45 - The description of four types of Dissolution

2. Description of the dissolution of the world and recreation (PratIsharga) is one of the main characteristics of a Purāņa. The KP. anyhow forgot to include it in previous chapters. So before ending the KP. this chapter was included. The description of the dissolution of the universe is found in the Mbh. Sånti, chs. 233, 312 and most Puranas e.g. AP. 368-1-27, Bh. P. XII.4.1.-43, Va. P. 100-118-199. As usual there are common descriptions containing some common verses. 

Sūta said: 

1. After hearing these words or wisdom uttered orally by Nārāyana, the sages asked the lord who had assumed the form of a Tortoise. 

The sages said: 

2-3. Dharma³ has been recounted by you. The perfect knowledge (leading to) salvation has been explained in detail. The detailed explanation of the worlds, the genealogies of kings and sages and the Manvantaras have been explained. O lord of the chief of Devas, it behoves you now to describe the dissolution of the living beings, as narrated by you before. O lord of the past and the future. 

3. The word dharma in this verse implies Smruti chapters in KP. I, and Moksha jnana implies the so-called Ishvara-gitá according to Hazra, and hence Vyāsa-gita is an interpolation by Pāśhupatas. The topics in the Vyāsa-gita can be called dharma, as they deal with expiatory rites, pilgrimage etc., but that does not meet Hazra's objections. Vyasa-gita is an interpolation in the strict sense of the term. 

Sūta said: 

4. On hearing their words, the lord who had assumed the form of a Tortoise, the great Yogin, recounted the PratIshaschara (dissolution) of all living beings. 

Kūrma said: 

5. In this Purāņa the dissolution mentioned is of four types viz.: Nitya, Naimittika, Prākruta and Atyantika (each type is described below). 

6. The destruction of the living beings that is witnessed every day in this world is called Nitya dissolution by the sages. 

7. The dissolution of the three worlds at the end of the Kalpa (a day of Brahma) caused by Brahma (due to his sleep at the end of his day) is called Naimittika dissolution by learned men. 

8. When the ultimate causes of the universe (i.e. beginning with Mahat and ending with Višheşha) undergo dissolution it is called Prakruta PratIsharga (dissolution pertaining to Prakruti) by those who ponder over Kāla. 

9. The final absorption of the Yogin into the Supreme Ātman as a result of the realIshation (Jñāna) is called Atyantika PratIsharga (ultimate dissolution) by those Brāhmaṇas who ponder over Kåla. 

10. The Atyantika Pralaya achieved through Jñāna has already been recounted. Now I shall tell you the Naimittika Pralaya succinctly. 

11. At the end of the thousand sets of four Yugas, when the time of dissolution arrives, Prajapati sets about to stabilise all subjects within his Ātman (i.e. withdrawing them into himself). 

12. Then for a period of hundred years, a severe absence of rain takes place. This terrible draught destructive of beings destroys all living beings. 

13. O lord of the Earth, those beings of deficient strength are dissolved at the outset. They attain the state of Bhūmi (become one with the Earth). 

14. Then the sun rises up and begins to blaze with its seven refulgent rays. His rays become unbearable. Through them he drinks up water. 

15. The seven rays of the sun drink up the water from the great ocean. Thanks to this intake, they become brilliant and change themselves into seven suns. 

16. Then those seven rays (the seven suns) dry up the four quarters. Like the fires, they burn the four worlds entirely. 

17. Those seven brilliant suns spread up and down by means of their rays. Brightened up by the fire at the end of the Yugas, they blaze forth. 

18. Those suns become illuminated by means of the water (sucked up by them). They shed forth thousands of rays enveloping the whole sky; they scorch and burn the Earth. 

19. Being burnt by their brilliance, the Earth alongwith the mountains, rivers, oceans and continents becomes devoid of moisture. 

20-21. These blazing rays which have spread down, above and obliquely on all sides so powerfully and envelop everything that all these form one mass of flame mixed with solar fire and form one fiery unit. 

22. The fire that crops up thus becomes destructive of all worlds. The fiery sphere immediately burns up the four worlds by its brilliance (burning capacity). 

23. Thus when all things movable and immovable are destroyed, the earth being devoid of trees and grass looks like the back of a tortoise. 

24. The entire universe appears like a frying pan. The rays completely burn everything down again and again. 

25. Thereafter, the animals in the netherworlds as well as those in the great oceans become destroyed and dissolved. They crumble and get mixed into the earth. 

26. Lord Fire, with seven souls, reduces everything to ashes the continents, the mountains, the Varşhas (subcontinents) and the great oceans. 

27. The flourishing fire drinks up the waters from the oceans and rivers. It blazes up resting on the Earth. 

28. Then the great Samvartaka fire being ablaze and expanded by the power of the wind (Maruteya)* crossing over the mountains burns down the worlds. 

*v.l. rudra-tejo-vijrumbhitah "expanded by the brilliance of Rudra." 

29. After burning the Earth, it burns up Rasātala. After burning the Earth down below, it burns the heaven above. 

30. The flames of that Samvartaka fire leap up hundreds, thousands and ten thousands of Yojanas. 

31. Becoming more brilliant by being urged by Kalarudra¹ (Rudra, the destroyer) it burns the Gandharvas, Pishachas, Yakshas, serpents and Räkşhasas. 

1. Even in this chapter, the credit of destroying the world is given to Rudra, vide the next chapter for Rudra's Tandava dance. But in V.P. VI. 4, it is Vişhņu who dissolves the world.

32. The Kālāgni (the fire of destruction) whose body has been pervaded by Kāla entirely consumes Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Maharloka. 

33-34. When all these worlds are pervaded on the sides above by the fire, it shines and illuminates everything hidden. It enters the entire Universe. Then the terrible Samvartaka clouds rise up in the sky. They have the shapes of huge elephants. They are embellished with lightning. 

35-38. There arise in the sky the terrible Samvartaka clouds of world destruction. Some are dark like the blue-lotus; some resemble the water-lilies; some are smoke-coloured; some are yellow, some have the colour of donkeys, and others resemble the red lac juice. Others are white like conch and the Kunda flowers. Some clouds are like the finest variety of collyrium. Others are like the red arsenic and a few resemble pigeons. Some appear like glow-worms and others resemble yellow orpiment. Some are like rainbows. Such clouds rise up in the heaven. 

39. Some are like mountains; some are comparable to huge herds of elephants. Others are like heaps of burning coal and some like shoals of fishes. 

 40. Then all these types of clouds of terrible form and loud report fill up the whole of the firmament. 

41. Then those terrible roaring clouds of seven types born of the sun release torrents of water and extinguish the fire. 

42. Like a flood water gushes out from them as rain. The terrible and inauspicious rain destroys the fire. 

43. The entire universe is filled with water of enormous quantities. On being thus overpowered by water the fire merges itself into the water. 

44. Due to the waters showered by the clouds the fire is subdued in hundreds of years. The flood envelops the entire universe with huge currents of water. 

45. Impelled by the self-born deity, these showers fill the earth with huge floods of water like the flow-tide of an ocean. 

46. The whole Earth alongwith the mountains and continents is slowly covered with water. The water drunk by the rays of the sun remains in the clouds. 

47. Again it falls on the Earth whereby the oceans are filled up. Thereafter the oceans go beyond their shores everywhere. 

48-49. The mountains become submerged. The earth too sinks under the water. In that vast and terrible sheet of water, all the mobile and immobile beings get lost. Lord Prajapati adopts the Yogic slumber and lies down therein. Learned men say that a Kalpa consists of a thousand cycles of four Yugas. 

50. The present Kalpa is the Vārāha. Its detailed description has been given. There are innumerable Kalpas pertaining to Brahmā, Vişhnu and Shiva. 

51. These have been recounted in the Purāņas by the sages who ponder over Kāla (Time). The greatness of Hari predominates in the Sättvika Kalpas. 

52. It is said that (the greatness) of Hara (predominates) in the Tamasa Kalpas and (the greatness) of Prajāpati (predominates) in the Rājasa Kalpa. The Vārāha Kalpa that is current now is considered to be Sättvika. 

53-54a. There are other Sāttvika Kalpas also. I (Lord Kurma Vişhnu) predominate in them. After acquiring meditation penance and perfect knowledge, the Yogins propitiate Girišha and attain that great region. 

54b-55a. I am the wielder (master) of Māyā. I adopt Māyā and Yogic slumber in the whole universe as it submerges into the sheet of water. 

55b-56a. At that time, during the period of my sleep the great sages of noble souls staying in the Janaloka see me with their Yogic vision. 

56b. I am the lord and the ancient Purusha, the origin (creator) of Bhuh (the Earth) and Bhuvah (the ether). 

57-58. I am the glorious one with thousand feet, thousand eyes and thousand legs. I am the Mantra, the Brāhmanas, the cows, the sacrificial twigs, the Prokşhaniya (that which should be sprinkled), the Soma, the Vrata, (religious vow) the Samvartaka fire, the great Ātman, the great and sacred glory. 

59. I am the intellect, the master of senses (the lord protector of cowherds), Brahma's face, the infinite redeemer, the Yogin, the goal, the most excellent among those who afford the goal. 

60. I am the Hamsa (swan), the vital breath, Kapila, of universal form, the eternal one, the immanent soul, Prakruti, Kāla (Time), the seed of the universe, the immortal nectar. 

61. There is no mother, father or great lord other than I. Nārāyana of the colour of the sun is the protector of the universe. I am the purusha of Yogic form. The Ascetics who abide by the Yogic practice see me. After realising the Ātman they attain my reality.