वीर्यस्यैतानि नामानि कथितानि स्वयम्भुवा । तदण्डमभवद्धैमं ज्वालामालाकुलं विभो
Those were the names ascribed to Virya by the self-born one: from that seed came the great flame, surging like a necklace of fires.
यस्मिञ्जज्ञे स्वयं ब्रह्मा सर्वलोकपितामहः । सुरज्येष्ठश्चतुर्वक्त्रः परमेष्ठी पितामहः
When Brahmā himself thus knew it, he was called the grandfather of all worlds — the eldest among gods with four faces, the supreme venerable father.
क्षेत्रज्ञः पुरुषो वेधाः शम्भुर्नारायणस्तथा । पर्यायवाचकैः शब्दैरेव ब्रह्मा प्रकीर्त्यते
He is named Knower of the Field, the Person, the Piercer; likewise Śambhu and Nārāyaṇa — Brahmā is proclaimed through these interchangeable terms.
सदा मनीषिभिस्तात विरञ्चिः कञ्जजस्तथा । आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः
Ever by the wise he is called Virañci and Lotus-born; the waters are called nārā, and indeed waters are sons of men.
ता यदस्यायनं पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः । अरमित्येव शीघ्राय नियताः कविभिः कृताः
Those designations, assigned from earlier times, henceforth became remembered as Nārāyaṇa; poets quickly coined the epithet Arama for him.
आप एवार्णवीभूत्वा सुशीघ्रास्तेन ता नराः । यत्तत्कारणमव्यक्तं नित्यं सदसदात्मकम्
As waters, having become mighty rivers, those men swiftly attained that state — for the cause of that which is unmanifest, eternal, and of the nature of being and non-being.
तद्विसृष्टः स पुरुषो लोके ब्रह्मेति कीर्त्त्यते । एवं स भगवानण्डे तत्त्वमेव निरूप्य वै
That person who was thus brought into being in the world is praised as Brahman; so in the same way the Lord, in the cosmic egg, explicated that very principle.
ध्यानमास्थाय राजेन्द्र तदण्डमकरोद्द्विधा । शकलाभ्यां च राजेन्द्र दिवं भूमिं च निर्ममे
Having taken up meditation, the king divided that seed into two portions; with those splits the king made heaven and earth imperishable.
अन्तर्व्योम दिशश्चाष्टौ वारुणं स्थानमेव हि । ऊर्ध्वं महान्गतो राजन् समन्ताल्लोकभूतये
There are eight inner skies and directions; Varuṇa is established in his station — upward the great one proceeded, surrounding the world for its being.
महतश्चाप्यहंकारस्तस्माच्च त्रिगुणा अपि । त्रिगुणा अतिसूक्ष्मास्तु बुद्धिगम्या हि भारत
From the great one also arose ego; therefore there are three guṇas — these three guṇas are exceedingly subtle and attainable only by discriminating intellect, O Bhārata.
उत्पत्तिहेतुभूता वै भूतानां महतां नृप । तेषामेव गृहीतानि शनैः पञ्चेन्द्रियाणि तु
O king, out of the great beings there arose causes of origin; from those very beings the five organs of sense were gradually taken.
तथैवावयवाः सूक्ष्माः षण्णामप्यमितौजसाम्
Likewise there came subtle members — six in number — each endowed with potency and subtlety.
संनिवेश्यात्ममात्रासु स राजन्भगवान्विभुः । भूतानि निर्ममे तात सर्वाणि विधिपूर्वकम्
The illustrious, all‑powerful Lord then placed those beings within mere self‑entities; O son, he fashioned all of them according to ordained order.
यन्मूर्त्यवयवाः सूक्ष्मास्तस्येमान्याश्रयाणि षट् । तस्माच्छरीरमित्याहुस्तस्य मूर्तिं मनीषिणः
Those material, subtle parts have six supports; hence the wise declare that body is the manifest form of that which has parts.
महान्ति तानि भूतानि आविशन्ति ततो विभुम् । कर्मणा सह राजेन्द्र सगुणाश्चापि वै गुणाः
From those vast beings the All‑Lord entered; with action, O king, qualities accompanied him, some with attributes and some without.
तेषामिदं तु सप्तानां पुरुषाणां महौजसाम् । सूक्ष्माभ्यो मूर्तिमात्राभ्यः सम्भवत्यव्ययाद्वयम्
From those there sprang the two imperishable elements in the seven great men: the subtle and the merely manifested.
भूतादिमहतस्तात येन व्याप्तमिदं जगत् । तस्मादपि महाबाहो पुरुषाः पञ्च एव हि
O mighty‑armed, that great origin — from which this world is pervaded — hence even the supreme persons are five in number.
केचिदेवं परां तात सृष्टिमिच्छन्ति पण्डिताः । अन्येऽप्येवं महाबाहो प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः
Some, O son, wish to create the supreme in this way, say the learned; others, O mighty‑armed, proclaim it differently, say the wise.
योऽसावात्मा परस्तात कल्पादौ सृजते तनुम् । प्रजनश्च महाबाहो सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः
That self, other than the supreme, first fashions a body at the beginning of a kalpa; and, O mighty‑armed, it fathers diverse offspring in many forms.
तेन सृष्टः पुद्गलस्तु प्रधानं विशते नृप । प्रधानं क्षोभितं तेन विकारान्युजते बहून्
From him the aggregate (pudgala) was produced and entered into the prime; that prime, agitated by him, undergoes many alterations and modifications.
उत्पद्यते महांस्तस्मात्ततो भूतादिरेव हि । उत्पद्यते विशालं च भूतादेः कुरुनन्दन
From those beings a great one is born; therefore, O descendent of the Kurus, beings arise first, and from those arises a vast being.
विशालाच्च हरिस्तात हरेश्चापि वृकास्तथा । वृकैर्मुष्णन्ति च बुधास्तस्मात्सर्वं भवेन्नृप
From that Vast come Hari and Haresha, and likewise the wolves; the sages warm themselves by those wolves — thus, O king, all comes to be.
तथैषामेव राजेन्द्र प्रादुर्भवति वेगतः । मात्राणां कुरुशार्दूल विबोधस्तदनन्तरम्
In the same way their lord of kings quickly appears; then, O tiger among the Kurus, know the measures of those will be revealed afterward.
तस्मादपि हृषीकाणि विविधानि नृपोत्तम । तथेयं सृष्टिराख्याताऽऽराध्यतः कुरुनन्दन
Therefore, O best of kings, many diverse pleasures also arise; thus this creation is declared, O delight of the Kurus, to be worshipped.
भूयो निबोध राजेन्द्र भूतानामिह विस्तरम् । गुणाधिकानि सर्वाणि भूतानि पृथिवीपते
Again, understand, O king, the extent of beings here: all beings of many qualities belong to the Lord of the earth.
आकाशमादितः कृत्वा उत्तरोत्तरमेव हि । एकं द्वौ च तथा त्रीणि चत्वारश्चापि पञ्च च
He fashioned the sky first, evermore onward; one, two, and likewise three, four, and also five.
ततः स भगवान्ब्रह्मा पद्मासनगतः प्रभुः । सर्वेषां तु स नामानि कर्माणि च पृथक्पृथक्
Then that Lord, Brahmā, seated on the lotus, — distinct were the names and actions of all, each separated.
वेदशब्देभ्य एवादौ पृथक्संस्थाश्च निर्ममे । कर्मोद्भवानां देवानां सोऽसृजद्देहिनां प्रभुः
From the word 'Veda' alone those first stood apart, unattached; the Lord created the gods born from rituals and embodied beings.
तुषितानां गणं राजन्यज्ञं चैव सनातनम् । दत्त्वा वीर समानेभ्यो गुह्यं ब्रह्म सनातनम्
He formed the host of Tuṣita and the eternal sacrifice, and having given the secret eternal Brahman to heroes equal in might.
दुदोह यज्ञसिद्धयर्थमृग्यजुः सामलक्षणम् । कालं कालविभक्तीश्च ग्रहानृतूंस्तथा नृप
He caused milk for the attainment of sacrificial success and the deer-sacrifice with Sama-like marks; time, the divisions of Time, and the constellations and the myths of the planets too, O king.