Brahma Purana — Chapter 24
BrP 24.1
तारामयं भगवतः शिशुमाराकृति प्रभोः दिवि रूपं हरेर् यत् तु तस्य पुच्छे स्थितो ध्रुवः ॥
tārāmayaṃ bhagavataḥ śiśumārākṛti prabhoḥ divi rūpaṃ harer yat tu tasya pucche sthito dhruvaḥ //
That form of Lord Hari, the Blessed One, which is made of stars in the sky, shaped like a dolphin — at its tail stands Dhruva.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.2
सएष भ्रमन् भ्रामयति चन्द्रादित्यादिकान् ग्रहान् भ्रमन्तम् अनु तं यान्ति नक्षत्राणि च चक्रवत् ॥
saeṣa bhraman bhrāmayati candrādityādikān grahān bhramantam anu taṃ yānti nakṣatrāṇi ca cakravat //
He, revolving, makes the planets — the moon, the sun and the rest — revolve; and the lunar mansions follow him as he revolves, like a wheel.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.3
सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ तारा नक्षत्राणि ग्रहैः सह वातानीकमयैर् बन्धैर् ध्रुवे बद्धानि तानि वै ॥
sūryācandramasau tārā nakṣatrāṇi grahaiḥ saha vātānīkamayair bandhair dhruve baddhāni tāni vai //
The sun and moon, the stars, the lunar mansions together with the planets — these are bound to Dhruva by bonds made of streams of wind.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.4
शिशुमाराकृति प्रोक्तं यद् रूपं ज्योतिषां दिवि नारायणः परं धाम तस्याधारः स्वयं हृदि ॥
śiśumārākṛti proktaṃ yad rūpaṃ jyotiṣāṃ divi nārāyaṇaḥ paraṃ dhāma tasyādhāraḥ svayaṃ hṛdi //
That form of the heavenly lights in the sky which is called dolphin-shaped — Nārāyaṇa, the supreme abode, is himself its support, (dwelling) in its heart.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.5
उत्तानपादतनयस् तम् आराध्य प्रजापतिम् स ताराशिशुमारस्य ध्रुवः पुच्छे व्यवस्थितः ॥
uttānapādatanayas tam ārādhya prajāpatim sa tārāśiśumārasya dhruvaḥ pucche vyavasthitaḥ //
The son of Uttānapāda, having worshipped that Prajāpati, he, Dhruva, is stationed at the tail of the starry dolphin.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.6
आधारः शिशुमारस्य सर्वाध्यक्षो जनार्दनः ध्रुवस्य शिशुमारश् च ध्रुवे भानुर् व्यवस्थितः ॥
ādhāraḥ śiśumārasya sarvādhyakṣo janārdanaḥ dhruvasya śiśumāraś ca dhruve bhānur vyavasthitaḥ //
The support of the śiśumāra (celestial porpoise) is Janārdana, the overseer of all; and the śiśumāra is (the support) of Dhruva, and upon Dhruva the sun is established.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.7
तद् आधारं जगच् चेदं सदेवासुरमानुषम् येन विप्रा विधानेन तन् मे शृणुत सांप्रतम् ॥
tad ādhāraṃ jagac cedaṃ sadevāsuramānuṣam yena viprā vidhānena tan me śṛṇuta sāṃpratam //
And this world, with its gods, demons and men, has that for its support; by what arrangement, O brahmins, hear that from me now.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.8
विवस्वान् अष्टभिर् मासैर् ग्रसत्य् अपो रसात्मिकाः वर्षत्य् अम्बु ततश् चान्नम् अन्नादम् अखिलं जगत् ॥
vivasvān aṣṭabhir māsair grasaty apo rasātmikāḥ varṣaty ambu tataś cānnam annādam akhilaṃ jagat //
For eight months the sun swallows the waters, which consist of sap; then he rains down water, and from that (comes) food, and the whole world is an eater of food.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.9
विवस्वान् अंशुभिस् तीक्ष्णैर् आदाय जगतो जलम् सोमं पुष्यत्य् अथेन्दुश् च वायुनाडीमयैर् दिवि ॥
vivasvān aṃśubhis tīkṣṇair ādāya jagato jalam somaṃ puṣyaty athenduś ca vāyunāḍīmayair divi //
The sun, taking up the water of the world with his sharp rays, nourishes the moon; and the moon, in turn, (nourishes) in the sky by means of the wind-channels.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 24.10
जलैर् विक्षिप्यते ऽभ्रेषु धूमाग्न्यनिलमूर्तिषु न भ्रश्यन्ति यतस् तेभ्यो जलान्य् अभ्राणि तान्य् अतः ॥
jalair vikṣipyate 'bhreṣu dhūmāgnyanilamūrtiṣu na bhraśyanti yatas tebhyo jalāny abhrāṇi tāny ataḥ //
By the (moon's rays) the waters are scattered into the clouds, whose forms are smoke, fire and wind; since the waters do not fall away (bhraśyanti) from them, they are therefore called abhras (clouds).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 24.11
अभ्रस्थाः प्रपतन्त्य् आपो वायुना समुदीरिताः संस्कारं कालजनितं विप्राश् चासाद्य निर्मलाः ॥
abhrasthāḥ prapatanty āpo vāyunā samudīritāḥ saṃskāraṃ kālajanitaṃ viprāś cāsādya nirmalāḥ //
The waters lodged in the clouds, driven forth by the wind, fall down, O brahmins, having attained the purification produced by time, spotless.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.12
सरित्समुद्रा भौमास् तु तथापः प्राणिसंभवाः चतुष्प्रकारा भगवान् आदत्ते सविता द्विजाः ॥
saritsamudrā bhaumās tu tathāpaḥ prāṇisaṃbhavāḥ catuṣprakārā bhagavān ādatte savitā dvijāḥ //
Rivers and oceans, and earthly waters, and likewise the waters arising from living beings—these four kinds the lord Savitṛ takes up, O twice-born.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.13
आकाशगङ्गासलिलं तथाहृत्य गभस्तिमान् अनभ्रगतम् एवोर्व्यां सद्यः क्षिपति रश्मिभिः ॥
ākāśagaṅgāsalilaṃ tathāhṛtya gabhastimān anabhragatam evorvyāṃ sadyaḥ kṣipati raśmibhiḥ //
And likewise the radiant one, having drawn up the water of the celestial Ganges, casts it down at once upon the earth with his rays, without its passing through clouds.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.14
तस्य संस्पर्शनिर्धूतपापपङ्को द्विजोत्तमाः न याति नरकं मर्त्यो दिव्यं स्नानं हि तत् स्मृतम् ॥
tasya saṃsparśanirdhūtapāpapaṅko dvijottamāḥ na yāti narakaṃ martyo divyaṃ snānaṃ hi tat smṛtam //
A mortal whose mire of sin is washed away by contact with that, O best of the twice-born, does not go to hell; for that is held to be a divine bathing.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.15
दृष्टसूर्यं हि तद् वारि पतत्य् अभ्रैर् विना दिवः आकाशगङ्गासलिलं तद् गोभिः क्षिप्यते रवेः ॥
dṛṣṭasūryaṃ hi tad vāri pataty abhrair vinā divaḥ ākāśagaṅgāsalilaṃ tad gobhiḥ kṣipyate raveḥ //
For that water falls from the sky without clouds, with the sun in view; that is the water of the celestial Ganges, cast down by the rays of the sun.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.16
कृत्तिकादिषु ऋक्षेषु विषमेष्व् अम्बु यद् दिवः दृष्ट्वार्कं पतितं ज्ञेयं तद् गाङ्गं दिग्गजोह्नितम् ॥
kṛttikādiṣu ṛkṣeṣu viṣameṣv ambu yad divaḥ dṛṣṭvārkaṃ patitaṃ jñeyaṃ tad gāṅgaṃ diggajohnitam //
When the moon stands in the odd asterisms beginning with Kṛttikā, the water that falls from the sky with the sun in view should be known as that of the Ganges, cast up by the elephants of the quarters.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 24.17
युग्मर्क्षेषु तु यत् तोयं पतत्य् अर्कोद्गितं दिवः तत् सूर्यरश्मिभिः सद्यः समादाय निरस्यते ॥
yugmarkṣeṣu tu yat toyaṃ pataty arkodgitaṃ divaḥ tat sūryaraśmibhiḥ sadyaḥ samādāya nirasyate //
But the water that falls from the sky in the even asterisms, emitted by the sun, is at once taken up again by the sun's rays and cast away.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 24.18
उभयं पुण्यम् अत्यर्थं नृणां पापहरं द्विजाः आकाशगङ्गासलिलं दिव्यं स्नानं द्विजोत्तमाः ॥
ubhayaṃ puṇyam atyarthaṃ nṛṇāṃ pāpaharaṃ dvijāḥ ākāśagaṅgāsalilaṃ divyaṃ snānaṃ dvijottamāḥ //
Both (kinds) are exceedingly meritorious and remove the sins of men, O twice-born; the water of the celestial Ganges is a divine bath, O best of the twice-born.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.19
यत् तु मेघैः समुत्सृष्टं वारि तत् प्राणिनां द्विजाः पुष्णात्य् ओषधयः सर्वा जीवनायामृतं हि तत् ॥
yat tu meghaiḥ samutsṛṣṭaṃ vāri tat prāṇināṃ dvijāḥ puṣṇāty oṣadhayaḥ sarvā jīvanāyāmṛtaṃ hi tat //
But the water released by the clouds, O twice-born, nourishes all the plants for the life of living beings; for that is nectar.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.20
तेन वृद्धिं परां नीतः सकलश् चौषधीगणः साधकः फलपाकान्तः प्रजानां तु प्रजायते ॥
tena vṛddhiṃ parāṃ nītaḥ sakalaś cauṣadhīgaṇaḥ sādhakaḥ phalapākāntaḥ prajānāṃ tu prajāyate //
Brought to its highest growth by that, the whole host of plants becomes effective for creatures, culminating in the ripening of fruit.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 24.21
तेन यज्ञान् यथाप्रोक्तान् मानवाः शास्त्रचक्षुषः कुर्वते ऽहरहश् चैव देवान् आप्याययन्ति ते ॥
tena yajñān yathāproktān mānavāḥ śāstracakṣuṣaḥ kurvate 'harahaś caiva devān āpyāyayanti te //
By that, men whose eye is the scriptures perform the sacrifices as prescribed, and day after day they satisfy the gods.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.22
एवं यज्ञाश् च वेदाश् च वर्णाश् च द्विजपूर्वकाः सर्वदेवनिकायाश् च पशुभूतगणाश् च ये ॥
evaṃ yajñāś ca vedāś ca varṇāś ca dvijapūrvakāḥ sarvadevanikāyāś ca paśubhūtagaṇāś ca ye //
Thus the sacrifices, and the Vedas, and the classes headed by the twice-born, and all the hosts of gods, and the herds of beasts and troops of beings that there are—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.23
वृष्ट्या धृतम् इदं सर्वं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् सापि निष्पाद्यते वृष्टिः सवित्रा मुनिसत्तमाः ॥
vṛṣṭyā dhṛtam idaṃ sarvaṃ jagat sthāvarajaṅgamam sāpi niṣpādyate vṛṣṭiḥ savitrā munisattamāḥ //
—all this world, moving and unmoving, is upheld by the rain; and that rain too is produced by the sun, O best of sages.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.24
आधारभूतः सवितुर् ध्रुवो मुनिवरोत्तमाः ध्रुवस्य शिशुमारो ऽसौ सो ऽपि नारायणाश्रयः ॥
ādhārabhūtaḥ savitur dhruvo munivarottamāḥ dhruvasya śiśumāro 'sau so 'pi nārāyaṇāśrayaḥ //
The support of the sun is Dhruva, O foremost of excellent sages; the support of Dhruva is that śiśumāra, and it too rests on Nārāyaṇa.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.25
हृदि नारायणस् तस्य शिशुमारस्य संस्थितः विभर्ता सर्वभूतानाम् आदिभूतः सनातनः ॥
hṛdi nārāyaṇas tasya śiśumārasya saṃsthitaḥ vibhartā sarvabhūtānām ādibhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ //
Nārāyaṇa abides in the heart of that śiśumāra—the sustainer of all beings, the primal being, the eternal one.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 24.26
एवं मया मुनिश्रेष्ठा ब्रह्माण्डं समुदाहृतम् भूसमुद्रादिभिर् युक्तं किम् अन्यच् छ्रोतुम् इच्छथ ॥
evaṃ mayā muniśreṣṭhā brahmāṇḍaṃ samudāhṛtam bhūsamudrādibhir yuktaṃ kim anyac chrotum icchatha //
Thus, O best of sages, the egg of Brahmā has been fully set forth by me, together with the earth, the oceans and the rest. What else do you wish to hear?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition