The Threefold Dissolution and the Rising of the Seven Suns

Verse 1 (vishnu.6.3.1)

पराशर उवाच । सर्वेषामेव भूतानां त्रिविधः प्रतिसंचरः । नैमित्तिकः प्राकृतिकस् तथैवात्यन्तिको मतः

parāśara uvāca sarveṣām eva bhūtānāṁ trividhaḥ pratisaṁcaraḥ naimittikaḥ prākṛtikas tathaivātyantiko mataḥ

Parashara said: "The withdrawal of all beings is held to be of three kinds: the incidental dissolution, the elemental dissolution, and, likewise, the absolute dissolution."

Verse 2 (vishnu.6.3.2)

ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिकस् तेषां कल्पान्ते प्रतिसंचरः । आत्यन्तिकश् च मोक्षाख्यः प्राकृतो द्विपरार्धिकः

brāhmo naimittikas teṣāṁ kalpānte pratisaṁcaraḥ ātyantikaś ca mokṣākhyaḥ prākṛto dviparārdhikaḥ

Of these, the incidental dissolution belongs to Brahma and occurs at the end of a kalpa; the absolute dissolution is what is called liberation; and the elemental dissolution occurs at the end of two parardhas.

Verse 3 (vishnu.6.3.3)

मैत्रेय उवाच । परार्धसंख्यां भगवन् ममाचक्ष्व यया तु सः । द्विगुणीकृतया ज्ञेयः प्राकृतः प्रतिसंचरः

maitreya uvāca parārdhasaṁkhyāṁ bhagavan mamācakṣva yayā tu saḥ dviguṇīkṛtayā jñeyaḥ prākṛtaḥ pratisaṁcaraḥ

Maitreya said: "Lord, tell me the reckoning of a parardha — for it is by doubling that figure that the time of the elemental dissolution is to be known."

Verse 4 (vishnu.6.3.4)

पराशर उवाच । स्थानात् स्थानं दशगुणमेकस्माद् गण्यते द्विज । ततोऽष्टादशमे भागे परार्धमभिधीयते

parāśara uvāca sthānāt sthānaṁ daśaguṇam ekasmād gaṇyate dvija tato 'ṣṭādaśame bhāge parārdham abhidhīyate

Parashara said: "O twice-born, in that numerical reckoning each successive place is ten times the one before it; and the number reached at the eighteenth such place is called a parardha."

Verse 5 (vishnu.6.3.5)

परार्धद्विगुणं यत् तु प्राकृतः स लयो द्विज । तदाव्यक्तेऽखिलं व्यक्तं स्वहेतौ लयमेति वै

parārdhadviguṇaṁ yat tu prākṛtaḥ sa layo dvija tadāvyakte 'khilaṁ vyaktaṁ svahetau layam eti vai

What amounts to twice a parardha, O twice-born, is the period of the elemental dissolution; at that time, everything manifest dissolves back into its unmanifest cause.

Verse 6 (vishnu.6.3.6)

निमेषो मानुषो योऽयं मात्रामात्रप्रमाणतः । तैः पञ्चदशभिः काष्ठा त्रिंशत् काष्ठास् तथा कला

nimeṣo mānuṣo yo 'yaṁ mātrāmātrapramāṇataḥ taiḥ pañcadaśabhiḥ kāṣṭhā triṁśat kāṣṭhās tathā kalā

A human "nimesha," or blink, is measured as the duration of one short syllable; fifteen such nimeshas make one kashtha, and thirty kashthas make one kala.

Verse 7 (vishnu.6.3.7)

नाडिका तु प्रमाणेन कला दश च पञ्च च

nāḍikā tu pramāṇena kalā daśa ca pañca ca

And a nadika, by measure, equals fifteen kalas.

Verse 8 (vishnu.6.3.8)

उन्मानेनाम्भसः सा तु पलान्यर्धत्रयोदश । हेममाषैः कृतच्छिद्रं चतुर्भिश् चतुरङ्गुलैः । मागधेन प्रमाणेन जलप्रस्थस् तु स स्मृतः

unmānenāmbhasaḥ sā tu palāny ardhatrayodaśa hemamāṣaiḥ kṛtacchidraṁ caturbhiś caturaṅgulaiḥ māgadhena pramāṇena jalaprasthas tu sa smṛtaḥ

By the measure of water, that nadika equals twelve and a half palas — measured with a vessel four fingers wide, pierced by a hole the weight of four gold mashas — which, by the Magadha standard, is known as one prastha of water.

Verse 9 (vishnu.6.3.9)

नाडिकाभ्यामथ द्वाभ्यां मुहूर्तो द्विजसत्तम । अहोरात्रं मुहूर्तास् तु त्रिंशन् मासो दिनैस् तथा

nāḍikābhyām atha dvābhyāṁ muhūrto dvijasattama ahorātraṁ muhūrtās tu triṁśan māso dinais tathā

O foremost of the twice-born, two nadikas make one muhurta; thirty muhurtas make a day and night; and thirty such days make one month.

Verse 10 (vishnu.6.3.10)

मासैर् द्वादशभिर् वर्षमहोरात्रं तु तद् दिवि । त्रिभिर् वर्षशतैर् वर्षं षष्ट्या चैवासुरद्विषाम्

māsair dvādaśabhir varṣam ahorātraṁ tu tad divi tribhir varṣaśatair varṣaṁ ṣaṣṭyā caivāsuradviṣām

Twelve months make one year, and that human year is a single day and night for the gods. Three hundred and sixty such human years make one year for the foes of the demons — that is, the gods.

Verse 11 (vishnu.6.3.11)

तैस् तु द्वादशसाहस्रैश् चतुर्युगमुदाहृतम् । चतुर्युगसहस्रं तु कथ्यते ब्रह्मणो दिनम्

tais tu dvādaśasāhasraiś caturyugam udāhṛtam caturyugasahasraṁ tu kathyate brahmaṇo dinam

Twelve thousand of those divine years are declared to be one caturyuga, and a thousand caturyugas are said to make a single day of Brahma.

Verse 12 (vishnu.6.3.12)

स कल्पस् तत्र मनवश् चतुर्दश महामुने । तदन्ते चैव मैत्रेय ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको लयः

sa kalpas tatra manavaś caturdaśa mahāmune tadante caiva maitreya brāhmo naimittiko layaḥ

That day of Brahma, great sage, is called a kalpa, and within it fourteen Manus reign; and at its end, Maitreya, comes the incidental dissolution belonging to Brahma.

Verse 13 (vishnu.6.3.13)

तस्य स्वरूपमत्युग्रं मैत्रेय गदतो मम । शृणुष्व प्राकृतं भूयस् तव वक्ष्याम्यहं लयम्

tasya svarūpam atyugraṁ maitreya gadato mama śṛṇuṣva prākṛtaṁ bhūyas tava vakṣyāmy ahaṁ layam

Hear from me now, Maitreya, as I describe its terrible nature; afterward I shall tell you of the elemental dissolution as well.

Verse 14 (vishnu.6.3.14)

चतुर्युगसहस्रान्ते क्षीणप्राये महीतले । अनावृष्टिरतीवोग्रा जायते शतवार्षिकी

caturyugasahasrānte kṣīṇaprāye mahītale anāvṛṣṭir atīvogrā jāyate śatavārṣikī

At the end of a thousand caturyugas, when the earth has grown all but exhausted, a terrible drought arises, lasting a full hundred years.

Verse 15 (vishnu.6.3.15)

ततो यान्यल्पसाराणि तानि सत्त्वान्यशेषतः । क्षयं यान्ति मुनिश्रेष्ठ पार्थिवान्यनुपीडनात्

tato yāny alpasārāṇi tāni sattvāny aśeṣataḥ kṣayaṁ yānti muniśreṣṭha pārthivāny anupīḍanāt

Then, O foremost of sages, all earthly creatures of feeble vitality, worn down by that torment, perish entirely.

Verse 16 (vishnu.6.3.16)

ततः स भगवान् कृष्णो रुद्ररूपधरोऽव्ययः । क्षयाय यतते कर्तुमात्मस्थाः सकलाः प्रजाः

tataḥ sa bhagavān kṛṣṇo rudrarūpadharo 'vyayaḥ kṣayāya yatate kartum ātmasthāḥ sakalāḥ prajāḥ

Then the imperishable Lord Krishna, assuming the form of Rudra, sets out to bring about the destruction of all creatures who have their being within him.

Verse 17 (vishnu.6.3.17)

ततः स भगवान् विष्णुर् भानोः सप्तसु रश्मिषु । स्थितः पिबत्यशेषाणि जलानि मुनिसत्तम

tataḥ sa bhagavān viṣṇur bhānoḥ saptasu raśmiṣu sthitaḥ pibaty aśeṣāṇi jalāni munisattama

Then, O foremost of sages, that Lord Vishnu enters into the seven rays of the sun and drinks up the waters completely.

Verse 18 (vishnu.6.3.18)

पीत्वाम्भांसि समस्तानि प्राणिभूमिगतानि वै । शोषं नयति मैत्रेय समस्तं पृथिवीतलम्

pītvāmbhāṁsi samastāni prāṇibhūmigatāni vai śoṣaṁ nayati maitreya samastaṁ pṛthivītalam

Having drunk up all the water found in living beings and in the earth, he leaves the whole surface of the earth utterly parched, Maitreya.

Verse 19 (vishnu.6.3.19)

समुद्रान् सरितः शैलान् शैलप्रस्रवणानि च । पातालेषु च यत् तोयं तत् सर्वं नयति क्षयम्

samudrān saritaḥ śailān śailaprasravaṇāni ca pātāleṣu ca yat toyaṁ tat sarvaṁ nayati kṣayam

The oceans, the rivers, the mountains, the mountain streams, and whatever water lies within the netherworlds — all of it he causes to vanish.

Verse 20 (vishnu.6.3.20)

ततस् तस्यानुभावेन तोयाहारोपबृंहिताः । त एव रश्मयः सप्त जायन्ते सप्त भास्कराः

tatas tasyānubhāvena toyāhāropabṛṁhitāḥ ta eva raśmayaḥ sapta jāyante sapta bhāskarāḥ

Then, by his power, those same seven rays, swollen with the water they have consumed, become seven suns.

Verse 21 (vishnu.6.3.21)

अधश् चोर्ध्वं च ते दीप्तास् ततः सप्त दिवाकराः । दहन्त्यशेषं त्रैलोक्यं सपातालतलं द्विज

adhaś cordhvaṁ ca te dīptās tataḥ sapta divākarāḥ dahanty aśeṣaṁ trailokyaṁ sapātālatalaṁ dvija

O twice-born, those seven blazing suns then burn the entire threefold world, above and below, together with the region of the netherworlds.

Verse 22 (vishnu.6.3.22)

दह्यमानं तु तैर् दीप्तैस् त्रैलोक्यं द्विज भास्करैः । साद्रिनद्यर्णवाभोगं निःस्नेहमभिजायते

dahyamānaṁ tu tair dīptais trailokyaṁ dvija bhāskaraiḥ sādrinadyarṇavābhogaṁ niḥsneham abhijāyate

O twice-born, as the three worlds, with their mountains, rivers, and vast oceans, are burned by those blazing suns, they become utterly dry, without a trace of moisture left.

Verse 23 (vishnu.6.3.23)

ततो निर्दग्धवृक्षाम्बु त्रैलोक्यमखिलं द्विज । भवत्येषा च वसुधा कूर्मपृष्ठोपमाकृतिः

tato nirdagdhavṛkṣāmbu trailokyam akhilaṁ dvija bhavaty eṣā ca vasudhā kūrmapṛṣṭhopamākṛtiḥ

Then, O twice-born, when the trees and waters of the entire three worlds have been burned away, this earth comes to resemble in shape the back of a tortoise.

Verse 24 (vishnu.6.3.24)

ततः कालाग्निरुद्रोऽसौ भूत्वा सर्वहरो हरिः । शेषाहिश्वाससंभूतः पातालानि दहत्यधः

tataḥ kālāgnirudro 'sau bhūtvā sarvaharo hariḥ śeṣāhiśvāsasaṁbhūtaḥ pātālāni dahaty adhaḥ

Then Hari, the destroyer of all things, taking the form of Kalagni-Rudra, arising from the very breath of the serpent Shesha, burns the netherworlds from beneath.

Verse 25 (vishnu.6.3.25)

पातालानि समस्तानि स दग्ध्वा ज्वलनो महान् । भूमिमभ्येत्य सकलं बभस्ति वसुधातलम्

pātālāni samastāni sa dagdhvā jvalano mahān bhūmim abhyetya sakalaṁ babhasti vasudhātalam

Having burned all the netherworlds, that great fire then advances upon the earth and reduces the whole surface of the ground to ashes.

Verse 26 (vishnu.6.3.26)

भुवर्लोकं ततः सर्वं स्वर्लोकं च सुदारुणः । ज्वालामालामहावर्तस् तत्रैव परिवर्तते

bhuvarlokaṁ tataḥ sarvaṁ svarlokaṁ ca sudāruṇaḥ jvālāmālāmahāvartas tatraiva parivartate

Then, terrible beyond measure, whirling in a great vortex of flame-garlands, it spreads through the whole of Bhuvarloka and Svarloka as well.

Verse 27 (vishnu.6.3.27)

अम्बरीषमिवाभाति त्रैलोक्यमखिलं तदा । ज्वालावर्तपरीवारमुपक्षीणचराचरम्

ambarīṣam ivābhāti trailokyam akhilaṁ tadā jvālāvartaparīvāram upakṣīṇacarācaram

At that moment, ringed round by the whirling flame, its moving and unmoving creatures all but consumed, the entire three worlds appear like one vast burning cauldron.

Verse 28 (vishnu.6.3.28)

ततस् तापपरीतास् तु लोकद्वयनिवासिनः । कृताधिकारा गच्छन्ति महर्लोकं महामुने

tatas tāpaparītās tu lokadvayanivāsinaḥ kṛtādhikārā gacchanti maharlokaṁ mahāmune

Then, great sage, the inhabitants of those two worlds, overwhelmed by the heat and their appointed tasks completed, withdraw to Maharloka.

Verse 29 (vishnu.6.3.29)

तस्मादपि महातापतप्ता लोकास् ततः परम् । गच्छन्ति जनलोकं ते दशावृत्त्या परैषिणः

tasmād api mahātāpataptā lokās tataḥ param gacchanti janalokaṁ te daśāvṛttyā paraiṣiṇaḥ

And from there too, scorched by the great heat and seeking a still higher abode, they move on after a tenfold span, on to Janaloka.

Verse 30 (vishnu.6.3.30)

ततो दग्ध्वा जगत् सर्वं रुद्ररूपी जनार्दनः । मुखनिश्वासजान् मेघान् करोति मुनिसत्तम

tato dagdhvā jagat sarvaṁ rudrarūpī janārdanaḥ mukhaniśvāsajān meghān karoti munisattama

Then, O foremost of sages, Janardana, in his form as Rudra, having burned up the entire universe, brings forth clouds born from the breath of his own mouth.

Verse 31 (vishnu.6.3.31)

ततो गजकुलप्रख्यास् तडिद्वन्तो निनादिनः । उत्तिष्ठन्ति तदा व्योम्नि घोराः संवर्तका घनाः

tato gajakulaprakhyās taḍidvanto ninādinaḥ uttiṣṭhanti tadā vyomni ghorāḥ saṁvartakā ghanāḥ

Then, resembling herds of elephants, flashing with lightning and roaring with thunder, terrible "samvartaka" clouds rise up in the sky.

Verse 32 (vishnu.6.3.32)

केचिन् नीलोत्पलश्यामाः केचित् कुमुदसंनिभाः । धूम्रवर्णा घनाः केचित् केचित् पीताः पयोधराः

kecin nīlotpalaśyāmāḥ kecit kumudasaṁnibhāḥ dhūmravarṇā ghanāḥ kecit kecit pītāḥ payodharāḥ

Some are dark as the blue lotus, some pale as the white water-lily; some clouds are the color of smoke, and some are yellow.

Verse 33 (vishnu.6.3.33)

केचिद् रासभवर्णाभा लाक्षारसनिभास् तथा । केचिद् वैडूर्यसंकाशा इन्द्रनीलनिभाः क्वचित्

kecid rāsabhavarṇābhā lākṣārasanibhās tathā kecid vaiḍūryasaṁkāśā indranīlanibhāḥ kvacit

Some are the color of a donkey's hide, some like the juice of lac; some resemble cat's-eye gems, and some here and there resemble sapphire.

Verse 34 (vishnu.6.3.34)

शङ्खकुन्दनिभाश् चान्ये जात्यञ्जननिभास् तथा । इन्द्रगोपनिभाः केचिन् मनःशिलनिभास् तथा

śaṅkhakundanibhāś cānye jātyañjananibhās tathā indragopanibhāḥ kecin manaḥśilanibhās tathā

Others resemble the conch or the jasmine flower, and others fine collyrium; some resemble the scarlet indragopa insect, and some resemble red arsenic.

Verse 35 (vishnu.6.3.35)

चाषपत्रनिभाः केचिदुत्तिष्ठन्ति घना घनाः । केचित् पुरवराकाराः केचित् पर्वतसंनिभाः

cāṣapatranibhāḥ kecid uttiṣṭhanti ghanā ghanāḥ kecit puravarākārāḥ kecit parvatasaṁnibhāḥ

Some dense clouds that rise up resemble the wing of the blue jay; some take the form of great cities, and some resemble mountains.

Verse 36 (vishnu.6.3.36)

कूटागारनिभाश् चान्ये केचित् स्थलनिभा घनाः । महारावा महाकायाः पूरयन्ति नभस्तलम्

kūṭāgāranibhāś cānye kecit sthalanibhā ghanāḥ mahārāvā mahākāyāḥ pūrayanti nabhastalam

Others resemble turreted mansions, and some clouds resemble tracts of solid ground; roaring loudly and immense in bulk, they fill the entire vault of the sky.

Verse 37 (vishnu.6.3.37)

वर्षन्तस् ते महासारास् तमग्निमतिभैरवम् । शमयन्त्यखिलं विप्र त्रैलोक्यान्तरविस्तृतम्

varṣantas te mahāsārās tam agnim atibhairavam śamayanty akhilaṁ vipra trailokyāntaravistṛtam

Pouring down their mighty torrents, O brahmin, they utterly extinguish that most terrible fire that had spread throughout the three worlds.

Verse 38 (vishnu.6.3.38)

नष्टे चाग्नौ शतं तेऽपि वर्षाणामधिकं घनाः । प्लावयन्तो जगत् सर्वं वर्षन्ति मुनिसत्तम

naṣṭe cāgnau śataṁ te 'pi varṣāṇām adhikaṁ ghanāḥ plāvayanto jagat sarvaṁ varṣanti munisattama

And even when the fire has been destroyed, O foremost of sages, those clouds continue raining for more than a hundred years, flooding the entire universe.

Verse 39 (vishnu.6.3.39)

धाराभिरक्षमात्राभिः प्लावयित्वाखिलां भुवम् । भुवर्लोकं तथैवोर्ध्वं प्लावयन्ति दिवं द्विज

dhārābhir akṣamātrābhiḥ plāvayitvākhilāṁ bhuvam bhuvarlokaṁ tathaivordhvaṁ plāvayanti divaṁ dvija

With streams as thick as chariot-axles, having submerged the whole earth, O twice-born, they go on to flood Bhuvarloka above, and the heavens as well.

Verse 40 (vishnu.6.3.40)

अन्धकारीकृते लोके नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे । वर्षन्ति ते महामेघा वर्षाणामधिकं शतम्

andhakārīkṛte loke naṣṭe sthāvarajaṅgame varṣanti te mahāmeghā varṣāṇām adhikaṁ śatam

With the world plunged into darkness and all things moving and unmoving destroyed, those great clouds continue to rain for more than a hundred years.