87. Chapter 87

भानुरुवाच । पितामहक्रमे तस्मिंस्ततस्ते बहुभावनात् । कर्मभिस्तैः समाक्रान्तमनस्कास्तस्थुरादृताः ॥ १ ॥

bhānuruvāca | pitāmahakrame tasmiṃstataste bahubhāvanāt | karmabhistaiḥ samākrāntamanaskāstasthurādṛtāḥ || 1 ||

The sol said:—O great father of creation! thus did these venerable Brahmans, remain at that spot, occupied with these various thoughts (of existence) and their several actions in their minds for a long time.

यावत्ते देहकास्तेषां तापेन पवनैस्तथा । कालेन शोषमभ्येत्य गलिताः शीर्णपर्णवत् ॥ २ ॥

yāvatte dehakāsteṣāṃ tāpena pavanaistathā | kālena śoṣamabhyetya galitāḥ śīrṇaparṇavat || 2 ||

They remained in this state (of abstraction), until their bodies were dried up by exposure to the sun and air, and dropped down in time like the withered leaves of trees.

जक्षुस्तान्देहकांस्तत्र क्रव्यादा वनवासिनः । इतश्चेतश्च लुठितान्सुफलानीव मर्कटाः ॥ ३ ॥

jakṣustāndehakāṃstatra kravyādā vanavāsinaḥ | itaścetaśca luṭhitānsuphalānīva markaṭāḥ || 3 ||

Their dead bodies were devoured by the voracious beasts of the forest, or tossed about as some ripe fruits by the monkeys on the hills,

अथ ते शान्तबाह्यार्था ब्रह्मत्वे कृतभावनाः । तस्थुश्चतुर्युगस्यान्ते यावत्कल्पः क्षयं गतः ॥ ४ ॥

atha te śāntabāhyārthā brahmatve kṛtabhāvanāḥ | tasthuścaturyugasyānte yāvatkalpaḥ kṣayaṃ gataḥ || 4 ||

These Brahmans, having their thoughts distracted from outward objects, and concentrated in Brahmahood, continued in the enjoyment of divine felicity in their Spirits, until the close of the kalpa age at the end of the four yugas.

क्षीयमाणे ततः कल्पे तपत्यादित्यसंचये । पुष्करावर्तकेषूच्चैर्वर्षत्सु कठिनारवम् ॥ ५ ॥

kṣīyamāṇe tataḥ kalpe tapatyādityasaṃcaye | puṣkarāvartakeṣūccairvarṣatsu kaṭhināravam || 5 ||

At the end of the kalpa, there is an utter extinction of the solar light, by the incessant rains poured down by the heavy Pushkara and Avartaka clouds at the great deluge.

वहत्सु कल्पवातेषु स्थित एकमहार्णवे । क्षीणेषु भूतवृन्देषु ते तथैव व्यवस्थिताः ॥ ६ ॥

vahatsu kalpavāteṣu sthita ekamahārṇave | kṣīṇeṣu bhūtavṛndeṣu te tathaiva vyavasthitāḥ || 6 ||

When the hurricane of desolation blew on all sides, and buried all beings under the Universal ocean.

ततो रात्रिक्रमपरे सर्वां संहृत्य तां स्थितिम् । स्थिते त्वय्यात्मनि विभो ते तथैव व्यवस्थिताः ॥ ७ ॥

tato rātrikramapare sarvāṃ saṃhṛtya tāṃ sthitim | sthite tvayyātmani vibho te tathaiva vyavasthitāḥ || 7 ||

It was then thy dark night, and the previous creation slept as in their yoga-nidra or hypnotic trance in thy sleeping self. Thus thou continuing in thy spirit, didst contain all things in thee in their spiritual forms.

अद्य प्रबुद्धे भवति स्रष्टुमिच्छति संसृतिम् । सुखेनैव क्रमेणोच्चैस्ते तथैव व्यवस्थिताः ॥ ८ ॥

adya prabuddhe bhavati sraṣṭumicchati saṃsṛtim | sukhenaiva krameṇoccaiste tathaiva vyavasthitāḥ || 8 ||

Upon thy waking this day with thy desire of creation, all these things are exhibited to thy view, as a copy of all that was in thy inmost mind or Spirit already.

तथैते भगवन्ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मणो ब्राह्मणा दश । त एते दश संसारा मनोव्योमनि संस्थिताः ॥ ९ ॥

tathaite bhagavanbrahmanbrahmaṇo brāhmaṇā daśa | ta ete daśa saṃsārā manovyomani saṃsthitāḥ || 9 ||

I have thus related to you O Brahma! how these ten Brahmans were personified as so many Brahmas; these have become the ten bright orbs situated in the vacuous sphere of thy mind.

तेषामेकतमस्याहमयमाकाशमन्दिरे । भानुर्भुवि विभो कालकलाकर्मणि योजितः ॥ १० ॥

teṣāmekatamasyāhamayamākāśamandire | bhānurbhuvi vibho kālakalākarmaṇi yojitaḥ || 10 ||

I am the one eldest among them, consecrated in this temple of the sky, and appointed by thee, O lord of all! to regulate the portions of time on earthly beings.

एष ते कथितः सर्गो दिशानामलसंभव । ब्रह्मणां संभवो व्योम्नि यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥ ११ ॥

eṣa te kathitaḥ sargo diśānāmalasaṃbhava | brahmaṇāṃ saṃbhavo vyomni yathecchasi tathā kuru || 11 ||

Now I have given you a full account of the ten orbs of heaven, which are no other than the ten persons united in the mind of Brahma, and now appearing as detached from him.

विविधकल्पनया वलिताम्बरं यदिदमुत्तम जागतमुत्थितम् । करणजालकमाहितमोहनं तदखिलं निजचेतसि विभ्रमः ॥ १२ ॥

vividhakalpanayā valitāmbaraṃ yadidamuttama jāgatamutthitam | karaṇajālakamāhitamohanaṃ tadakhilaṃ nijacetasi vibhramaḥ || 12 ||

This beautiful world that you behold, appearing to your view, with all its wonderful structures, spread out in the skies, serves at best as a snare to entrap your senses, and delude your understanding, by taking the unrealities as realities in your mind.