The Beginning of Creation

Verse 1 (shiva.vayaviya.11.1)

मुनय ऊचुः । मन्वन्तराणि सर्वाणि कल्पभेदांश्च सर्वशः । तेष्वेवान्तरसर्गं च प्रतिसर्गं च नो वद

munaya ūcuḥ | manvantarāṇi sarvāṇi kalpabhedāṁśca sarvaśaḥ | teṣvevāntarasargaṁ ca pratisargaṁ ca no vada

The sages said: Tell us of all the Manvantaras and every variety of Kalpa, and, within them, of the secondary creation and the re-creation.

Verse 2 (shiva.vayaviya.11.2)

वायुरुवाच । कालसङ्ख्याविवृत्तस्य परार्द्धो ब्रह्मणः स्मृतः । तावांश्चैवास्य कालोऽन्यस्तस्यान्ते प्रतिसृज्यते

vāyuruvāca | kālasaṅkhyāvivṛttasya parārddho brahmaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | tāvāṁścaivāsya kālo'nyastasyānte pratisṛjyate

Vayu said: Half the reckoned span of Brahma's calculated lifetime is remembered as one Parardha; and an equal span of time remains beyond it, at whose end re-creation occurs.

Verse 3 (shiva.vayaviya.11.3)

दिवसे दिवसे तस्य ब्रह्मणः पूर्वजन्मनः । चतुर्दश महाभागा मनूनां परिवृत्तयः

divase divase tasya brahmaṇaḥ pūrvajanmanaḥ | caturdaśa mahābhāgā manūnāṁ parivṛttayaḥ

In each single day of that Brahma, born before all things, there occur fourteen glorious, successive reigns of Manus.

Verse 4 (shiva.vayaviya.11.4)

अनादित्वादनन्तत्वादज्ञेयत्वाच्च कृत्स्नशः । मन्वन्तराणि कल्पाश्च न शक्या वचनात्पृथक्

anāditvādanantatvādajñeyatvācca kṛtsnaśaḥ | manvantarāṇi kalpāśca na śakyā vacanātpṛthak

Because they are beginningless, endless, and entirely unknowable, the Manvantaras and Kalpas cannot be described one by one in words.

Verse 5 (shiva.vayaviya.11.5)

उक्तेष्वपि च सर्वेषु शृण्वतां वो वचो मम । किमिहास्ति फलं तस्मान्न पृथग वक्तुमुत्सहे

ukteṣvapi ca sarveṣu śṛṇvatāṁ vo vaco mama | kimihāsti phalaṁ tasmānna pṛthaga vaktumutsahe

Even if all were told and you were to listen, what benefit would there be in it? Therefore I do not attempt to describe them one by one.

Verse 6 (shiva.vayaviya.11.6)

य एव खलु कल्पेषु कल्पः सम्प्रति वर्तते । तत्र सङ्क्षिप्य वर्तन्ते सृष्टयः प्रतिसृष्टयः

ya eva khalu kalpeṣu kalpaḥ samprati vartate | tatra saṅkṣipya vartante sṛṣṭayaḥ pratisṛṣṭayaḥ

That very Kalpa which is currently in progress among all the Kalpas -- within it, in brief, occur all the creations and re-creations.

Verse 7 (shiva.vayaviya.11.7)

यस्त्वयं वर्तते कल्पो वाराहो नाम नामतः । अस्मिन्नपि द्विजश्रेष्ठा मनवस्तु चतुर्दश

yastvayaṁ vartate kalpo vārāho nāma nāmataḥ | asminnapi dvijaśreṣṭhā manavastu caturdaśa

O best of the twice-born, this Kalpa now current is named, by its name, the Varaha Kalpa. In this one too there are fourteen Manus.

Verse 8 (shiva.vayaviya.11.8)

स्वायम्भुवादयः सप्त सप्त सावर्णिकादयः । तेषु वैवस्वतो नाम सप्तमो वर्तते मनुः

svāyambhuvādayaḥ sapta sapta sāvarṇikādayaḥ | teṣu vaivasvato nāma saptamo vartate manuḥ

Seven beginning with Svayambhuva, and seven beginning with Savarni. Among them, the seventh, named Vaivasvata, is the one now current.

Verse 9 (shiva.vayaviya.11.9)

मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु सर्गसंहारवृत्तयः । प्रायः समा भवन्तीति तर्कः कार्यो विजानता

manvantareṣu sarveṣu sargasaṁhāravṛttayaḥ | prāyaḥ samā bhavantīti tarkaḥ kāryo vijānatā

One who understands should draw this inference: that in all the Manvantaras, the processes of creation and destruction are, for the most part, similar.

Verse 10 (shiva.vayaviya.11.10)

पूर्वकल्पे परावृत्ते प्रवृत्ते कालमारुते । समुन्मूलितमूलेषु वृक्षेषु च वनेषु च

pūrvakalpe parāvṛtte pravṛtte kālamārute | samunmūlitamūleṣu vṛkṣeṣu ca vaneṣu ca

When the previous Kalpa had drawn to a close, and the fierce wind of Time arose, when trees, roots and all, were uprooted in the forests,

Verse 11 (shiva.vayaviya.11.11)

जगन्ति तृणवक्त्रीणि देवे दहति पावके । वृष्ट्या भुवि निषिक्तायां विवेलेष्वर्णवेषु च

jaganti tṛṇavaktrīṇi deve dahati pāvake | vṛṣṭyā bhuvi niṣiktāyāṁ viveleṣvarṇaveṣu ca

when the worlds had become as insubstantial as blades of grass, when the fire-god was consuming all things, when the earth had been drenched by rain, and the oceans had overflowed their bounds,

Verse 12 (shiva.vayaviya.11.12)

दिक्षु सर्वासु मग्नासु वारिपूरे महीयसि । तदद्भिश्चटुलाक्षेपैस्तरङ्गभुजमण्डलैः

dikṣu sarvāsu magnāsu vāripūre mahīyasi | tadadbhiścaṭulākṣepaistaraṅgabhujamaṇḍalaiḥ

when all the quarters of the sky lay submerged in that vast flood of waters, its darting surges and circling wave-arms churning ceaselessly,

Verse 13 (shiva.vayaviya.11.13)

प्रारब्धचण्डनृत्येषु ततः प्रलयवारिषु । ब्रह्मा नारायणो भूत्वा सुष्वाप सलिले सुखम्

prārabdhacaṇḍanṛtyeṣu tataḥ pralayavāriṣu | brahmā nārāyaṇo bhūtvā suṣvāpa salile sukham

and those deluge-waters had begun their fierce, tumultuous dance -- then Brahma, having become Narayana, slept peacefully upon the water.

Verse 14 (shiva.vayaviya.11.14)

इमं चोदाहरन्मन्त्रं श्लोकं नारायणं प्रति । तं शृणुध्वं मुनिश्रेष्ठास्तदर्थं चाक्षराश्रयम्

imaṁ codāharanmantraṁ ślokaṁ nārāyaṇaṁ prati | taṁ śṛṇudhvaṁ muniśreṣṭhāstadarthaṁ cākṣarāśrayam

And they cite this verse concerning Narayana. Hear it, O best of sages, together with the meaning resting in its very syllables --

Verse 15 (shiva.vayaviya.11.15)

आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः । अयनं तस्य ता यस्मात्तेन नारायणः स्मृतः

āpo nārā iti proktā āpo vai narasūnavaḥ | ayanaṁ tasya tā yasmāttena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ

The waters are called 'Nara', for the waters are indeed the offspring of Nara, the primeval Being; and since these waters are His abode, He is therefore remembered as Narayana.

Verse 16 (shiva.vayaviya.11.16)

शिवयोगमयीं निद्रां कुर्वन्तं त्रिदशेश्वरम् । बद्धाञ्जलिपुटाः सिद्धा जनलोकनिवासिनः

śivayogamayīṁ nidrāṁ kurvantaṁ tridaśeśvaram | baddhāñjalipuṭāḥ siddhā janalokanivāsinaḥ

While that Lord of the gods lay resting in the sleep of auspicious yoga, the Siddhas dwelling in Janaloka stood with palms folded in reverence;

Verse 17 (shiva.vayaviya.11.17)

स्तोत्रैः प्रबोधयामासुः प्रभातसमये सुराः । यथा सृष्ट्यादिसमये ईश्वरं श्रुतयः पुरा

stotraiḥ prabodhayāmāsuḥ prabhātasamaye surāḥ | yathā sṛṣṭyādisamaye īśvaraṁ śrutayaḥ purā

at the hour of dawn the gods awakened him with hymns of praise, just as, at the very dawn of creation, the Vedas had once awakened the Lord.

Verse 18 (shiva.vayaviya.11.18)

ततः प्रबुद्ध उत्थाय शयनात्तोयमध्यगात् । उदैक्षत दिशः सर्वा योगनिद्रालसेक्षणः

tataḥ prabuddha utthāya śayanāttoyamadhyagāt | udaikṣata diśaḥ sarvā yoganidrālasekṣaṇaḥ

Then, having awoken, he rose from his bed and moved into the midst of the waters; with eyes still languid from yoga-sleep, he gazed out over every direction.

Verse 19 (shiva.vayaviya.11.19)

नापश्यत्स तदा किञ्चित्स्वात्मनो व्यतिरेकि यत् । सविस्मय इवासीनः परां चिन्तामुपागमत्

nāpaśyatsa tadā kiñcitsvātmano vyatireki yat | savismaya ivāsīnaḥ parāṁ cintāmupāgamat

He then saw nothing at all apart from his own self; sitting there as if in astonishment, he fell into deep contemplation.

Verse 20 (shiva.vayaviya.11.20)

क्व सा भगवती या तु मनोज्ञा महती मही । नानाविधमहाशैलनदीनगरकानना

kva sā bhagavatī yā tu manojñā mahatī mahī | nānāvidhamahāśailanadīnagarakānanā

'Where is that glorious, lovely, vast Earth, adorned with mountains of every kind, with rivers, cities, and forests?'

Verse 21 (shiva.vayaviya.11.21)

एवं सञ्चिन्तयन्ब्रह्मा बुबुधे नैव भूस्थितिम् । तदा सस्मार पितरं भगवन्तं त्रिलोचनम्

evaṁ sañcintayanbrahmā bubudhe naiva bhūsthitim | tadā sasmāra pitaraṁ bhagavantaṁ trilocanam

Thus reflecting, Brahma could not perceive the earth's whereabouts at all; then he remembered his father, the blessed three-eyed Lord.

Verse 22 (shiva.vayaviya.11.22)

स्मरणाद्देवदेवस्य भवस्यामिततेजसः । ज्ञातवान्सलिले मग्नां धरणीं धरणीपतिः

smaraṇāddevadevasya bhavasyāmitatejasaḥ | jñātavānsalile magnāṁ dharaṇīṁ dharaṇīpatiḥ

By the mere remembrance of Bhava, the God of gods, of immeasurable radiance, Brahma, the Lord of the Earth, came to know that she lay submerged in the waters.

Verse 23 (shiva.vayaviya.11.23)

ततो भूमेः समुद्धारं कर्तुकामः प्रजापतिः । जलक्रीडोचितं दिव्यं वाराहं रूपमस्मरत्

tato bhūmeḥ samuddhāraṁ kartukāmaḥ prajāpatiḥ | jalakrīḍocitaṁ divyaṁ vārāhaṁ rūpamasmarat

Then, desiring to raise up the Earth, Prajapati called to mind the divine Boar-form, suited for sport in the waters.

Verse 24 (shiva.vayaviya.11.24)

महापर्वतवर्ष्माणं महाजलदनिःस्वनम् । नीलमेघप्रतीकाशं दीप्तशब्दं भयानकम्

mahāparvatavarṣmāṇaṁ mahājaladaniḥsvanam | nīlameghapratīkāśaṁ dīptaśabdaṁ bhayānakam

That form was as vast as a great mountain, with a roar like a great thundering rain-cloud, dark-blue as a rain-cloud in hue, thunderous of voice, and terrifying,

Verse 25 (shiva.vayaviya.11.25)

पीनवृत्तघनस्कन्धं पीनोन्नतकटीतटम् । ह्रस्ववृत्तोरुजङ्घाग्रं सुतीक्ष्णखुरमण्डलम्

pīnavṛttaghanaskandhaṁ pīnonnatakaṭītaṭam | hrasvavṛttorujaṅghāgraṁ sutīkṣṇakhuramaṇḍalam

with thick, round, powerful shoulders, plump and raised haunches, short round thighs and shanks, and a circle of exceedingly sharp hooves,

Verse 26 (shiva.vayaviya.11.26)

पद्मरागमणिप्रख्यं वृत्तभीषणलोचनम् । वृत्तदीर्घमहागात्रं स्तब्धकर्णस्थलोज्ज्वलम्

padmarāgamaṇiprakhyaṁ vṛttabhīṣaṇalocanam | vṛttadīrghamahāgātraṁ stabdhakarṇasthalojjvalam

gleaming like ruby gems, with round and fearsome eyes, with a great, long, rounded body, radiant with erect, upstanding ears,

Verse 27 (shiva.vayaviya.11.27)

उदीर्णोच्छ्वासनिःश्वासघूर्णितप्रलयार्णवम् । विस्फुरत्सुसटाच्छन्नकपोलस्कन्धबन्धुरम्

udīrṇocchvāsaniḥśvāsaghūrṇitapralayārṇavam | visphuratsusaṭācchannakapolaskandhabandhuram

whose rising breaths and exhalations seemed to churn the very ocean of the deluge, its cheeks and shoulders graceful, covered by quivering, fine bristles,

Verse 28 (shiva.vayaviya.11.28)

मणिभिर्भूषणैश्चित्रैर्महारत्नैः परिष्कृतम् । विराजमानं विद्युद्भिर्मेघसङ्घमिवोन्नतम्

maṇibhirbhūṣaṇaiścitrairmahāratnaiḥ pariṣkṛtam | virājamānaṁ vidyudbhirmeghasaṅghamivonnatam

adorned with jewels, wondrous ornaments, and great gems, shining forth like a towering mass of clouds lit by flashes of lightning.

Verse 29 (shiva.vayaviya.11.29)

आस्थाय विपुलं रूपं वाराहममितं विधिः । पृथिव्युद्धरणार्थाय प्रविवेश रसातलम्

āsthāya vipulaṁ rūpaṁ vārāhamamitaṁ vidhiḥ | pṛthivyuddharaṇārthāya praviveśa rasātalam

Assuming that vast, boundless Boar-form, Brahma the Ordainer entered Rasatala, the nether world, in order to raise up the Earth.

Verse 30 (shiva.vayaviya.11.30)

स तदा शुशुभेऽतीव सूकरो गिरिसन्निभः । लिङ्गाकृतेर्महेशस्य पादमूलं गतो यथा

sa tadā śuśubhe'tīva sūkaro girisannibhaḥ | liṅgākṛtermaheśasya pādamūlaṁ gato yathā

Then that Boar, resembling a mountain, shone forth exceedingly, as though he had come to rest at the very foot of Mahesha's Linga-form.

Verse 31 (shiva.vayaviya.11.31)

ततः स सलिले मग्नां पृथिवीं पृथिवीन्धरः । उद्धृत्यालिङ्ग्य दंष्ट्राभ्यामुन्ममज्ज रसातलात्

tataḥ sa salile magnāṁ pṛthivīṁ pṛthivīndharaḥ | uddhṛtyāliṅgya daṁṣṭrābhyāmunmamajja rasātalāt

Then that Bearer of the Earth, raising up the Earth submerged in the waters, and embracing her upon his two tusks, rose up out of Rasatala.

Verse 32 (shiva.vayaviya.11.32)

तं दृष्ट्वा मुनयः सिद्धा जनलोकनिवासिनः । मुमुदुर्ननृतुर्मूर्ध्नि तस्य पुष्पैरवाकिरन्

taṁ dṛṣṭvā munayaḥ siddhā janalokanivāsinaḥ | mumudurnanṛturmūrdhni tasya puṣpairavākiran

Seeing him, the sages and Siddhas dwelling in Janaloka rejoiced, danced, and showered flowers upon his head.

Verse 33 (shiva.vayaviya.11.33)

वपुर्महावराहस्य शुशुभे पुष्पसंवृतम् । पतद्भिरिव खद्योतैः प्राशुरञ्जनपर्वतः

vapurmahāvarāhasya śuśubhe puṣpasaṁvṛtam | patadbhiriva khadyotaiḥ prāśurañjanaparvataḥ

The body of the great Boar, covered with falling flowers, shone forth like a mountain of dark collyrium covered with falling fireflies.

Verse 34 (shiva.vayaviya.11.34)

ततः संस्थानमानीय वराहो महतीं महीम् । स्वमेव रूपमास्थाय स्थापयामास वै विभुः

tataḥ saṁsthānamānīya varāho mahatīṁ mahīm | svameva rūpamāsthāya sthāpayāmāsa vai vibhuḥ

Then, having brought the great Earth back to her rightful place, the all-pervading Boar, retaining his own true form, established her there.

Verse 35 (shiva.vayaviya.11.35)

पृथिवीं च समीकृत्य पृथिव्यां स्थापयन् गिरीन् । भूराद्यांश्चतुरो लोकान् कल्पयामास पूर्ववत्

pṛthivīṁ ca samīkṛtya pṛthivyāṁ sthāpayan girīn | bhūrādyāṁścaturo lokān kalpayāmāsa pūrvavat

And having leveled the Earth, and set the mountains upon her, he fashioned once more, as before, the four worlds beginning with Bhur.

Verse 36 (shiva.vayaviya.11.36)

इति सह महतीं महीं महीध्रैः प्रलयमहाजलधेरधःस्थमध्यात् । उपरि च विनिवेश्य विश्वकर्मा चरमचरं च जगत्ससर्ज भूयः

iti saha mahatīṁ mahīṁ mahīdhraiḥ pralayamahājaladheradhaḥsthamadhyāt | upari ca viniveśya viśvakarmā caramacaraṁ ca jagatsasarja bhūyaḥ

Thus, having lifted the great Earth together with her mountains up from the depths within the great ocean of dissolution and set her above, Vishvakarma, the All-Maker, once again created the world, both moving and unmoving.