Varaha Kalpa
At the end of the last kalpa, there was a destruction and the universe was flooded with water. Vishnu slept on the water as long as Brahma’s night lasted. Since nara means water and anyana means resting-place. Vishnu is accordingly known as Narayana.
When Brahma’s day dawned, he wished to embark on the process of creration. But where would the created beings live? There was no earth for them to live on. The earth had been submerged under the water.
Vishnu therefore adopted the form of a huge boar (varaha). The boar’s body was as large as a mountain and it had gigantic tusks that were exceedingly sharp. The eyes of the boar blazed like lightning and its roar thundered like the clouds. As a boar, Vishnu entered the water and began to search for the earth. He found the submerged earth and raised it up to its proper place on the tusks of the boar. The earth began to float on the water like a huge boat.
Vishnu also levelled out parts of the earth. The mountains that had existed on earth in the earlier kalpa had been burnet down by the fire that raged at the time of the destruction. Vishnu created new mountains. Because they did not move (chala), the mountains came to be known as achala. And since they had layers (parva) or ranges, they came to be known as parvata. The land masses were also created.
The creation of living beings could now begin. And since the creation of this kalpa took place after Vishnu’s boar incarnation, the cycle came to be called varaha kalpa.
Brahma created water, fire, air, the sky, directions, heaven, oceans, rivers, mountains and trees. He also created time, night and days. Through his mental powers, he created three sons named Sanandana, Sanaka and Sanatana. (In most other Puranas, a fourth son named Sanatakumara is also mentioned.)
In each kalpa, there are fourteen manvantaras (eras). Each manvantara is ruled over by a Manu. The gods and the seven great sages (saptarshi) change from one manvantara to another. The title of Indra, king of the gods, also changes hands. In any one particular manvantara, there are twenty-eight crores of gods. Therefore, in fourteen manvantaras, there are three hundred and ninety-two crores of gods.
Yugas
There are roughly seventy-one mahayugas in a manvantara. A mahayuga lasts for twelve thousand years of the gods and consists of four different eras or yugas – satya yuga or krita yuga, treta yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga. Satya yuga lasts for four thousand years of the gods treta yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga. Satya -yuga lasts for four thousand years of the gods; treta yuga for three thousand; dvapara yuga for two thousand; and kali yuga for one thousand. This adds up to ten thousand years in a mahayuga. Another two thousand years are to be added for intervening periods (sandhymasha between two yugas. Hence the total of twelve thousand years in a mahayuga.
In satya yuga, winter, summer and monsoon were unknown. All individuals were equally handsome, equally prosperous and equally happy. There was no concept of dharma (righteousness) or adharma (evil) since people were naturally righteous. There were no prescribed places where people lived, there were no cities or villages. People lived freely on the shores of the oceans and in the mountains. Roots, fruits or flowers did not grow. People lived on juice that came out of the bowels of the earth. This juice was so miraculous that old age and disease were unknown. Hatred and envy did not exit. There was nothing to be envious about, since all individuals were equal. Moreover, people had the mental power to summon up whatever object they desired. There were no shortages.
As one moved from satya yuga to treta yuga, these mental powers that people possessed disappeared. The primary obsession of individuals in satya yuga was meditation (dhyana); in treta yuga it became knowledge (jnana). Thick clouds appeared in the sky and it began to rain. This rain fostered the growth of various trees. People started to live on the fruits of these trees. The trees also provided barks for clothing and honey. These trees were so wonderful that they were known as kalpavrikshas. That is, they provided whatever it was that one desired. But as treta yuga progressed, people became evil and started to fight over the possession of these trees. Consequently, the trees began to wither away.
It was then that habitations started to be built, earlier there had been no fixed dwelling-places for humans. Such habitations were built on mountain and near rivers. Villages and cities were constructed. It also became necessary to have units of measurement.
The smallest unit of measurement was an anguli (a finger). Ten angulis made one pradesha. This signified the length from the thumb to the extended index finger. The distance from the thumb to the extended middle finger was tata; from the thumb to the extended ring gokarna; and fromt eh thumb to the extended little finger vitasti. Thus, twelve angulis were equivalent to one vitasti.
Twenty-one angulis made one ratni and twenty-four angulis made one hasta (hand). Forty-two angulis were called one kishku. Four hastas made one dhanu (bow-length); two thousand dhanus were one gavyuti; and four gavyutis constituted one yojana. Thus, one yojana was made up of eight thousand dhanus. The yojana was the basic unit for measuring the sizes of human habitations.
The houses that men built were known as shalas. This is because they were modelled on trees. The branches of a tree (shakha) spread out in all directions. Since the houses spread out in this fashion, they were called shalas. The palaces were called prasada, the word signifying that these dwellings pleased the mind.
The kalpavrikshas having disappeared, people had to look for means of sustenance. This they found in trees and herbs. In fact, the discovery of herbs goes back to treta yuga.
But people became evil. They fought over the possessions of rivers, land , mountains, trees and herbs. Might became right and those who were strong managed to establish property rights. The weak suffered. The result of all this fighting was that the trees and the herbs disappeared and foodgrains grew no longer. The entire earth was swallowed up by thick forests.
Suffering from hunger and thirst, people went to Brahma in search of a solution. Brahma milked the earth so that trees, herbs and foodgrains might grow afresh.
To make sure that people did not fight again, Brahma laid down the precepts of righteous conduct. This was encapsulated in the principle of varnashrama dharma – the system of four varnas (classes) and four ashramas (stages of life). The principle of varnashrama dharma thus dates back to treta yuga and was enuciated by Brahma himself.
People are divided into four varnas. The first class is that of brahmanas. The brahmanas are those who are knowledgeable in the true nature of the brahman. Their primary occupations are performing sacrifices, studying and receiving alms. The second class consists of kshatriyas. Their primary duties are to bear arms so that they can protect the good and punish the evil. They must also rule and fight. The third class consists of vaishyas. The primary duties of vaishyas are agriculture, animal husbandry and trade. The fourth and final class is that of shudras. The shudras are to serve the other three classes and act as artisans. They are not permitted to study, perform sacrifices or donate alms. These are only permitted for the first three classes.
A brahmana who performs his duties well gets to live Brahma; such a kshatriya gets to live with Indra; such a vaishya with the gods, the maruts; and such a shudra withthe gandharvas (singers of heaven).
Brahma also laid down the system of the four ashramas. The first one is brahmacharya (celibate studenthood); the second garhasthya (householder stage); the third vanaprastha (forest-dwelling stage; and the fourth sannyasa (hermithood). In brahmacharya stage, one has to study and serve one’s teacher (guru) well. After this period is over, one is married and enters the householder stage. A householder has to perform sacrifices and serve his guests. Garhasthya is superior to the other three ashramas, since it is on the alms provided by householders that individuals in the other three stages of life subsist. When the householder stage is over and one has had sons, one enters vanaprastha. Such a person retires to the forest and lives on fruits and roots. It is only when the mind is completely detached from material pursuits that one moves on the the final stage of sannyasa.
(In discussing the yugas, the Puranas invariably catalogue the evils of kali yuga. The Vayu Purana does not do this here, but reverts to it subsequently.)
Creation Continued
From his mental powers Brahma created ten sons. Their names were Bhrigu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Angira, Marichi, Daksha, Atri, Vashishtha and Rudra. The first nine became sages and were known as the original brahmanas.
To ensure that creation progressed. Brahma divided his own body into two halves. The male half was known as Svayambhuva Manu and the female half was known as Shatarupa. These two married and had two sons named Priyavarata and Uttanapada. They also had two daughters named Akuti and Prasuti.
Prasuti married Daksha and they had twenty-four daughters. (The Puranas show some inconsistency about the number of Daksha’s daughters. The number is sometimes twenty-four, sometimes fifty and sometimes sixty. Prasuti sometimes occurs in the name of Asikli, as in the Vishnu Purana or later in the Vayu Purana itself.)
These twenty-four daughters became the mothers of all living beings. Thirteen of the daughters were married to Dharma. (Dharma’s name has not figured earlier, but he was also one of Brahma’s sons, created through mental powers.) Of the remaining eleven daughters, Sati was married to Shiva (Rudra); Khyati to Bhrigu; Sambhuti to Marichi; Smriti to Angira; Priti to Pulastya; Kshama to Pulaha; Sannati to Kratu; Anasuya to Atri; Urjja to Vashishtha; Svaha to Agni; and Svadha to Agni; Svadha to the ancestors (pitris).
(Nothing has so far been said about the origin of Agni, the fire-god. According to the Vishnu Purana, Agni was Brahma’s son. According to the Mahabharata, he was Dharma’s son. Although the Vayu Purana states that Daksha’s daughters were the mothers of all beings in the universe, the account is left hanging in the air. According to later account, gods, demons, humans and other living beings were born from Daksha’s daughters who married the sage Kashyapa.)
Brahma told Shiva, “Why don’t you create some beings?”
Shiva agreed with alacrity. But all the beings whom Shiva created were just like him in form. That is, they were immortal.
“What are you doing?” exlaimed Brahma. “Don’t create beings who are immortal. Create those that are mortal.”
“I will not create mortal beings,” replied Shiva.
“Then stop creating.” responded Brahma. “I will take care of creation myself.”
Shiva ceased to create. But the beings whom he had already created came to be known as the rudras. They were given rights to offering made at sacrifices, together with the other gods.
