Brahma Purana — Chapter 23

BrP 23.1

कथितं भवता सर्वम् अस्माकं सकलं तथा भुवर्लोकादिकांल् लोकाञ् श्रोतुम् इच्छामहे वयम् ॥

kathitaṃ bhavatā sarvam asmākaṃ sakalaṃ tathā bhuvarlokādikāṃl lokāñ śrotum icchāmahe vayam //

All has been told by you to us, and everything entirely; we wish to hear of the worlds beginning with the Bhuvar-loka.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.2

तथैव ग्रहसंस्थानं प्रमाणानि यथा तथा समाचक्ष्व महाभाग यथावल् लोमहर्षण ॥

tathaiva grahasaṃsthānaṃ pramāṇāni yathā tathā samācakṣva mahābhāga yathāval lomaharṣaṇa //

Likewise the arrangement of the planets and their measures, just as they are — relate them properly, O greatly fortunate Lomaharṣaṇa.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.3

रविचन्द्रमसोर् यावन् मयूखैर् अवभास्यते ससमुद्रसरिच्छैला तावती पृथिवी स्मृता ॥

ravicandramasor yāvan mayūkhair avabhāsyate sasamudrasaricchailā tāvatī pṛthivī smṛtā //

As far as (the world) is illumined by the rays of the sun and the moon, so far, with its oceans, rivers and mountains, the earth is reckoned to extend.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.4

यावत्प्रमाणा पृथिवी विस्तारपरिमण्डला नभस् तावत्प्रमाणं हि विस्तारपरिमण्डलम् ॥

yāvatpramāṇā pṛthivī vistāraparimaṇḍalā nabhas tāvatpramāṇaṃ hi vistāraparimaṇḍalam //

Of whatever measure the earth is in the circle of its extent, of just that measure indeed is the sky in the circle of its extent.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.5

भूमेर् योजनलक्षे तु सौरं विप्रास् तु मण्डलम् लक्षे दिवाकराच् चापि मण्डलं शशिनः स्थितम् ॥

bhūmer yojanalakṣe tu sauraṃ viprās tu maṇḍalam lakṣe divākarāc cāpi maṇḍalaṃ śaśinaḥ sthitam //

At a hundred thousand yojanas from the earth, O brahmins, is the sun's orb; and at a hundred thousand from the sun stands the orb of the moon.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.6

पूर्णे शतसहस्रे तु योजनानां निशाकरात् नक्षत्रमण्डलं कृत्स्नम् उपरिष्टात् प्रकाशते ॥

pūrṇe śatasahasre tu yojanānāṃ niśākarāt nakṣatramaṇḍalaṃ kṛtsnam upariṣṭāt prakāśate //

At a full hundred thousand yojanas from the moon, the whole circle of the lunar mansions shines above.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.7

द्विलक्षे चोत्तरे विप्रा बुधो नक्षत्रमण्डलात् तावत्प्रमाणभागे तु बुधस्याप्य् उशना स्थितः ॥

dvilakṣe cottare viprā budho nakṣatramaṇḍalāt tāvatpramāṇabhāge tu budhasyāpy uśanā sthitaḥ //

And two hundred thousand above the circle of the lunar mansions, O brahmins, is Mercury; and at a distance of just that measure from Mercury stands Venus.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.8

अङ्गारको ऽपि शुक्रस्य तत्प्रमाणे व्यवस्थितः लक्षद्वयेन भौमस्य स्थितो देवपुरोहितः ॥

aṅgārako 'pi śukrasya tatpramāṇe vyavasthitaḥ lakṣadvayena bhaumasya sthito devapurohitaḥ //

Mars too is placed at that same measure from Venus; and two hundred thousand from Mars stands the priest of the gods (Jupiter).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.9

सौरिर् बृहस्पतेर् ऊर्ध्वं द्विलक्षे समवस्थितः सप्तर्षिमण्डलं तस्माल् लक्षम् एकं द्विजोत्तमाः ॥

saurir bṛhaspater ūrdhvaṃ dvilakṣe samavasthitaḥ saptarṣimaṇḍalaṃ tasmāl lakṣam ekaṃ dvijottamāḥ //

Saturn, the son of the Sun, is placed two hundred thousand above Jupiter; and one hundred thousand from him is the circle of the seven sages, O best of brahmins.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.10

ऋषिभ्यस् तु सहस्राणां शताद् ऊर्ध्वं व्यवस्थितः मेढीभूतः समस्तस्य ज्योतिश् चक्रस्य वै ध्रुवः ॥

ṛṣibhyas tu sahasrāṇāṃ śatād ūrdhvaṃ vyavasthitaḥ meḍhībhūtaḥ samastasya jyotiś cakrasya vai dhruvaḥ //

But above the ṛṣis, at a hundred thousand (yojanas), stands fixed Dhruva, who is the central post of the whole wheel of lights.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.11

त्रैलोक्यम् एतत् कथितं संक्षेपेण द्विजोत्तमाः इज्याफलस्य भूर् एषा इज्या चात्र प्रतिष्ठिता ॥

trailokyam etat kathitaṃ saṃkṣepeṇa dvijottamāḥ ijyāphalasya bhūr eṣā ijyā cātra pratiṣṭhitā //

This threefold world has been described in brief, O best of the twice-born; this is the sphere of the fruit of sacrifice, and sacrifice is established here.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.12

ध्रुवाद् ऊर्ध्वं महर्लोको यत्र ते कल्पवासिनः एकयोजनकोटी तु महर्लोको विधीयते ॥

dhruvād ūrdhvaṃ maharloko yatra te kalpavāsinaḥ ekayojanakoṭī tu maharloko vidhīyate //

Above Dhruva is the Mahar world, where those who dwell (through) a kalpa reside; the Mahar world is reckoned as one koṭi of yojanas.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.13

द्वे कोट्यौ तु जनो लोको यत्र ते ब्रह्मणः सुताः सनन्दनाद्याः कथिता विप्राश् चामलचेतसः ॥

dve koṭyau tu jano loko yatra te brahmaṇaḥ sutāḥ sanandanādyāḥ kathitā viprāś cāmalacetasaḥ //

At two koṭis is the Jana world, where those sons of Brahmā, called Sanandana and the rest, are, O brahmins, pure of mind.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.14

चतुर्गुणोत्तरं चोर्ध्वं जनलोकात् तपः स्मृतम् वैराजा यत्र ते देवाः स्थिता देहविवर्जिताः ॥

caturguṇottaraṃ cordhvaṃ janalokāt tapaḥ smṛtam vairājā yatra te devāḥ sthitā dehavivarjitāḥ //

And above the Jana world, four times greater, Tapas is recorded, where those Vairāja gods abide, devoid of bodies.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.15

षड्गुणेन तपोलोकात् सत्यलोको विराजते अपुनर्मारकं यत्र सिद्धादिमुनिसेवितम् ॥

ṣaḍguṇena tapolokāt satyaloko virājate apunarmārakaṃ yatra siddhādimunisevitam //

Six times (as far) from the Tapas world the Satya world shines, where there is no dying again, frequented by the Siddhas and other sages.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.16

पादगम्यं तु यत् किंचिद् वस्त्व् अस्ति पृथिवीमयम् स भूर्लोकः समाख्यातो विस्तारो ऽस्य मयोदितः ॥

pādagamyaṃ tu yat kiṃcid vastv asti pṛthivīmayam sa bhūrlokaḥ samākhyāto vistāro 'sya mayoditaḥ //

Whatever thing there is that can be traversed on foot, consisting of earth—that is called the Bhūr world, whose extent has been stated by me.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.17

भूमिसूर्यान्तरं यत् तु सिद्धादिमुनिसेवितम् भुवर्लोकस् तु सो ऽप्य् उक्तो द्वितीयो मुनिसत्तमाः ॥

bhūmisūryāntaraṃ yat tu siddhādimunisevitam bhuvarlokas tu so 'py ukto dvitīyo munisattamāḥ //

And that (space) between the earth and the sun, frequented by the Siddhas and other sages—that too is called the Bhuvar world, the second, O best of sages.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.18

ध्रुवसूर्यान्तरं यत् तु नियुतानि चतुर्दश स्वर्लोकः सो ऽपि कथितो लोकसंस्थानचिन्तकैः ॥

dhruvasūryāntaraṃ yat tu niyutāni caturdaśa svarlokaḥ so 'pi kathito lokasaṃsthānacintakaiḥ //

And that (space) between the sun and Dhruva, fourteen hundred-thousands (of yojanas)—that too is called the Svar world by those who reflect on the arrangement of the worlds.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.19

त्रैलोक्यम् एतत् कृतकं विप्रैश् च परिपठ्यते जनस् तपस् तथा सत्यम् इति चाकृतकं त्रयम् ॥

trailokyam etat kṛtakaṃ vipraiś ca paripaṭhyate janas tapas tathā satyam iti cākṛtakaṃ trayam //

This threefold world is recited by the brahmins as made (i.e. created), while the three—Jana, Tapas, and Satya—are unmade.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.20

कृतकाकृतको मध्ये महर्लोक इति स्मृतः शून्यो भवति कल्पान्ते यो ऽन्तं न च विनश्यति ॥

kṛtakākṛtako madhye maharloka iti smṛtaḥ śūnyo bhavati kalpānte yo 'ntaṃ na ca vinaśyati //

In between the made and the unmade, the Mahar world is recorded; it becomes empty at the end of a kalpa, yet it does not utterly perish.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 23.21

एते सप्त महालोका मया वः कथिता द्विजाः पातालानि च सप्तैव ब्रह्माण्डस्यैष विस्तरः ॥

ete sapta mahālokā mayā vaḥ kathitā dvijāḥ pātālāni ca saptaiva brahmāṇḍasyaiṣa vistaraḥ //

These seven great worlds have been told to you by me, O twice-born, and the seven nether regions (pātālas); this is the extent of Brahmā's egg.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.22

एतद् अण्डकटाहेन तिर्यग् ऊर्ध्वम् अधस् तथा कपित्थस्य यथा बीजं सर्वतो वै समावृतम् ॥

etad aṇḍakaṭāhena tiryag ūrdhvam adhas tathā kapitthasya yathā bījaṃ sarvato vai samāvṛtam //

This is enclosed on all sides by the shell of the egg—crosswise, above, and below—as the kernel of a wood-apple (is enclosed).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.23

दशोत्तरेण पयसा द्विजाश् चाण्डं च तद् वृतम् स चाम्बुपरिवारो ऽसौ वह्निना वेष्टितो बहिः ॥

daśottareṇa payasā dvijāś cāṇḍaṃ ca tad vṛtam sa cāmbuparivāro 'sau vahninā veṣṭito bahiḥ //

And that egg, O twice-born, is enveloped by water ten times greater; and that mass surrounded by water is in turn encircled outside by fire.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.24

वह्निस् तु वायुना वायुर् विप्रास् तु नभसावृतः आकाशो ऽपि मुनिश्रेष्ठा महता परिवेष्टितः ॥

vahnis tu vāyunā vāyur viprās tu nabhasāvṛtaḥ ākāśo 'pi muniśreṣṭhā mahatā pariveṣṭitaḥ //

The fire (is enveloped) by wind, and the wind, O brahmins, is enveloped by ether; and ether too, O best of sages, is encompassed by the Mahat.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.25

दशोत्तराण्य् अशेषाणि विप्राश् चैतानि सप्त वै महान्तं च समावृत्य प्रधानं समवस्थितम् ॥

daśottarāṇy aśeṣāṇi viprāś caitāni sapta vai mahāntaṃ ca samāvṛtya pradhānaṃ samavasthitam //

All these seven, O brahmins, are each ten times greater; and having enveloped the Mahat, the pradhāna stands.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.26

अनन्तस्य न तस्यान्तः संख्यानं चापि विद्यते तद् अनन्तम् असंख्यातं प्रमाणेनापि वै यतः ॥

anantasya na tasyāntaḥ saṃkhyānaṃ cāpi vidyate tad anantam asaṃkhyātaṃ pramāṇenāpi vai yataḥ //

Of that infinite there is no end, nor is any counting of it found; therefore it is infinite and uncountable, even by measure.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.27

हेतुभूतम् अशेषस्य प्रकृतिः सा परा द्विजाः अण्डानां तु सहस्राणां सहस्राण्य् अयुतानि च ॥

hetubhūtam aśeṣasya prakṛtiḥ sā parā dvijāḥ aṇḍānāṃ tu sahasrāṇāṃ sahasrāṇy ayutāni ca //

It is the cause of all; that is the supreme prakṛti, O twice-born. And of eggs there are thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.28

ईदृशानां तथा तत्र कोटिकोटिशतानि च दारुण्य् अग्निर् यथा तैलं तिले तद्वत् पुमान् इह ॥

īdṛśānāṃ tathā tatra koṭikoṭiśatāni ca dāruṇy agnir yathā tailaṃ tile tadvat pumān iha //

and there, of such kind, hundreds of koṭis of koṭis. As fire is in wood, as oil in the sesame seed, so is the Puruṣa here,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.29

प्रधाने ऽवस्थितो व्यापी चेतनात्मनिवेदनः प्रधानं च पुमांश् चैव सर्वभूतानुभूतया ॥

pradhāne 'vasthito vyāpī cetanātmanivedanaḥ pradhānaṃ ca pumāṃś caiva sarvabhūtānubhūtayā //

abiding in the pradhāna, all-pervading, making known the conscious self; and the pradhāna and the Puruṣa both, through the experience of all beings—

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 23.30

विष्णुशक्त्या द्विजश्रेष्ठा धृतौ संश्रयधर्मिणौ तयोः सैव पृथग्भावे कारणं संश्रयस्य च ॥

viṣṇuśaktyā dvijaśreṣṭhā dhṛtau saṃśrayadharmiṇau tayoḥ saiva pṛthagbhāve kāraṇaṃ saṃśrayasya ca //

By Viṣṇu's power, O best of the twice-born, the two (pradhāna and puruṣa) are upheld, having mutual dependence as their nature; and that same (power) is the cause of their separateness and of their conjunction.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.31

क्षोभकारणभूता च सर्गकाले द्विजोत्तमाः यथा शैत्यं जले वातो बिभर्ति कणिकागतम् ॥

kṣobhakāraṇabhūtā ca sargakāle dvijottamāḥ yathā śaityaṃ jale vāto bibharti kaṇikāgatam //

And at the time of creation she becomes the cause of the agitation, O best of the twice-born — just as the wind carries the coldness that resides in a droplet of water.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.32

जगच् छक्तिस् तथा विष्णोः प्रधानपुरुषात्मकम् यथा च पादपो मूलस्कन्धशाखादिसंयुतः ॥

jagac chaktis tathā viṣṇoḥ pradhānapuruṣātmakam yathā ca pādapo mūlaskandhaśākhādisaṃyutaḥ //

So the world is Viṣṇu's power, consisting of pradhāna and puruṣa; and just as a tree is furnished with root, trunk, branches, and the rest,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.33

आद्यबीजात् प्रभवति बीजान्य् अन्यानि वै ततः प्रभवन्ति ततस् तेभ्यो भवन्त्य् अन्ये परे द्रुमाः ॥

ādyabījāt prabhavati bījāny anyāni vai tataḥ prabhavanti tatas tebhyo bhavanty anye pare drumāḥ //

(and) arises from an original seed, and from it other seeds arise, and then from those come yet other trees —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.34

ते ऽपि तल्लक्षणद्रव्यकारणानुगता द्विजाः एवम् अव्याकृतात् पूर्वं जायन्ते महदादयः ॥

te 'pi tallakṣaṇadravyakāraṇānugatā dvijāḥ evam avyākṛtāt pūrvaṃ jāyante mahadādayaḥ //

and those too conform to the same characteristics, substance, and cause, O twice-born — just so, from the unevolved (avyākṛta) there first arise mahat and the rest,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.35

विशेषान्तास् ततस् तेभ्यः संभवन्ति सुरादयः तेभ्यश् च पुत्रास् तेषां तु पुत्राणां परमे सुताः ॥

viśeṣāntās tatas tebhyaḥ saṃbhavanti surādayaḥ tebhyaś ca putrās teṣāṃ tu putrāṇāṃ parame sutāḥ //

then from those arise (the evolutes) ending with the viśeṣas, and the gods and the rest, and from them sons, and of those sons further sons.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 23.36

बीजाद् वृक्षप्ररोहेण यथा नापचयस् तरोः भूतानां भूतसर्गेण नैवास्त्य् अपचयस् तथा ॥

bījād vṛkṣapraroheṇa yathā nāpacayas taroḥ bhūtānāṃ bhūtasargeṇa naivāsty apacayas tathā //

As there is no diminution of the tree when a tree sprouts from its seed, so there is no diminution of beings through the creation of beings.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.37

संनिधानाद् यथाकाशकालाद्याः कारणं तरोः तथैवापरिणामेन विश्वस्य भगवान् हरिः ॥

saṃnidhānād yathākāśakālādyāḥ kāraṇaṃ taroḥ tathaivāpariṇāmena viśvasya bhagavān hariḥ //

As space, time and the rest are the cause of a tree merely by their proximity, just so is Bhagavān Hari the cause of the universe, without undergoing change.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.38

व्रीहिबीजे यथा मूलं नालं पत्त्राङ्कुरौ तथा काण्डकोषास् तथा पुष्पं क्षीरं तद्वच् च तण्डुलः ॥

vrīhibīje yathā mūlaṃ nālaṃ pattrāṅkurau tathā kāṇḍakoṣās tathā puṣpaṃ kṣīraṃ tadvac ca taṇḍulaḥ //

As in a rice seed there are the root, the stalk, the leaves and the sprout, and likewise the stem-sheaths, the flower, the milky sap, and so too the grain,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.39

तुषाः कणाश् च सन्तो वै यान्त्य् आविर्भावम् आत्मनः प्ररोहहेतुसामग्र्यम् आसाद्य मुनिसत्तमाः ॥

tuṣāḥ kaṇāś ca santo vai yānty āvirbhāvam ātmanaḥ prarohahetusāmagryam āsādya munisattamāḥ //

and the husks and the kernels — being (already) present, they come to manifestation of themselves once they obtain the assemblage of causes for sprouting, O best of sages —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.40

तथा कर्मस्व् अनेकेषु देवाद्यास् तनवः स्थिताः विष्णुशक्तिं समासाद्य प्ररोहम् उपयान्ति वै ॥

tathā karmasv anekeṣu devādyās tanavaḥ sthitāḥ viṣṇuśaktiṃ samāsādya praroham upayānti vai //

so the bodies of gods and the rest, abiding in the many (past) actions, on obtaining Viṣṇu's power, come forth into sprouting.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.41

स च विष्णुः परं ब्रह्म यतः सर्वम् इदं जगत् जगच् च यो यत्र चेदं यस्मिन् विलयम् एष्यति ॥

sa ca viṣṇuḥ paraṃ brahma yataḥ sarvam idaṃ jagat jagac ca yo yatra cedaṃ yasmin vilayam eṣyati //

And that Viṣṇu is the supreme Brahman, from whom this whole world (comes), who is the world, in whom it is, and in whom it will come to dissolution.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.42

तद् ब्रह्म परमं धाम सदसत् परमं पदम् यस्य सर्वम् अभेदेन जगद् एतच् चराचरम् ॥

tad brahma paramaṃ dhāma sadasat paramaṃ padam yasya sarvam abhedena jagad etac carācaram //

That Brahman is the highest abode, being and non-being, the supreme station, whose is all this world, moving and unmoving, without difference.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.43

स एव मूलप्रकृतिर् व्यक्तरूपी जगच् च सः तस्मिन्न् एव लयं सर्वं याति तत्र च तिष्ठति ॥

sa eva mūlaprakṛtir vyaktarūpī jagac ca saḥ tasminn eva layaṃ sarvaṃ yāti tatra ca tiṣṭhati //

He alone is the root nature (mūlaprakṛti), he is manifest in form, and he is the world; into him alone everything goes to dissolution, and in him it abides.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 23.44

कर्ता क्रियाणां स च इज्यते क्रतुः स एव तत्कर्मफलं च तस्य यत् युगादि यस्माच् च भवेद् अशेषतो हरेर् न किंचिद् व्यतिरिक्तम् अस्ति तत्

kartā kriyāṇāṃ sa ca ijyate kratuḥ sa eva tatkarmaphalaṃ ca tasya yat yugādi yasmāc ca bhaved aśeṣato harer na kiṃcid vyatiriktam asti tat

He is the doer of the rites, and he is the sacrifice that is offered, and his is the fruit of that action; and since the yugas and all the rest arise from Hari entirely, there is nothing at all separate from him.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition