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yājñavalkya uvāca॥
Yājñavalkya said.
tattvānāṃ sargasaṅkhyā ca kālasaṅkhyā tathaiva ca। mayā proktānupūrvyeṇa saṃhāramapi me śṛṇu॥12-300-1॥
Hear from me, in order, about the number of principles, the number of creations, and likewise the number of cycles of time, as well as the dissolution.
yathā saṁharate jantūn sasarja ca punaḥ punaḥ। anādi-nidhano brahmā nityaś ca akṣara eva ca ॥12-300-2॥
Just as he withdraws and creates creatures again and again, Brahmā, who is without beginning or end, is eternal and truly imperishable.
ahaḥ-kṣayam atho buddhvā niśi svapnam anās tathā। codayām āsa bhagavān avyaktaḥ a'haṅkṛtaṃ naram ॥12-300-3॥
Then, realizing the end of the day, at night, the Lord, the unmanifest, impelled the ego-possessed man through a dream.
tataḥ śatasahasrāṃśuravyaktenābhicoditaḥ। kṛtvā dvādaśadhātmānam ādityo jvaladagnivat ॥12-300-4॥
Then the Sun, possessing a hundred thousand rays, impelled by the unmanifest, having divided himself into twelve forms, shone like blazing fire.
caturvidhaṃ prajā-jālaṃ nirdahaty āśu tejasā। jarāyu-aṇḍa-sveda-jātam udbhijjaṃ ca narādhipa ॥12-300-5॥
O king, the network of living beings of four kinds—those born from placenta, egg, sweat, and sprouting—is quickly consumed by brilliance.
etad-unmeṣa-mātreṇa viniṣṭaṃ sthāṇu-jaṅgamam। kūrma-pṛṣṭha-samā bhūmir bhavaty atha samantataḥ ॥12-300-6॥
By this mere opening, all stationary and moving things are destroyed. Then, the earth becomes level like the back of a tortoise on all sides.
jagaddagdhvāmitabalaḥ kevalaṃ jagatīṃ tataḥ। ambhasā balinā kṣipramāpūryata samantataḥ ॥12-300-7॥
After burning the world, the one of immeasurable strength quickly filled the earth on all sides with water.
tataḥ kālāgnim āsādya tad ambho yāti saṅkṣayam। vinaṣṭe’mbhasi rājendra jājvalīty analo mahān ॥12-300-8॥
Then, O king, when the water is consumed by the fire of time, the great fire blazes forth.
tamaprameyo'tibalaṃ jvalamānaṃ vibhāvasum। ūṣmāṇaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ saptārciṣamathāñjasā ॥12-300-9॥
That immeasurable, exceedingly powerful, blazing fire, the heat of all beings, having seven flames, then directly (thus).
bhakṣayāmāsa balavānvāyuraṣṭātmako balī। vicarannamitaprāṇastiryagūrdhvamadhastathā ॥12-300-10॥
The mighty wind, possessing eight forms and boundless strength, moved everywhere—across, above, and below—devouring all.
tamapratibalaṃ bhīmam ākāśaṃ grasate''tmanā। ākāśam apy atinadan mano grasati cārikam ॥12-300-11॥
The terrible darkness, with its opposing force, swallows the sky by itself. Even the sky, the mind, roaring greatly, devours the wandering.
mano grasati sarvātmā so'haṅkāraḥ prajāpatiḥ। ahaṅkāraṃ mahātmā bhūtabhavyabhaviṣyavit ॥12-300-12॥
The mind is consumed by the all-pervading self; this is the ego, Prajapati. The great self, who knows the past, present, and future, is the ego.
tam apy anupamātmānaṃ viśvaṃ śambhuḥ prajāpatiḥ। aṇimā laghimā prāptir īśāno jyotir avyayaḥ ॥12-300-13॥
He too is the incomparable self, the universe, Śambhu, the lord of creatures, possessing the powers of minuteness, lightness, attainment, the supreme lord, the imperishable light.
sarvataḥ-pāṇi-pāda-antaḥ sarvataḥ-akṣi-śiraḥ-mukhaḥ। sarvataḥ-śrutimān loke sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati ॥12-300-14॥
He stands pervading all in the world, possessing hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths, and hearing everywhere.
hṛdayaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ parvaṇo'ṅguṣṭhamātrakaḥ। anugrasatyanantaṃ hi mahātmā viśvamīśvaraḥ ॥12-300-15॥
The heart of all beings, located at the joint, is the size of a thumb; the great soul, the Lord of the universe, is indeed pervading and infinite.
tataḥ samabhavatsarvam akṣayāvyayam avraṇam। bhūtabhavyam anuṣyāṇāṃ sraṣṭāram anaghaṃ tathā ॥12-300-16॥
Then, all at once, the imperishable, unchanging, unwounded, past and future, the sinless creator of men, thus came into being.
eṣo'pyayaste rājendra yathāvatparibhāṣitaḥ। adhyātmam adhibhūtaṃ ca adhidaivaṃ ca śrūyatām ॥12-300-17॥
O King, this too has been explained to you as it is. Now, listen to the explanation of adhyātma (pertaining to the self), adhibhūta (pertaining to beings), and adhidaiva (pertaining to the divine).
