Bhagavata Purana

भक्तिं लब्धवतः साधोः किमन्यद् अवशिष्यते । मय्यनन्तगुणे ब्रह्मण्यानन्दानुभवात्मनि

For the saint who has attained devotion, what else remains to be achieved, when he experiences bliss in me, the infinite, the embodiment of Brahman and joy?

यथोपश्रयमाणस्य भगवन्तं विभावसुम् । शीतं भयं तमोऽप्येति साधून् संसेवतस्तथा

Just as one who approaches the blazing fire dispels cold, fear, and darkness, so does one who associates with the saints.

निमज्ज्योन्मज्जतां घोरे भवाब्धौ परमायनम् । सन्तो ब्रह्मविदः शान्ता नौर्दृढेवाप्सु मज्जताम्

For those who are sinking and rising in the dreadful ocean of existence, the saints, knowers of Brahman, peaceful, are like a sturdy boat for those immersed in water.

अन्नं हि प्राणिनां प्राण आर्तानां शरणं त्वहम् । धर्मो वित्तं नृणां प्रेत्य सन्तोऽर्वाग् बिभ्यतोऽरणम्

Food is the life of living beings; I am the refuge for the distressed; righteousness is wealth for people after death; saints are the shelter for those who fear in this world.

सन्तो दिशन्ति चक्षूंषि बहिरर्कः समुत्थितः । देवता बान्धवाः सन्तः सन्त आत्माहमेव च

Saints give vision, like the rising sun outside; gods, relatives, saints, and I myself are all saints.

वैतसेनस्ततोऽप्येवम् उर्वश्या लोकनिस्पृहः । मुक्तसङ्गो महीमेतम् आत्मारामश्चचार ह

Thus, Vaitasena, even after Urvashi, indifferent to worldly realms, free from attachment, wandered this earth, delighting in the self.

मृदुत्वं कठिनत्वं च शैत्यमुष्णत्वमेव च । एतत्स्पर्शस्य स्पर्शत्वं तन्मात्रत्वं नभस्वतः

Softness and hardness, coldness and heat—these are the qualities of touch, the subtle element of air.

चालनं व्यूहनं प्राप्तिः नेतृत्वं द्रव्यशब्दयोः । सर्वेन्द्रियाणां आत्मत्वं वायोः कर्माभिलक्षणम्

Movement, gathering, acquisition, leadership among objects and sounds, and the essence of all senses—these are the characteristic actions of air.

वायोश्च स्पर्शतन्मात्राद् रूपं दैवेरितादभूत् । समुत्थितं ततस्तेजः चक्षू रूपोपलम्भनम्

From the subtle element of touch belonging to air, and by divine influence, form arose; then, light emerged, and the eye became the means of perceiving form.

द्रव्याकृतित्वं गुणता व्यक्तिसंस्थात्वमेव च । तेजस्त्वं तेजसः साध्वि रूपमात्रस्य वृत्तयः

The state of being a substance, the quality of being a property, the condition of being an individual entity—these are the functions of pure form for fire, O virtuous one.

द्योतनं पचनं पानं अदनं हिममर्दनम् । तेजसो वृत्तयस्त्वेताः शोषणं क्षुत्तृडेव च

Illumination, cooking, heating, burning, dispelling cold—these are the functions of fire; as also drying, and causing hunger and thirst.

रूपमात्राद् विकुर्वाणात् तेजसो दैवचोदितात् । रसमात्रं अभूत् तस्मात् अम्भो जिह्वा रसग्रहः

From pure form, transformed by fire and impelled by the divine, arose pure taste; from that, water, and the tongue as the organ for perceiving taste.

कषायो मधुरस्तिक्तः कट्वम्ल इति नैकधा । भौतिकानां विकारेण रस एको विभिद्यते

Astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, sour—thus, by various combinations, the single taste is differentiated due to the transformations of material elements.

क्लेदनं पिण्डनं तृप्तिः प्राणनाप्यायनोन्दनम् । तापापनोदो भूयस्त्वं अम्भसो वृत्तयस्त्विमाः

Moistening, solidifying, satisfaction, sustaining life, nourishing, delighting, quenching heat, and abundance—these are the functions of water.

रसमात्राद् विकुर्वाणात् अम्भसो दैवचोदितात् । गन्धमात्रं अभूत् तस्मात् पृथ्वी घ्राणस्तु गन्धगः

From pure taste, transformed by water and impelled by the divine, arose pure scent; from that, earth, and the nose as the organ for perceiving scent.

करम्भपूतिसौरभ्य शान्तोग्राम्लादिभिः पृथक् । द्रव्यावयववैषम्याद् गन्ध एको विभिद्यते

Due to the differing combinations of material components, the single scent is distinguished as earthy, putrid, fragrant, mild, strong, sour, and so on.

भावनं ब्रह्मणः स्थानं धारणं सद्विशेषणम् । सर्वसत्त्वगुणोद्‍भेदः पृथिवीवृत्तिलक्षणम्

Serving as the ground for formation, the abode of Brahman, support, and true distinction, and the emergence of all qualities in beings—these are the characteristics of earth.

नभोगुणविशेषोऽर्थो यस्य तच्छ्रोत्रमुच्यते । वायोर्गुणविशेषोऽर्थो यस्य तत्स्पर्शनं विदुः

That for which the special quality of space is the object is called hearing; that for which the special quality of air is the object is known as touch.

तेजोगुणविशेषोऽर्थो यस्य तच्चक्षुरुच्यते । अम्भोगुणविशेषोऽर्थो यस्य तद्रसनं विदुः । भूमेर्गुणविशेषोऽर्थो यस्य स घ्राण उच्यते

That for which the special quality of fire is the object is called sight; that for which the special quality of water is the object is known as taste; that for which the special quality of earth is the object is called smell.

परस्य दृश्यते धर्मो हि, अपरस्मिन् समन्वयात् । अतो विशेषो भावानां भूमावेवोपलक्ष्यते

A property is observed in one thing, but not in another, due to their combination; thus, the distinction of entities is recognized only in earth.

एतान्यसंहत्य यदा महदादीनि सप्त वै । कालकर्मगुणोपेतो जगदादिरुपाविशत्

When these seven—beginning with the great principle—are combined, endowed with time, action, and qualities, they entered into the primordial form of the universe.

ततस्तेनानुविद्धेभ्यो युक्तेभ्योऽण्डं अचेतनम् । उत्थितं पुरुषो यस्मात् उदतिष्ठदसौ विराट्

From these, when thus penetrated and joined together, the inert cosmic egg arose; from which the Cosmic Person emerged, and he rose as the Virāṭ.

एतदण्डं विशेषाख्यं क्रमवृद्धैर्दशोत्तरैः । तोयादिभिः परिवृतं प्रधानेनावृतैर्बहिः । यत्र लोकवितानोऽयं रूपं भगवतो हरेः

This particular cosmic egg, surrounded in order by ten successive coverings—water and so on—and enveloped by the primordial matter on the outside, is where this expanse of worlds exists, which is the form of the blessed Hari.

हिरण्मयाद् अण्डकोशाद् उत्थाय सलिलेशयात् । तमाविश्य महादेवो बहुधा निर्बिभेद खम्

Rising from the golden cosmic shell, lying upon the waters, the great god entered it and split open the space in many ways.

निरभिद्यतास्य प्रथमं मुखं वाणी ततोऽभवत् । वाण्या वह्निरथो नासे प्राणोऽतो घ्राण एतयोः

First, his mouth was opened, from which speech arose; from speech came fire, then the nostrils, from which breath arose, and from these, the sense of smell.

घ्राणात् वायुरभिद्येतां अक्षिणी चक्षुरेतयोः । तस्मात्सूर्यो न्यभिद्येतां कर्णौ श्रोत्रं ततो दिशः

From the sense of smell came air; then the eyes, from which sight arose; from that, the sun; then the ears, from which hearing arose; and from that, the directions.

निर्बिभेद विराजस्त्वग् रोमश्मश्र्वादयस्ततः । तत ओषधयश्चासन् शिश्नं निर्बिभिदे ततः

Virāj split open the skin, from which hair, body hair, and so on arose; then the plants appeared, and after that, the generative organ was formed.

रेतस्तस्मादाप आसन् निरभिद्यत वै गुदम् । गुदादपानोऽपानाच्च मृत्युर्लोकभयङ्करः

From the semen came water; the anus was formed and opened. From the anus came apāna, and from apāna, death, the terror of the world.

हस्तौ च निरभिद्येतां बलं ताभ्यां ततः स्वराट् । पादौ च निरभिद्येतां गतिस्ताभ्यां ततो हरिः

The hands were formed and opened; through them, strength arose, and from that, Indra. The feet were formed and opened; through them, movement arose, and from that, Viṣṇu.