The Seven Lokas and Vishnu as the Universal Cause

Verse 1 (vishnu.2.7.1)

मैत्रेय उवाच । कथितं भवता ब्रह्मन् ममैतद् अखिलं त्वया । भुवर्लोकादिकांल् लोकाञ् श्रोतुम् इच्छाम्य् अहं मुने

maitreya uvāca kathitaṁ bhavatā brahman mamaitad akhilaṁ tvayā bhuvarlokādikāṁl lokāñ śrotum icchāmy ahaṁ mune

Maitreya said: O brahmin, you have told me all this; now I wish to hear from you, O sage, of the worlds beginning with Bhuvarloka,

Verse 2 (vishnu.2.7.2)

तथैव ग्रहसंस्थानं प्रमाणानि यथातथम् । समाचक्ष्व महाभाग मह्यं त्वं परिपृच्छते

tathaiva grahasaṁsthānaṁ pramāṇāni yathātatham samācakṣva mahābhāga mahyaṁ tvaṁ paripṛcchate

and likewise the arrangement of the planets and their exact measurements — please tell me this, O greatly fortunate one, as I ask.

Verse 3 (vishnu.2.7.3)

पराशर उवाच । रविचन्द्रमसोर् यावन् मयूखैर् अवभास्यते । ससमुद्रसरिच्छैला तावती पृथिवी स्मृता

parāśara uvāca ravicandramasor yāvan mayūkhair avabhāsyate sasamudrasaricchailā tāvatī pṛthivī smṛtā

Parashara said: As far as the rays of the sun and moon illuminate — together with oceans, rivers, and mountains — so far is the earth reckoned to extend.

Verse 4 (vishnu.2.7.4)

यावत्प्रमाणा पृथिवी विस्तारपरिमण्डलात् । नभस् तावत्प्रमाणं वै व्यासमण्डलतो द्विज

yāvatpramāṇā pṛthivī vistāraparimaṇḍalāt nabhas tāvatpramāṇaṁ vai vyāsamaṇḍalato dvija

Whatever the measure of the earth in the extent of its circle, so too, O twice-born, is the measure of the sky in its diameter.

Verse 5 (vishnu.2.7.5)

भूमेर् योजनलक्षे तु सौरं मैत्रेय मण्डलम् । लक्षे दिवाकरस्यापि मण्डलं शशिनः स्थितम्

bhūmer yojanalakṣe tu sauraṁ maitreya maṇḍalam lakṣe divākarasyāpi maṇḍalaṁ śaśinaḥ sthitam

O Maitreya, at a hundred thousand yojanas from the earth is the orb of the sun; and at a hundred thousand yojanas from the sun's orb is situated the orb of the moon.

Verse 6 (vishnu.2.7.6)

पूर्णे शतसहस्रे तु योजनानां निशाकरात् । नक्षत्रमण्डलं कृत्स्नम् उपरिष्टात् प्रकाशते

pūrṇe śatasahasre tu yojanānāṁ niśākarāt nakṣatramaṇḍalaṁ kṛtsnam upariṣṭāt prakāśate

A full hundred thousand yojanas above the moon, the entire circle of the constellations shines above.

Verse 7 (vishnu.2.7.7)

द्वे लक्षे चोत्तरे ब्रह्मन् बुधो नक्षत्रमण्डलात् । तावत्प्रमाणभागे तु बुधस्याप्य् उशना स्थितः

dve lakṣe cottare brahman budho nakṣatramaṇḍalāt tāvatpramāṇabhāge tu budhasyāpy uśanā sthitaḥ

O brahmin, two hundred thousand yojanas above the circle of constellations is Budha (Mercury); at that same measure above Budha is situated Shukra (Venus).

Verse 8 (vishnu.2.7.8)

अङ्गारकोऽपि शुक्रस्य तत्प्रमाणे व्यवस्थितः । लक्षद्वये तु भौमस्य स्थितो देवपुरोहितः

aṅgārako'pi śukrasya tatpramāṇe vyavasthitaḥ lakṣadvaye tu bhaumasya sthito devapurohitaḥ

At that same measure above Shukra is situated Angaraka (Mars); two hundred thousand yojanas above Mars is situated the priest of the gods, Brihaspati (Jupiter).

Verse 9 (vishnu.2.7.9)

सौरिर् बृहस्पतेश् चोर्ध्वं द्विलक्षे समवस्थितः । सप्तर्षिमण्डलं तस्माल् लक्षम् एकं द्विजोत्तम

saurir bṛhaspateś cordhvaṁ dvilakṣe samavasthitaḥ saptarṣimaṇḍalaṁ tasmāl lakṣam ekaṁ dvijottama

Two hundred thousand yojanas above Brihaspati is situated Shani (Saturn); one hundred thousand yojanas above him is the circle of the Seven Sages, O foremost of the twice-born.

Verse 10 (vishnu.2.7.10)

ऋषिभ्यस् तु सहस्राणां शताद् ऊर्ध्वं व्यवस्थितः । मेढीभूतः समस्तस्य ज्योतिश्चक्रस्य वै ध्रुवः

ṛṣibhyas tu sahasrāṇāṁ śatād ūrdhvaṁ vyavasthitaḥ meḍhībhūtaḥ samastasya jyotiścakrasya vai dhruvaḥ

A hundred thousand yojanas above the Seven Sages is situated Dhruva, the pole-star, who is like the very axle-pin of the entire wheel of the constellations.

Verse 11 (vishnu.2.7.11)

त्रैलोक्यम् एतत् कथितम् उत्सेधेन महामुने । इज्याफलस्य भूर् एषा इज्या चात्र प्रतिष्ठिता

trailokyam etat kathitam utsedhena mahāmune ijyāphalasya bhūr eṣā ijyā cātra pratiṣṭhitā

O great sage, thus has the threefold world been described to you in its vertical extent; this earth is the seat of sacrifice's fruit, and sacrifice itself is established here.

Verse 12 (vishnu.2.7.12)

ध्रुवाद् ऊर्ध्वं महर्लोको यत्र ते कल्पवासिनः । एकयोजनकोटी तु महर्लोकोऽभिधीयते

dhruvād ūrdhvaṁ maharloko yatra te kalpavāsinaḥ ekayojanakoṭī tu maharloko'bhidhīyate

Above Dhruva is Maharloka, where dwell those who live through an entire kalpa; Maharloka is said to be one crore yojanas away.

Verse 13 (vishnu.2.7.13)

द्वे कोटी तु जनो लोको यत्र ते ब्रह्मणः सुताः । सनन्दनाद्याः कथिता मैत्रेयामलचेतसः

dve koṭī tu jano loko yatra te brahmaṇaḥ sutāḥ sanandanādyāḥ kathitā maitreyāmalacetasaḥ

Two crore yojanas away is Janaloka, where dwell the pure-minded sons of Brahma — Sanandana and the others, O Maitreya.

Verse 14 (vishnu.2.7.14)

चतुर्गुणोत्तरे चोर्ध्वं जनलोकात् तपः स्मृतः । वैराजा यत्र ते देवाः स्थिता दाहविवर्जिताः

caturguṇottare cordhvaṁ janalokāt tapaḥ smṛtaḥ vairājā yatra te devāḥ sthitā dāhavivarjitāḥ

Four times higher above Janaloka is remembered Tapoloka, where the gods called the Vairajas dwell, free from the fear of being burned.

Verse 15 (vishnu.2.7.15)

षड्गुणेन तपोलोकात् सत्यलोको विराजते । अपुनर्मारका यत्र ब्रह्मलोको हि स स्मृतः

ṣaḍguṇena tapolokāt satyaloko virājate apunarmārakā yatra brahmaloko hi sa smṛtaḥ

Six times farther than Tapoloka shines Satyaloka, where those who do not return to rebirth dwell — that is called Brahmaloka.

Verse 16 (vishnu.2.7.16)

पादगम्यं तु यत् किंचिद् वस्त्व् अस्ति पृथिवीमयम् । स भूर्लोकः समाख्यातो विस्तरोऽस्य मयोदितः

pādagamyaṁ tu yat kiṁcid vastv asti pṛthivīmayam sa bhūrlokaḥ samākhyāto vistaro'sya mayoditaḥ

Whatever material substance can be reached on foot — that is called Bhurloka, whose extent I have already told you.

Verse 17 (vishnu.2.7.17)

भूमिसूर्यान्तरं यत् तु सिद्धादिमुनिसेवितम् । भुवर्लोकस् तु सोऽप्य् उक्तो द्वितीयो मुनिसत्तम

bhūmisūryāntaraṁ yat tu siddhādimunisevitam bhuvarlokas tu so'py ukto dvitīyo munisattama

That which lies between the earth and the sun, frequented by Siddhas and sages, is called the second world, Bhuvarloka, O best of sages.

Verse 18 (vishnu.2.7.18)

ध्रुवसूर्यान्तरं यत् तु नियुतानि चतुर्दश । स्वर्लोकः सोऽपि गदितो लोकसंस्थानचिन्तकैः

dhruvasūryāntaraṁ yat tu niyutāni caturdaśa svarlokaḥ so'pi gadito lokasaṁsthānacintakaiḥ

That which lies between Dhruva and the sun, fourteen hundred thousand yojanas, is called Svarloka by those who understand the arrangement of the worlds.

Verse 19 (vishnu.2.7.19)

त्रैलोक्यम् एतत् कृतकं मैत्रेय परिपठ्यते । जनस् तपस् तथा सत्यम् इति चाकृतकं त्रयम्

trailokyam etat kṛtakaṁ maitreya paripaṭhyate janas tapas tathā satyam iti cākṛtakaṁ trayam

This threefold world is called 'created' (krtaka), O Maitreya; Jana, Tapas, and Satya — these three are 'uncreated' (akrtaka).

Verse 20 (vishnu.2.7.20)

कृतकाकृतयोर् मध्ये महर्लोक इति स्मृतः । शून्यो भवति कल्पान्ते योऽत्यन्तं न विनश्यति

kṛtakākṛtayor madhye maharloka iti smṛtaḥ śūnyo bhavati kalpānte yo'tyantaṁ na vinaśyati

Between the created and the uncreated, Maharloka is remembered; it becomes empty at the end of a kalpa, but does not utterly perish.

Verse 21 (vishnu.2.7.21)

एते सप्त मया लोका मैत्रेय कथितास् तव । पातालानि च सप्तैव ब्रह्माण्डस्यैष विस्तरः

ete sapta mayā lokā maitreya kathitās tava pātālāni ca saptaiva brahmāṇḍasyaiṣa vistaraḥ

O Maitreya, these seven worlds have been told to you by me, and the seven Patalas as well — this is the extent of the cosmic egg.

Verse 22 (vishnu.2.7.22)

एतद् अण्डकटाहेन तिर्यक् चोर्ध्वम् अधस् तथा । कपित्थस्य यथा बीजं सर्वतो वै समावृतम्

etad aṇḍakaṭāhena tiryak cordhvam adhas tathā kapitthasya yathā bījaṁ sarvato vai samāvṛtam

This cosmic egg, crosswise and above and below, is entirely enclosed all around by its shell, just as the seed of a wood-apple fruit is enclosed within its rind.

Verse 23 (vishnu.2.7.23)

दशोत्तरेण पयसा मैत्रेयाण्डं च तद् वृतम् । सर्वोऽम्बुपरिधानोऽसौ वह्निना वेष्टितो बहिः

daśottareṇa payasā maitreyāṇḍaṁ ca tad vṛtam sarvo'mbuparidhāno'sau vahninā veṣṭito bahiḥ

O Maitreya, that egg is surrounded by water ten times its own extent; and that entire body of water is in turn enveloped from outside by fire.

Verse 24 (vishnu.2.7.24)

वह्निश् च वायुना वायुर् मैत्रेय नभसा वृतः । भूतादिना नभः सोऽपि महता परिवेष्टितः । दशोत्तराण्य् अशेषाणि मैत्रेयैतानि सप्त वै

vahniś ca vāyunā vāyur maitreya nabhasā vṛtaḥ bhūtādinā nabhaḥ so'pi mahatā pariveṣṭitaḥ daśottarāṇy aśeṣāṇi maitreyaitāni sapta vai

Fire is enveloped by air, and air, O Maitreya, is enveloped by ether (akasha); that ether too is enveloped by the ego-principle (ahamkara), and that in turn by the Great Principle (mahat) — O Maitreya, each of these is, in succession, tenfold the one before.

Verse 25 (vishnu.2.7.25)

महान्तं च समावृत्य प्रधानं समवस्थितम् । अनन्तस्य न तस्यान्तः संख्यानं वापि विद्यते

mahāntaṁ ca samāvṛtya pradhānaṁ samavasthitam anantasya na tasyāntaḥ saṁkhyānaṁ vāpi vidyate

And Mahat itself is enveloped and situated within the boundless Pradhana (primordial matter), which has no end, nor is there any reckoning of it.

Verse 26 (vishnu.2.7.26)

तद् अनन्तम् असंख्यातप्रमाणं चापि वै यतः । हेतुभूतम् अशेषस्य प्रकृतिः सा परा मुने

tad anantam asaṁkhyātapramāṇaṁ cāpi vai yataḥ hetubhūtam aśeṣasya prakṛtiḥ sā parā mune

That Pradhana, boundless and beyond all measure and reckoning, is the cause of the entire creation — it is the supreme Prakriti, O sage.

Verse 27 (vishnu.2.7.27)

अण्डानां तु सहस्राणां सहस्राण्य् अयुतानि च । ईदृशानां तथा तत्र कोटिकोटिशतानि च

aṇḍānāṁ tu sahasrāṇāṁ sahasrāṇy ayutāni ca īdṛśānāṁ tathā tatra koṭikoṭiśatāni ca

Thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions upon millions of eggs like this one exist within that Pradhana.

Verse 28 (vishnu.2.7.28)

दारुण्य् अग्निर् यथा तैलं तिले तद्वत् पुमान् अपि । प्रधानेऽवस्थितो व्यापी चेतनात्मात्मवेदनः

dāruṇy agnir yathā tailaṁ tile tadvat pumān api pradhāne'vasthito vyāpī cetanātmātmavedanaḥ

As fire dwells hidden in wood, and oil in a sesame seed, so the Purusha too dwells, pervading, within Pradhana — the conscious self, the knower of the self.

Verse 29 (vishnu.2.7.29)

प्रधानं च पुमांश् चैव सर्वभूतात्मभूतया । विष्णुशक्त्या महाबुद्धे वृतौ संश्रयधर्मिणौ

pradhānaṁ ca pumāṁś caiva sarvabhūtātmabhūtayā viṣṇuśaktyā mahābuddhe vṛtau saṁśrayadharmiṇau

O greatly wise one, both Pradhana and Purusha are enveloped by that power of Vishnu which is the very self of all beings, and both remain dependent upon it.

Verse 30 (vishnu.2.7.30)

तयोः सैव पृथग्भावकारणं संश्रयस्य च । क्षोभकारणभूता च सर्गकाले महामते

tayoḥ saiva pṛthagbhāvakāraṇaṁ saṁśrayasya ca kṣobhakāraṇabhūtā ca sargakāle mahāmate

O wise one, that same power is the cause of their separateness and of their state of dependence; and it is also the cause of their agitation at the time of creation.

Verse 31 (vishnu.2.7.31)

यथा सक्तं जले वातो बिभर्ति कणिकाशतम् । शक्तिः सापि तथा विष्णोः प्रधानपुरुषात्मकम्

yathā saktaṁ jale vāto bibharti kaṇikāśatam śaktiḥ sāpi tathā viṣṇoḥ pradhānapuruṣātmakam

As wind, gathered within water, bears along hundreds of bubbles, so too that power of Vishnu bears along Pradhana and Purusha.

Verse 32 (vishnu.2.7.32)

यथा च पादपो मूलस्कन्धशाखादिसंयुतः । आदिबीजात् प्रभवति बीजान्य् अन्यानि वै ततः

yathā ca pādapo mūlaskandhaśākhādisaṁyutaḥ ādibījāt prabhavati bījāny anyāni vai tataḥ

As a tree, complete with root, trunk, branches and the rest, produces other seeds from its original seed,

Verse 33 (vishnu.2.7.33)

प्रभवन्ति ततस् तेभ्यः संभवन्त्य् अपरे द्रुमाः । तेऽपि तल्लक्षणद्रव्यकारणानुगता मुने

prabhavanti tatas tebhyaḥ saṁbhavanty apare drumāḥ te'pi tallakṣaṇadravyakāraṇānugatā mune

and from those, other trees again arise — they too, O sage, follow after that same kind of nature and material cause,

Verse 34 (vishnu.2.7.34)

एवम् अव्याकृतात् पूर्वं जायन्ते महदादयः । विशेषान्तास् ततस् तेभ्यः संभवन्ति सुरादयः । तेभ्यश् च पुत्रास् तेषां च पुत्राणाम् अपरे सुताः

evam avyākṛtāt pūrvaṁ jāyante mahadādayaḥ viśeṣāntās tatas tebhyaḥ saṁbhavanti surādayaḥ tebhyaś ca putrās teṣāṁ ca putrāṇām apare sutāḥ

so likewise, from the Unmanifest are first born Mahat and the other principles, down to the specific elements; from these the gods and the rest are born; from them, sons; and from their sons, further sons again.

Verse 35 (vishnu.2.7.35)

बीजाद् वृक्षप्ररोहेण यथा नापचयस् तरोः । भूतानां भूतसर्गेण नैवास्त्य् अपचयस् तथा

bījād vṛkṣapraroheṇa yathā nāpacayas taroḥ bhūtānāṁ bhūtasargeṇa naivāsty apacayas tathā

As there is no diminishment of the tree through the sprouting of trees from its seed, so there is no diminishment of beings through the creation of further beings.

Verse 36 (vishnu.2.7.36)

संनिधानाद् यथाकाशकालाद्याः कारणं तरोः । तथैवापरिणामेन विश्वस्य भगवान् हरिः

saṁnidhānād yathākāśakālādyāḥ kāraṇaṁ taroḥ tathaivāpariṇāmena viśvasya bhagavān hariḥ

As space, time, and the like are causes of the tree merely by their presence, without themselves changing, so too, without undergoing any transformation, Lord Hari is the cause of the universe.

Verse 37 (vishnu.2.7.37)

व्रीहिबीजे यथा मूलं नालं पत्राङ्कुरौ तथा । काण्डकोषस् तथा पुष्पं क्षीरं तद्वच् च तण्डुलाः

vrīhibīje yathā mūlaṁ nālaṁ patrāṅkurau tathā kāṇḍakoṣas tathā puṣpaṁ kṣīraṁ tadvac ca taṇḍulāḥ

As in a grain of rice-seed there dwell, in due sequence, the root, the stalk, the leaf and shoot, then the joint-sheath, the flower, the milky sap, and then the rice-grain itself,

Verse 38 (vishnu.2.7.38)

तुषाः कणाश् च सन्तो वै यान्त्य् आविर्भावम् आत्मनः । प्ररोहहेतुसामग्रीम् आसाद्य मुनिसत्तम

tuṣāḥ kaṇāś ca santo vai yānty āvirbhāvam ātmanaḥ prarohahetusāmagrīm āsādya munisattama

and the husk and the kernel too — these, O best of sages, come into manifestation upon obtaining the right conditions for germination,

Verse 39 (vishnu.2.7.39)

तथा कर्मस्व् अनेकेषु देवाद्याः समवस्थिताः । विष्णुशक्तिं समासाद्य प्ररोहम् उपयान्ति वै

tathā karmasv anekeṣu devādyāḥ samavasthitāḥ viṣṇuśaktiṁ samāsādya praroham upayānti vai

so likewise the gods and others, situated amid their manifold actions, come into manifestation only upon attaining the power of Vishnu.

Verse 40 (vishnu.2.7.40)

स च विष्णुः परं ब्रह्म यतः सर्वम् इदं जगत् । जगच् च यो यत्र चेदं यस्मिंश् च लयम् एष्यति

sa ca viṣṇuḥ paraṁ brahma yataḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat jagac ca yo yatra cedaṁ yasmiṁś ca layam eṣyati

That Vishnu is the Supreme Brahman, from whom this entire universe arises, in whom it abides, and into whom it shall dissolve.

Verse 41 (vishnu.2.7.41)

तद् ब्रह्म तत् परं धाम सदसत्परमं पदम् । यस्य सर्वम् अभेदेन जगद् एतच् चराचरम्

tad brahma tat paraṁ dhāma sadasatparamaṁ padam yasya sarvam abhedena jagad etac carācaram

That is Brahman, that supreme abode, the supreme state beyond being and non-being, of whom this entire moving and unmoving universe is non-different.

Verse 42 (vishnu.2.7.42)

स एव मूलप्रकृतिर् व्यक्तरूपी जगच् च सः । तस्मिन्न् एव लयं सर्वं याति तत्र च तिष्ठति

sa eva mūlaprakṛtir vyaktarūpī jagac ca saḥ tasminn eva layaṁ sarvaṁ yāti tatra ca tiṣṭhati

He himself is the root-nature, and he himself is the manifest universe; into him alone does everything dissolve, and in him it abides.

Verse 43 (vishnu.2.7.43)

कर्ता क्रियाणां स च इज्यते क्रतुः स एव तत्कर्मफलं च तस्य यत् । स्रुगादि यत् साधनम् अप्य् अशेषतो हरेर् न किंचिद् व्यतिरिक्तम् अस्ति वै

kartā kriyāṇāṁ sa ca ijyate kratuḥ sa eva tatkarmaphalaṁ ca tasya yat srugādi yat sādhanam apy aśeṣato harer na kiṁcid vyatiriktam asti vai

He himself is the agent of all rites; he himself is worshipped, he himself is the sacrifice, and he himself is the fruit of that act; the ladle and other instruments, every means whatsoever — nothing at all exists apart from Hari.