The Agni Purana

by N. Gangadharan | 1954 | 360,691 words | ISBN-10: 8120803590 | ISBN-13: 9788120803596

This page describes Constant dissolution, occasional and total dissolution which is chapter 368 of the English translation of the Agni Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas dealing with all topics concerning ancient Indian culture, tradition and sciences. Containing roughly 15,000 Sanskrit metrical verses, subjects contained in the Agni-Purana include cosmology, philosophy, architecture, iconography, economics, diplomacy, pilgrimage guides, ancient geography, gemology, ayurveda, etc.

Chapter 368 - Constant dissolution, occasional and total dissolution

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: Constant dissolution, occasional and total dissolution (nitya-naimittika-prākṛta-pralaya)]

Fire-god said:

1-2. The dissolution [i.e., pralaya] of beings is of four kinds, such as constant dissolution [i.e., nitya] of all beings (that takes place daily), the dissolution (known as) Brāhma, (otherwise known as) naimittika (pralaya), the prākṛta pralaya, occurring at the end of a thousand of four yuga[1] periods and the absolute dissolution [i.e., ātyantika-laya] (of all beings) by the union of all souls in the supreme soul by means of knowledge.

3-5. I shall describe to you the nature of the naimittika dissolution that occurs at the end of a kalpa[2] period. When the earth (has become) almost depleted at the end of a thousand of four yuga cycles, there would be a severe drought for hundred years. Then (all) the beings would perish. Then (lord) Viṣṇu, the lord of the universe, remaining in the seven rays of the Sun, drinks the waters. The water in the oceans, the earth and the nether world and the like gets dried up.

6-8. Then by the divine power (of lord Viṣṇu), the very same seven rays (of the Sun), nourished by the water, become seven Suns. O Twice-born! They burn the three worlds completely together with the nether world. (The surface of) the earth would (appear) like the back of a tortoise. Then the terrible fire (of dissolution), a manifestation of (lord) Rudra, burns the nether worlds below in association with the breath of the serpent Śeṣa[3]. Then the all-pervading (fire) burns the (region) from the nether worlds to the surface of the earth and from there to the heaven.

9-11. Then all the three worlds appear like one blazing mass. Then the inhabitants of the two worlds, oppressed by the terrible heat, ascend to the Maharloka and to the Janaloka from Maharloka. After the world is burnt (by the God) (assuming) the form of Rudra, there arise clouds of different shapes together with lightning from the breath of (lord) Hari (Viṣṇu). They rain for a hundred years and put down the fire that has arisen.

12-13. When the water rises upto the region of the seven sages (Great Bear), a hundred storms issue from the breath of(the lord) Viṣṇu and disperse those clouds. Then after having drunk the wind lord Hari lies down on that mass of water, having assumed the form of Brahmā, extolled by sea-dwelling persons who have gained supernatural powers and by sages.

14. (Lord) Madhusūdana (slayer of demon Madhu; i.e. Viṣṇu) lies down (on that mass of water) resting in the yogic sleep, which is his divine illusory form, contemplating His own form known as Vāsudeva.

15. He then lies down (in sleep) for a kalpa[4] (period) and after waking up, in the form of Brahmā, He creates. O Twice-born! Then (the universe) lies in an unmanifest state in the Prakṛti for two parārdhas[5].

16-19. One place is ten times the other place when expansion is made from one place. Then the eighteenth place would be said to be parārdha. The prākṛta dissolution is known to be twice the parārdha. O Twice-born! When everything is burnt by contact with fire and on account of drought, (it is priikṛta dissolution). The modifications of mahat (one of the principles), (get merged into one) losing their separate existence, and get re-absorbed (into prakṛti) on account of the will of (lord) Kṛṣṇa. Water first swallows the qualities of earth such as smell and the like. Then earth (divested of) its characteristic of smell tends towards dissolution.

20. Then water having the characteristic of taste remains. It is drunk by light. When it is lost, fire glows on.

21. Then wind swallows light together with its characteristic of colour and form. When fire is lost, strong wind blows on.

22. The characteristic of wind, namely touch, is then consumed by ether. O Twice-born! When wind is also lost, ether remains without any sound.

23. (The characteristic) of ether is sound. Ether (together with its characteristic) is swallowed by Bhūtādi (i.e. Ahaṅkāra or Ego Principle in which the element of Tamas dominates). Ether born of Ego and Bhūtādi are swallowed by Mahat i.e. Buddhi tattva (the first evolute of Prakṛti in Sāṅkhya).

24-25. Earth gets merged in water, water in light, light in wind, wind in ether and ether in ego. O Twice-born! that (ego) (gets merged) in the principle of mahat and (the principle of) mahat is swallowed by prakṛti (nature). The prakṛti (consists of two parts) such as manifest and unmanifest. The manifest (part of prakṛti) gets merged in the unmanifest.

26. The puruṣa (primordial being) is pure and is one undecaying (entity). He is also a part of the Supreme Soul. These prakṛti and puruṣa get merged in the Supreme Soul. There is no determination such as name, species and the like in that lord of all. (That Supreme Soul) is composed only of existence. He is to be known and (is of the form of) knowledge. (All) other souls (are merged) in (such Supreme Soul).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The four yugaskṛta, tretā, dvāpara and kali are reckoned as equivalent to 1,728,000, 1,296,000, 864,000 and 432,000 years respectively.

[2]:

One kalpa is equivalent to a day of Brahmā consisting of one thousand yugas.

[3]:

The serpent having thousand hoods on whose body reclines (lord) Viṣṇu.

[4]:

See p. 1028 fn. 1 above.

[5]:

Equal to 100,000,000,000,000,000 years.

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