Vayu Purana · Chapter 57

//ṛṣaya ūcuḥ //
caturyugāni yānyāsan pūrvaṃ svāyambhuve'ntare /
teṣāṃ nisargaṃ tattvañca śrotumicchāmi vistarāt

//sūta uvāca//
pṛthivyādiprasaṅgena yanmayā prāgudāhṛtam/
teṣāñcaturyugaṃ hyetat pravakṣyāmi nibodhata

saṅkhyayeha prasaṅkhyāya vistārāccaiva sarvaśaḥ/
yugañca yugabhedañca yugadharmantathaiva ca

yugasandhyaṃśakañcaiva yugasandhānameva ca/
ṣaṭ‌prakārayugākhyānāṃ pravakṣyāmīha tattvataḥ

laukikena pramāṇena vibuddho'bdastu mānuṣaḥ/
tenābdena prasaṅkhyāya vakṣyāmīha caturyugam // ५७.५ .
nimeṣakālaḥ kāṣṭhā ca kalāścāpi muhūrttakāḥ/
nimeṣakālatulyaṃ hi vidyāllaghvakṣarañcayat

kāṣṭhā nimeṣā daśa pañca caiva triṃśacca kāṣṭhā gaṇayet kalāstāḥ/
triṃśat kalāścaiva bhavenmuhūrttāstatrtriṃśatā rātryahanī samete

ahorātre vibhajate sūryo mānuṣadaivike/
tatrāhaḥ karmaceṣṭāyāṃ rātriḥ svapnāya kalpyate

pitrye rātryahanī māsaḥ pravibhāgastayoḥ punaḥ/
kṛṣṇa pakṣastvahasteṣāṃ śuklaḥ svapnāya śarvarī

triṃśacca mānuṣā māsāḥ pitryo māsaśca sa smṛtaḥ/
śatāni trīṇi māsānāṃ ṣaṣṭayā cāpyadhikāni vai/
pitryaḥ saṃvatsaro hyeṣa mānuṣeṇa vibhāvyate

mānuṣeṇaiva mānena varṣāṇāṃ yacchataṃ bhavet /
pidṝṇāṃ trīṇi varṣāṇi saṅkhayātānīha tāni vai/
catvāra ścādhikā māsāḥ pitre caiveha kīrttitāḥ

lokikenaiva mānena abdo yo mānuṣaḥ smṛtaḥ/
etaddivyamahorātraṃ śāstre'smin niśvayo mataḥ

divye rātryahanī varṣaṃ pravibhāgastayoḥ punaḥ /
ahastatrodagayanaṃ rātriḥ syāddakṣiṇāyanam

ye te rātryahanī divye prasaṅkhayāte tayoḥ punaḥ/
triṃśacca tāni varṣāṇi divyo māsastu sa smṛtaḥ

mānuṣañca śataṃ viddhi divyamāsāstrayastu te/
daśa caiva tathāhāni divyo hyeṣa vidhiḥ smṛtaḥ

trīṇi parṣaśatānyeva ṣaṣṭivarṣāṇi yāni ca/
divyaḥ saṃvatsaro hyeṣa mānuṣeṇa prakīrttitaḥ

trīṇi varṣasahasrāṇi mānuṣeṇa pramāṇataḥ/
triṃśadyāni tu varṣāṇi mataḥ saptarṣivatsaraḥ

nava yāni sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṃ mānuṣāṇi tu /
anyāni navatiścaiva krauñcaḥ saṃvatsaraḥ smṛtaḥ

ṣaṭ‌triṃśattu sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṃ mānuṣāṇi tu /
varṣāṇāntu śataṃ jñeyaṃ divyo hyeṣa vidhiḥ smṛtaḥ

trīṇyeva niyutānyeva varṣāṇāṃ mānuṣāṇi ca/
ṣaṣṭiścaiva sahasrāṇi saṅkhyātāni tu saṅkhyayā/
divyavarṣasahasrantu prāhuḥ saṅkhyāvido janāḥ

ityevamṛṣibhirgītaṃ divyayā saṅkhyayānvitam/
divyenaiva pramāṇena yugasaṅkacāprakalpanam

catvāri bhārate varṣe yugāni kavayo viduḥ/
pūrvaṃ kṛtayugaṃ nāma tatastretā vidhīyate/
dvāparaśca kali ścaiva yugānyetāni kalpayet

catvāryāhuḥ sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāntu kṛtaṃ yugam/
tatra tāvacchatī sandhyā sandhyāṃśaśca tathāvidhaḥ

ita rāsu ca sandhyāsu sandhyāṃśeṣu ca vai triṣu /
ekāpāyena varttante sahasrāṇi śatāni ca

tretā trīṇi sahasrāṇi saṅkhyaiva parikīrtyate/
tasyāstu triśatī sandhyā sandhyāṃśaśca tathāvidhaḥ

dvāparaṃ dve sahasre tu yugamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ /
tasyāpi dviśatī sandhyā sandhayāṃśaḥ sandhyayā samaḥ

kaliṃ varṣasahasrantu yugamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ/
tasyāpyekaśatī sandhyā sandhyayā samaḥ

eṣā dvādaśasāhasrī yugākhyā parikīrttitā/
kṛtaṃ tretā dvāparañca kaliścaiva catuṣṭayam

atra saṃvatsarāḥ sṛṣṭā mānuṣeṇa pramāṇataḥ/
kṛtasya tāvadvakṣyāmi varṣāṇāṃ tatpramāṇataḥ

sahasrāṇāṃ śatānyatra caturdaśa tu saṅkhyayā/
catvāriṃśat sahasrāṇi kalikālayugasya tu

evaṃ saṅ‌khyātakālaśca kāleṣviha viśeṣataḥ/
evaṃ caturyugaḥ kālo vinā sandhyāṃśakaiḥ smṛtaḥ

catvāriṃśatrtrīṇi caiva niyutāni ca saṅkhyayā /
viṃśatiśca sahasrāṇi sasandhyāṃśaścaturyugaḥ

evaṃ caturyugākhyā tu sādhikā hyekasaptatiḥ/
kṛtatretādiyuktā sā manorantaramucyate

manvantarasya saṅkhyā tu varṣāgreṇa nibodhata/
triṃśatkoṭyastu varṣāṇāṃ mānuṣeṇa prakīrtitāḥ

saptaṣaṣṭistathānyāni niyutānyadhikāni tu/
viṃśatiśca sahasrāṇi kālo'yaṃ sādhikāṃ vinā

manvantarasya saṅkhyaiṣā saṅkhyāvidbhirdvijaiḥ smṛtā/
manvantarasya kālo'yaṃ yugaiḥ sārddhaṃ prakīrtitaḥ

catuḥ sahasrayuktaṃ vai prathamantat kṛtaṃ yugam/
tretāvaśiṣṭaṃ vakṣyāmi dvāparaṃ kalimeva ca

yugapatsamavetārtho dvidhā vaktuṃ na śakyate/
kramāgataṃ mayā hyetattubhyaṃ proktaṃ yugadvayam/
ṛṣivaṃśaprasaṅgena vyākulatvāttathaiva ca

tatra tretāyugasyādau manuḥ saptarṣayaśca te/
śrautaṃ smārttañca dharmañca brahmaṇā ca pracoditam

dārāgnihotrasaṃyogamṛgyajuḥ sāmasaṃjñitam/
ityādilakṣaṇaṃ śrautaṃ dharmaṃ saptarṣayo'bruvan

parasparāgataṃ dharmaṃ smārttañcācāralakṣaṇam/
varṇāśramācārayutaṃ manuḥ svāyambhuvo'bravīt

satyena brahmacaryeṇa śrutena tapasā ca vai/
teṣāṃ sutaptatapasāmārṣeyeṇa krameṇa tu

saptarṣīṇāṃ manoścaiva ādye tretāyugasya tu /
abuddhipūrvakaṃ teṣāmakriyāpūrvameva ca

abhivyaktāstu te mantrāstārakādyairnidarśanaiḥ/
ādikalpe tu devānāṃ prādurbhūtāstu te svayam

praṇāśe tvatha siddhīnāmapyāsāñca pravarttanam/
āsan mantrā vyatīteṣu ye kalpeṣu sahasraśaḥ/
temantrā vai punasteṣāṃ pratibhāsasamutthitāḥ

ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni mantrāścātharvaṇāni ca/
saptarṣibhistu te proktāḥ smārtaṃ dharmaṃ manurjagau

tretādau saṃhitā vedāḥ kevalā dharmaśeṣataḥ/
saṃrodhādāyuṣaścaiva vyasyante dvāpareṣu te

ṛṣayastapasā devāḥ kalau ca dvāpareṣu vai/
anādinidhanā divyāḥ pūrvaṃ sṛṣṭāḥ svayambhuvā

sadharmāḥ saprajāḥ sāṅgā yathādharmaṃ yuge yuge/
vikrīḍante samānārthā vedavādā yathāyugam

ārambhayajñā kṣatrasya haviryajñā viśāmpateḥ/
paricāra yajñāḥ śūdrāstu japayajñā dvijottamāḥ

tathā pramuditā varṇāstretāyāṃ dharmapālitāḥ/
kriyāvantaḥ prajāvantaḥ samṛddhāḥ sukhinastathā

brāhmaṇānanuvarttante kṣatriyāḥ kṣatriyān viśaḥ/
vaiśyānuvartinaḥ śūdrāḥ parasparamanuvratāḥ

śubhāḥ pravṛttayasteṣāṃ dharmā varṇāśramāstathā/
saṅkalpitena manasā vācoktena svasarmaṇā/
tretāyuge tvavikalaḥ karmmārambhaḥ prasiddhyati

āyurmedhā balaṃ rūpamārogyaṃ dharmaśīlatā/
sarvasādhāraṇā hyete tretāyāṃ vai bhavantyuta

varṇāśramavyavasthānaṃ teṣāṃ brahmā tathākarot /
punaḥ prajāstu tā mohāttān dharmānna hyapālayan

parasparavirodhena manuntāḥ punaranvayuḥ/
manuḥ svāyambhuvo dṛṣṭvā yāthātathyaṃ prajāpatiḥ

dhātā tu śatarūpāyāḥ pumān sa udapādayat/
priyavratottānapādau pradhamantau mahīpatī

tataḥ prabhṛti rājāna utpannā daṇḍadhāriṇaḥ/
prajānāṃ rañjanāccaiva rājānastvabhavannṛṣāḥ

pracchannapāpā ye jetumaśakyā manujā bhuvi/
dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya teṣāṃ śāstre tapo mayā

varṇānāṃ pravibhāgāśca tretāyāṃ saṃprakīrtitāḥ/
saṃhitāśca tato mantrā ṛṣabhirbrahmaṇaistu te

yajñaḥ pravartitaścaiva tadā hyevantu daivataiḥ/
yāmaiḥ śuklairjapaiścaiva sarvasambhārasaṃvṛtaiḥ

sārddhaṃ viśvabhujā caiva devendreṇa mahaujasā/
svāyambhuve'ntare devairyajñāste prāk pravartitāḥ

satyaṃ japastapo dānaṃ tretāyāṃ dharma ucyate/
kriyā dharmaśca hrasate satyadharmaḥ pravarttate

prajāyante tataḥ śūrā āyuṣmanto mahābalāḥ/
nyastadaṇḍamahābhāgā yajvāno brahmavādinaḥ

padma patrāyatākṣāśca pṛthūraskāḥ susaṃhitāḥ/
siṃhāntakā mahāsattvā mattamātaṅgagāminaḥ

mahādhanurddharāścaiva tretāyāṃ cakravartinaḥ/
sarvalakṣaṇasampannā nyagrodhaparimaṇḍalāḥ

nyagrodhau tau smṛtau bāhū vyāmo nyagrodha ucyate/
vāmenaivocchrayādyasya sama ūrddhvantu dehinaḥ/
samucchrayaḥ parīṇāho jñeyo nyagrodhamaṇḍalaḥ

cakraṃ ratho maṇirbhāryā nidhiraścāgajāstathā/
saptātiśayaratnāni sarveṣāñcakravarttinām

cakraṃ ratho maṇiḥ khaḍgaṃ dhanūratnañca pañcamam/
keturnidhiśca saptaite prāṇahīnāḥ prakīrttitāḥ

bhāryā purohitaścaiva senānī rathakṛcca yaḥ/
mantryaśvaḥ kalabhaścaiva prāṇinaḥ samprakīrttitāḥ

ratnānyetāni divyāni saṃsiddhāni mahātmanām/
caturdaśa vidheyāni sarveṣāṃ cakravārtinām

viṣṇoraṃśena jāyante pṛthivyāṃ cakravarttinaḥ/
manvantareṣu sarveṣu atītānāgateṣu vai

bhūtabhavyāni yānīha varttamānāni yāni ca/
tretāyugādikeṣvatra jāyante cakravarttinaḥ

bhadrāṇīmāni teṣāṃ vai bhavantīha mahīkṣitām/
adbhutāni ca catvāri balaṃ dharmaḥ sukhaṃ dhanam

anyonyasyāvirodhena prāpyante vai nṛpaiḥ samam/
artho dharmaśca kāmaśca yaśo vijaya eva ca

aiśvaryeṇāṇimādyena prabhuśaktyā tathaiva ca/
anyena tapasā caiva ṛṣīnabhibhavanti ca/
balena tapasā caiva devadānavāmānuṣān

lakṣaṇaiścāpi jāyante śarīrasthairamānuṣaiḥ/
keśasthitā lalāṭorṇā jihvā cāsyapramārjanī/
tāmraprabhoṣṭhadantoṣṭhāḥ śrīvatsāścorddhvaromaśāḥ

ājānubāhanaścaiva jālahastā vṛṣāṅkitāḥ/
nyagrodhapariṇāhāśca siṃhaskandhāḥ sumehanāḥ /
gajendragatayaścaiva mahāhanava eva ca

pādayoścakramatsyau tu śaṅkhapadmau tu hastayoḥ/
pañcāśītisahasrāṇi te bhavantyajarā nṛpāḥ

asaṅgā gatayasteṣāṃ catasraścakravarttinām/
antarikṣe samudre ca pātāle parvateṣu ca

ijyā dānaṃ tapaḥ satyaṃ tretāyāṃ dharma ucyate /
tadā pravarttate dharmo varṇāśramavibhāgaśaḥ

maryādāsthāpanārthaṃ ca daṇḍanītiḥ pravarttate /
hṛṣṭapuṣṭāḥ prajāḥ sarvā hyarogāḥ pūrṇamānasāḥ

eko vedaścatuṣpādastretāyugavidhau smṛtaḥ/
trīṇi varṣasahasrāṇi tadā jīvanti mānavāḥ

putrapautrasamākīrṇā mriyante ca krameṇa tu /
eṣa tretāyuge dharmastretāsandhau nibodhata

tretāyuga svabhāvastu sandhyāpādeva varttate /
sandhyāyāṃ vai svabhāvastu yugapādena tiṣṭhati

//śāṃśapāyana uvāca//
kathaṃ tretāyugamukhe yajñasyāsītpravartanam/
pūrvaṃ svāyambhuve sarge yathāvattadbravīhi me

antarhitāyāṃ sandhyāyāṃ sārddhaṃ kṛtayugena vai/
kalākhyāyāṃ pravṛttāyāṃ prāpte tretāyuge tadā/
varṇāśramavyavasthānaṃ kṛtavantaśca vai punaḥ

sambhārāṃstāṃ śca sambhṛtya kathaṃ yatraḥ pravartitaḥ/
etacchrutvābravītsūtaḥ śrūyatāṃ śāṃśapāyana

iyathā tretāyugamukhe yajñasyāsītpravartanam/
oṣadhīṣu ca jātāsu pravṛtte vṛṣṭisarjane/
pratiṣṭhitāyāṃ vārtāyāṃ gṛhāśramapureṣu ca

varṇāśrama vyavasthānaṃ kṛtvā mantrāṃśca saṃhitām/
mantrān saṃyojayitvātha ihāmutreṣu karmasu

tathā viśvamugindrastu yajñaṃ prāvartayattadā/
daivataiḥ sahitaḥ sarvaiḥ sarvasambhārasambhṛtam

athāśvamedhe vitate samājagmurmaharṣayaḥ/
yajante paśubhirmedhyairhutvā sarve samāgatāḥ

karmavyagreṣu ṛtvikṣu satate yajñakarmaṇi/
sampragīteṣu teṣvevamāgameṣvatha satvaram

parikrānteṣu laghuṣu adhvaryuvṛṣabheṣu ca/
ālabdheṣu ca medhyeṣu tathā paśugaṇeṣu vai

haviṣyagnau hūyamāne devānāṃ devahotṛbhiḥ/
āhūteṣu ca deveṣu yajñabhākṣu mahātmasu

ya indriyātmakā devā yajñabhājastathā tu ye/
tān yajante tadā devāḥ kalpādiṣu bhavanti ye

adhvaryavaḥ praiṣakāle vyutthitā ye maharṣayaḥ/
maharṣayastu tān dṛṣṭvā dīnān paśugaṇān sthitān /
papracchurindraṃ sambhūya ko'yaṃ yajñavidhistava

adharmo balavāneṣa hiṃsādharmepsayā tava/
neṣṭaḥ paśuvadhastveṣa tava yajñe surottama

adharmo dharmagātāya prārabdhaḥ paśubhistvayā/
nāyaṃ dharmo hyadharmo'yaṃ na hiṃsā dharma ucyate

āgamena bhavān yajñaṃ karotu yadihecchasi/
vidhidṛṣṭena yajñena dharmamavyayahetunā/
yajñabījaiḥ suraśreṣṭha yeṣu hiṃsā na vidyate

trivarṣaparamaṃ kālamuṣitairaprarohibhiḥ/
eṣa dharmo mahānindra svayambhuviṅitaḥ purā

evaṃ viśvabhugindrastu munibhistattvadarśibhiḥ/
jaṅgamaiḥ sthāvarairveti kairyaṣṭavyamihocyate

te tu khinnā vivādena tattvayuktā maharṣayaḥ/
sandhāya vākyamindreṇa prapacchuśceśvaraṃ vasum

//ṛṣaya ūcuḥ//
mahāprājña kathaṃ dṛṣṭastvayā yajñavidhirnṛpa/
uttānapāde prabrūhi saṃśayaṃ chindhi naḥ prabho

śrutvā vākyaṃ tatasteṣāmavicārya balābalam/
vedaśāstramanusmṛtya yajñatattvamuvāca ha/
yathopadiṣṭairyaṣṭavyamiti hovāca pārthivaḥ

yaṣṭavyaṃ paśubhirmedhyairatha bījaiḥ phalaistathā/
hiṃsāsvabhāvo yajñasya iti me darśayatyasau

yatheha saṃhitāmantrā hiṃsāliṅgā maharṣibhiḥ/
dīrgheṇa tapasā yuktairdarśanaistārakādibhiḥ/
tatprāmāṇyānmayā coktaṃ tasmānmā mantumarhatha

yadi pramāṇaṃ tānyeva mantravākyāni vai dvijāḥ /
tadā prāvarttatā yajño hyanyathā no'nṛtaṃ vacaḥ/
evaṃ hṛtottarāste vai yuktātmānastapodhanāḥ

adhasva bhavanaṃ dṛṣṭvā tamarthaṃ vāgyato bhava/
mithyāvādī nṛpo yasmāt praviveśa rasātalam

ityuktamātre nṛpatiḥ praviveśa rasātalam/
ūrddhvacārī vasurbhūtvā rasātalacaro'bhavat

vasudhātalavāsī tu tena vākyena so'bhavat/
dharmāṇāṃ saṃśayacchettā rājā vasurathāgataḥ

tasmānna vācyamekena bahujñenāpi saṃśayaḥ/
bahūddhārasya dharmasya sūkṣmād‌dūramupāgatiḥ

tasmānna niścayādvaktuṃ dharmaḥ śakyastu kenacit/
devānṛṣīnupādāya svāyambhuvamṛte manum

tasmānna hiṃsādharmasya dvāramuktaṃ maharṣibhiḥ/
ṛṣikoṭisahasrāṇi karmabhiḥ svairdivaṃ yayuḥ

tasmānna dānaṃ yajñaṃ vā praśaṃsanti maharṣayaḥ/
tucchaṃ mūlaṃ phalaṃ śākamudapātraṃ tapodhanāḥ/
evaṃ dattvā vibhavataḥ svargaloke pratiṣṭhitāḥ

adrohaścāpyalobhaśca damo bhūtadayā tapaḥ/
brahmacaryaṃ tathā satyamanukrośaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ/
sanātanasya dharmasya mūlametaddurāsadam

dharmamantrātmako yajñastapaścānaśanātmakam/
yajñena devānāpnoti vairāgyaṃ tapasā punaḥ

brāhmaṇyaṃ karmasaṃnyāsādvairāgyāt prekṣate layam/
jñānāt prāpnoti kaivalyaṃ pañcaitā gatayaḥ smṛtāḥ

evaṃ vivādaḥ sumahān yajñasyāsīt pravarttane/
ṛṣīṇāṃ devatānāñca pūrvaṃ svāyambhuve'ntare

tataste ṛṣayo dṛṣṭvādbhutaṃ vartma balena tu/
vasorvākyamanādṛtya jagmuste vai yathāgatāḥ

gateṣu devasaṅgheṣu devā yajñamavāpnuyuḥ/
śrūyante hi tapaḥsiddhā brahmakṣatramayā nṛpāḥ

priyavratottānapādau dhruvo medhātithirvasuḥ/
sumedhā virajāścaiva śaṅkhapādraja eva ca/
prācīnabarhiḥ parjanyo havirddhānādayo nṛpāḥ

ete cānye ca bahavo nṛpāḥ siddhā divaṃ gatāḥ/
rājarṣayo mahāsattvā yeṣāṃ kīrttiḥ pratiṣṭhitā

tasmādviśiṣyate yajñāttapaḥ sarveṣu kāraṇaiḥ/
brahmaṇā tapasā sṛṣṭa jagadviśvamidaṃ purā

tasmānnātyeti tadyajñaṃ tapomūlamidaṃ smṛtam/
yajñapravarttanaṃ hyevamataḥ svāyambhuve'ntare/
tataḥprabhṛti yajño'yaṃ yugaiḥ saha vyavarttata

iti śrīmahāpurāṇe vāyuprokte yajñapravarttanaṃ nāma saptapañcāśo'dhyāyaḥ

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śloka ५७.७० - dra. śatapatha brāhmaṇam [https://sa.wikisource.org/s/enp ५.३.१]