Bhagavata Purana

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.

नाड्योऽस्य निरभिद्यन्त ताभ्यो लोहितमाभृतम् । नद्यस्ततः समभवन् उदरं निरभिद्यत

His veins were opened, and from them blood was filled. Rivers then came into being, and the abdomen was opened.

क्षुत्पिपासे ततः स्यातां समुद्रस्त्वेतयोरभूत् । अथास्य हृदयं भिन्नं हृदयान्मन उत्थितम्

Then hunger and thirst arose; the ocean became their support. Next, his heart was split, and from the heart, the mind emerged.

मनसश्चन्द्रमा जातो बुद्धिर्बुद्धेर्गिरां पतिः । अहङ्कारस्ततो रुद्रः चित्तं चैत्यस्ततोऽभवत्

From the mind, the moon was born; from intellect, the lord of speech. From ego, Rudra arose; from consciousness, the inner witness was born.

एते हि अभ्युत्थिता देवा नैवास्योत्थापनेऽशकन् । पुनराविविशुः खानि तमुत्थापयितुं क्रमात्

These deities, having arisen, were not able to make him rise. They re-entered their respective places, seeking to awaken him in turn.

वह्निर्वाचा मुखं भेजे नोदतिष्ठत् तदा विराट् । घ्राणेन नासिके वायुः नोदतिष्ठत् तदा विराट्

Fire entered the mouth as speech, but the cosmic being did not rise. Air entered the nostrils as smell, but the cosmic being did not rise.

अक्षिणी चक्षुषादित्यो नोदतिष्ठत् तदा विराट् । श्रोत्रेण कर्णौ च दिशो नोदतिष्ठत् तदा विराट्

The sun entered the eyes as sight, but the cosmic being did not rise. The directions entered the ears as hearing, but the cosmic being did not rise.

त्वचं रोमभिरोषध्यो नोदतिष्ठत् तदा विराट् । रेतसा शिश्नमापस्तु नोदतिष्ठत् तदा विराट्

Herbs entered the skin with hair, but the cosmic being did not rise. Waters entered the genitals with semen, but the cosmic being did not rise.