Brahma Purana

यस् त्व् इमां धारयेन् नित्यं शृणुयाद् वाप्य् अभीक्ष्णशः स्ववंशधारणं कृत्वा स्वर्गलोके महीयते

Whoever always upholds or frequently listens to this, having maintained their lineage, is honored in the heavenly realm.

अव्यक्तं कारणं यत् तन् नित्यं सदसदात्मकम् प्रधानं पुरुषस् तस्मान् निर्ममे विश्वम् ईश्वरः

That unmanifest cause, eternal, consisting of both existence and non-existence, from it the Lord fashioned the universe as Pradhāna and Puruṣa.

तं बुध्यध्वं मुनिश्रेष्ठा ब्रह्माणम् अमितौजसम् स्रष्टारं सर्वभूतानां नारायणपरायणम्

Understand, O best of sages, that Brahmā, of immeasurable energy, the creator of all beings, is devoted to Nārāyaṇa.

अहंकारस् तु महतस् तस्माद् भूतानि जज्ञिरे भूतभेदाश् च भूतेभ्य इति सर्गः सनातनः

From Mahat arises ego, and from that the elements are born; the divisions of beings arise from the elements—thus is the eternal creation.

विस्तरावयवं चैव यथाप्रज्ञं यथाश्रुति कीर्त्यमानं शृणुध्वं वः सर्वेषां कीर्तिवर्धनम्

Hear, as it is recited according to understanding and tradition, the detailed account, which increases the glory of you all.

कीर्तितं स्थिरकीर्तीनां सर्वेषां पुण्यवर्धनम् ततः स्वयंभूर् भगवान् सिसृक्षुर् विविधाः प्रजाः

This has been recounted, increasing the merit and fame of all the steadfast; then the self-born Lord, desiring to create various beings,

अप एव ससर्जादौ तासु वीर्यम् अथासृजत् आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः

At first, he created the waters; in them, he then placed his seed. The waters are called 'nārā,' and it is said, 'the waters are indeed the offspring of Nara.'

अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः हिरण्यवर्णम् अभवत् तद् अण्डम् उदकेशयम्

Those waters were his first resting place; thus, he is remembered as Nārāyaṇa. The golden-hued egg came into being, floating upon the waters.

तत्र जज्ञे स्वयं ब्रह्मा स्वयंभूर् इति नः श्रुतम् हिरण्यवर्णो भगवान् उषित्वा परिवत्सरम्

Within it, Brahmā was born by himself; we have heard he is called the self-born. The golden-hued Lord dwelt there for a full year.

तद् अण्डम् अकरोद् द्वैधं दिवं भुवम् अथापि च तयोः शकलयोर् मध्य आकाशम् अकरोत् प्रभुः

He split that egg into two, making heaven and earth; and between those two halves, the Lord created the sky.

अप्सु पारिप्लवां पृथ्वीं दिशश् च दशधा दधे तत्र कालं मनो वाचं कामं क्रोधम् अथो रतिम्

He placed the earth, submerged in the waters, and established the ten directions. There he created time, mind, speech, desire, anger, and pleasure.

ससर्ज सृष्टिं तद्रूपां स्रष्टुम् इच्छन् प्रजापतीन् मरीचिम् अत्र्यङ्गिरसौ पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुम्

Desiring to create beings, he fashioned creation in that form, and produced the progenitors: Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu.

वसिष्ठं च महातेजाः सो ऽसृजत् सप्त मानसान् सप्त ब्रह्माण इत्य् एते पुराणे निश्चयं गताः

The great-energied one also created Vasiṣṭha, making seven mind-born ones. These seven are called Brahmās, as established in the Purāṇas.

नारायणात्मकानां तु सप्तानां ब्रह्मजन्मनाम् ततो ऽसृजत् पुरा ब्रह्मा रुद्रं रोषात्मसंभवम्

Of the seven born from Brahmā, whose essence is Nārāyaṇa, then Brahmā of old, out of anger, created Rudra.

सनत्कुमारं च विभुं पूर्वेषाम् अपि पूर्वजम् सप्तस्व् एता अजायन्त प्रजा रुद्राश् च भो द्विजाः

He also created Sanatkumāra, the illustrious one, eldest even among the ancients. Among the seven, these were born: the progenitors and the Rudras, O twice-born.

स्कन्दः सनत्कुमारश् च तेजः संक्षिप्य तिष्ठतः तेषां सप्त महावंशा दिव्या देवगणान्विताः

Skanda and Sanatkumāra, having concentrated their energy, remain; their seven great lineages, adorned with divine hosts.

क्रियावन्तः प्रजावन्तो महर्षिभिर् अलंकृताः विद्युतो ऽशनिमेघांश् च रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि च

Active in rites and progeny, adorned by great sages; he also created lightning, thunderclouds, red rainbows, and Indra's bows.

वयांसि च ससर्जादौ पर्जन्यं च ससर्ज ह ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि निर्ममे यज्ञसिद्धये

He created birds at first, and then Parjanya, the rain-god. He fashioned the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma hymns for the accomplishment of sacrifice.

साध्यान् अजनयद् देवान् इत्य् एवम् अनुसंजगुः उच्चावचानि भूतानि गात्रेभ्यस् तस्य जज्ञिरे

He generated the Sādhyas, the gods, as they are known. High and low creatures were born from his limbs.

आपवस्य प्रजासर्गं सृजतो हि प्रजापतेः सृज्यमानाः प्रजा नैव विवर्धन्ते यदा तदा

When Prajāpati was creating the offspring of the waters, the beings being created did not increase at that time.

द्विधा कृत्वात्मनो देहम् अर्धेन पुरुषो ऽभवत् अर्धेन नारी तस्यां तु सो ऽसृजद् द्विविधाः प्रजाः

He divided his own body in two; with one half he became male, with the other female. In her, he produced beings of two kinds.

दिवं च पृथिवीं चैव महिम्ना व्याप्य तिष्ठति विराजम् असृजद् विष्णुः सो ऽसृजत् पुरुषं विराट्

He pervades heaven and earth by his greatness. Viṣṇu created Virāj, and he produced the cosmic man.

पुरुषं तं मनुं विद्यात् तस्य मन्वन्तरं स्मृतम् द्वितीयं मानसस्यैतन् मनोर् अन्तरम् उच्यते

Know that cosmic man as Manu; his period is called a Manvantara. The second is said to be the interval of the mind-born Manu.

स वैराजः प्रजासर्गं ससर्ज पुरुषः प्रभुः नारायणविसर्गस्य प्रजास् तस्याप्य् अयोनिजाः

That mighty Virāja, the lordly person, created beings; his progeny, born of Nārāyaṇa’s creation, were themselves not born from a womb.

आयुष्मान् कीर्तिमान् पुण्यप्रजावांश् च भवेन् नरः आदिसर्गं विदित्वेमं यथेष्टां चाप्नुयाद् गतिम्

A man who knows this original creation, endowed with long life, fame, and virtuous offspring, attains whatever state he desires.

स सृष्ट्वा तु प्रजास् त्व् एवम् आपवो वै प्रजापतिः लेभे वै पुरुषः पत्नीं शतरूपाम् अयोनिजाम्

Having thus created beings, the lord of creatures, Āpava, obtained as wife Śatarūpā, who was not born from a womb.

आपवस्य महिम्ना तु दिवम् आवृत्य तिष्ठतः धर्मेणैव मुनिश्रेष्ठाः शतरूपा व्यजायत

By the greatness of Āpava, who stood enveloping the heavens, O best of sages, Śatarūpā was born through righteousness alone.

सा तु वर्षायुतं तप्त्वा तपः परमदुश्चरम् भर्तारं दीप्ततपसं पुरुषं प्रत्यपद्यत

She, having performed severe austerity for ten thousand years, accepted as her husband the man blazing with ascetic power.

स वै स्वायंभुवो विप्राः पुरुषो मनुर् उच्यते तस्यैकसप्ततियुगं मन्वन्तरम् इहोच्यते

That self-born man, O sages, is called Manu; his seventy-one yugas are known here as a Manvantara.