsane viṣṇurnaṣṭe sthāvarajaṅgame

Then Vishnu, assuming the form of a mighty wind, blows for a hundred years; when the whole world has become a single ocean, Vishnu, bearing the form of Brahman, lies upon the couch of Ananta, all that is fixed and moving having perished.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.224.6)

सुप्त्वा वर्षसहस्रं स जगद्भूयोऽसृजद्धरिः । अथ प्राकृतिकं वक्ष्ये प्रलयं शृणु शौनक

suptvā varṣasahasraṁ sa jagadbhūyo'sṛjaddhariḥ atha prākṛtikaṁ vakṣye pralayaṁ śṛṇu śaunaka

Having slept a thousand years, Hari again creates the world. Now I shall describe the elemental (prakritika) dissolution; hear it, O Shaunaka.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.224.7)

पूर्णे संवत्सरशते संहृत्य सकलं जगत् । ब्रह्माणं न्यस्य देहे हि मुक्तो योगबलैर्हरिः

pūrṇe saṁvatsaraśate saṁhṛtya sakalaṁ jagat brahmāṇaṁ nyasya dehe hi mukto yogabalairhariḥ

When a full hundred years have passed, having withdrawn the entire universe, having placed Brahma within his own body, Hari, freed by the power of yoga —

Verse 8 (garuda.1.224.8)

ये गता ब्रह्मणः स्थानं तेऽपि यान्ति परं पदम् । अनावृष्ट्यर्कसम्पन्ना आसन्मेघास्तथा द्विज । शतं वर्षाणि वर्षद्भिर्मेधैरण्डं प्रपूर्यते

ye gatā brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṁ te'pi yānti paraṁ padam anāvṛṣṭyarkasampannā āsanmeghāstathā dvija śataṁ varṣāṇi varṣadbhirmedhairaṇḍaṁ prapūryate

— even those who had reached Brahma's own abode attain the supreme state. O twice-born, after the drought and the blazing suns, clouds arise; raining for a hundred years, they fill the cosmic egg with water.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.224.9)

अन्तर्गतेन तोयेन भिन्नमण्डं जगत्पतेः । पूर्णे ब्रह्मायुषि गते भिद्यतेऽम्भसि लीयते

antargatena toyena bhinnamaṇḍaṁ jagatpateḥ pūrṇe brahmāyuṣi gate bhidyate'mbhasi līyate

By the water gathered within, the cosmic egg of the Lord of the universe is split; when Brahma's full lifespan has passed, it breaks apart and dissolves into the waters.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.224.10)

एवं सा जगदाधारा तोये चोर्वो प्रलीयते । आपस्तेजसि लीयन्ते तेजो वायौ प्रलीयते

evaṁ sā jagadādhārā toye corvo pralīyate āpastejasi līyante tejo vāyau pralīyate

Thus the earth, the support of the world, dissolves into water; water dissolves into fire; fire dissolves into air.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.224.11)

वायुः खे खञ्च भूतादौ विशते च तदा महान् । महान्प्रपद्यतेऽव्यक्तं प्रकृतिः पुरुषे परे

vāyuḥ khe khañca bhūtādau viśate ca tadā mahān mahānprapadyate'vyaktaṁ prakṛtiḥ puruṣe pare

Air dissolves into space; space dissolves into Bhutadi (the principle of elemental origination); then Mahat, the cosmic intellect, merges into unmanifest Prakriti, and Prakriti merges into the supreme Purusha.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.224.12)

शतवर्षं हरिः शेते सृजत्यथ दिनगमे । अव्यक्तादिक्रमेणैव व्यक्तीभूतं चराचरम्

śatavarṣaṁ hariḥ śete sṛjatyatha dinagame avyaktādikrameṇaiva vyaktībhūtaṁ carācaram

Hari sleeps for a hundred years, then, with the coming of the day, creates once more; by that same sequence beginning from the Unmanifest, the moving and unmoving world becomes manifest again.