याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच तत्त्वानां सर्वसंख्या च कालसंख्या तथैव च। मया प्रोक्ताऽऽनुपूर्वेण संहारमपि मे शृणु॥
I have, one after another, told you the order of the creation, with their total number, of the various principles, as also the extent of the duration of each. Hear as I tell you of their destruction.
यथा संहरते जन्तून् ससर्ज च पुनः पुनः। अनादिनिधनो ब्रह्मा नित्यश्चाक्षर एव च॥
Listen to me how Brahman, who is eternal and undeteriorating, and who is without beginning and without end, repeatedly creates and destroys all created objects.
अहःक्षयमथो बुद्ध्वा निशि स्वप्नमनास्तथा। चोदयामास भगवानव्यक्तोऽहंकृतं नरम्॥
When his day expires and night comes, he seeks sleep. At such a time the unmanifest and holy one moves the Being called Maharudra, who is conscious of his great powers.
ततः शतसहस्रांशुरव्यक्तेनाभिचोदितः। कृत्वा द्वादशधाऽऽत्मानमादित्यो ज्वलदग्निवत्॥
Urged by the unmanifest, that Being, assuming the form of the Sun of hundreds of thousands of rays, divides himself into a dozen parts each resembling a burning fire.
चतुर्विधं महीपाल निर्दहत्याशु तेजसा। जरायुजाण्डजस्वेदजोद्भिज्जं च नराधिप॥
He then consumes with his energy, O king, without any loss of time, the four sorts of created beings, viz., viviparous, oviparious, filth-born, and vegetable.
एतदुन्मेषमात्रेण विनष्टं स्थाणु जङ्गमम्। कूर्मपृष्ठसमा भूमिर्भवत्यथ समन्ततः॥
Within, the twinkling of the eye all mobile and immobile creatures being thus destroyed, the Earth becomes on all sides, bare as a tortoise shell.
जगद् दग्ध्वामितबलः केवलां जगतीं ततः। अम्भसा बलिना क्षिप्रमापूरयति सर्वशः॥
Having burnt everything on the face of the Earth, Rudra of incomparable might, then quickly fills the bare Earth with Water, possessed of great force.
ततः कालाग्निमासाद्य तदम्भो याति संक्षयम्। विनष्टेऽम्भसि राजेन्द्र जाज्वलत्यनलो महान्॥
He then creates the cycle-fire which dries up that Water. The Water disappearing, the great element of Fire continues to blaze dreadfully.
तमप्रमेयोऽतिबलं ज्वलमानं विभावसुम्। ऊष्माणं सर्वभूतानां सप्तार्चिषमथाञ्जसा॥ भक्षयामास भगवान् वायुरष्टात्मको बली। विचरन्नमितप्राणस्तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्तथा॥
Then comes the powerful Wind of iinmeasurable force, in his eight forms, who devours speedily that blazing fire of transcendent force, possessed of seven flames, and al one with the heat that exists in every crcature. Having devoured that fire, the Wind passes in every direction, upwards, downwards and transversely.
तमप्रतिबलं भीममाकाशं ग्रसतेऽऽत्मना। आकाशमप्यभिनदन्मनो ग्रसति चाधिकम्॥
Then Space of inmeasurable existent devours that Wind of transcendent power. Then mind cheerfully devours that immeasurable Space.
मनो ग्रसति भूतात्मा सोऽहंकारः प्रजापतिः। अहंकारं महानात्मा भूतभव्यभविष्यवित्॥
Then that Lord of all creatures, viz., Consciousness, who is the Soul of everything, devours the Mind. Consciousness in his turn, is devoured by the Great Soul who is conversant with the Past, the Present, and the Future.
तमप्यनुपमात्मानं विश्वं शम्भुः प्रजापतिः। अणिमा लघिमा प्राप्तिरीशानो ज्योतिरव्ययः॥
The incomparable Universe is then devoured by Shambhu, that Lord of all things in whom exist the lordly powers of Anima, Laghima, Prapti, etc., and who is considered as Supreme and pure Effulgence that is Iminutable.
सर्वत:पाणिपादान्तः सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखः। सर्वतःश्रुतिमाँल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति॥
His hands and feet extend over every part his eyes and head and face are everywhere, his reach every places, and he exists possessing all things.
हृदयं सर्वभूतानां पर्वणाङ्गुष्ठमात्रकः। अथ ग्रसत्यनन्तो हि महात्मा विश्वमीश्वरः॥
He is the heart of all creatures. He measures a digit of the thumb. That Infinite and Supreme Soul that Lord of all, thus devours the Universe. cars
ततः समभवत् सर्वमक्षयाव्ययमव्रणम्। भूतभव्यभविष्याणां स्रष्टारमनघं तथा॥
After this, what remains is the Undeteriorating and the Immutable One who is without shortcoming of any sort, who is the Creator of the Past, the Present, and the Future; and who is perfectly faultless.
एषोऽप्ययस्ते राजेन्द्र यथावत् समुदाहृतः। अध्यात्ममधिभूतं च अधिदैवं च श्रूयताम्॥
I have thus, O king, duly told you of Destruction. I shall now describe to you the subject of Adhyatma (Spiritual), Adhibhuta (Eternal) and Adhidaivata (Accidental).