अविभागे तु वेदानामनिर्देश्ये तमोमये
When the Vedas are undivided and indeterminate, enveloped in darkness,
चेतनाबुद्धिपूर्वं तु चेतनेन प्रवर्त्तते
Consciousness and intellect come first, and through consciousness, activity proceeds.
चेतनाधिष्ठितं सत्त्वं प्रवर्त्तति गुणात्मकम्
The sattva, governed by consciousness, acts according to its qualities.
विषयो विषयित्वाच्च अर्थेर्ऽथत्वात्तथैव च
Through the relation of subject and object, and likewise through the relation of meaning and meaningfulness,
संसिध्यन्ति तदा व्यक्ताः क्रमेण महदादयः
Then, the manifest entities such as Mahat and others are perfected in succession.
भूतभेदाश्च भूतेभ्यो जज्ञिरे स्म परस्परम्
The divisions of elements are born from the elements themselves, mutually.
यथोल्मुकात्तु त्रुटयः एककालाद्भवन्ति हि
Just as sparks arise from a firebrand, so do they come forth simultaneously.
यथान्धकारे खद्योतः सहसा संप्रदृश्यते
Just as a firefly is suddenly seen in the darkness.
स माहन्सशरीरस्तु यत्रैवायमवर्त्तत
That great soul, in his own body, existed right there.
महांस्तु तमसः पारे वैलक्षण्याद्विभाव्यते
The Mahat is discerned beyond darkness, distinguished by its unique nature.
बुद्धिर्विवर्त्तमानस्य प्रादुर्भूता चतुर्विधा
The intellect of the evolving being appeared in fourfold form.
सांसिद्धिकान्यथैतानि विज्ञेयानि नरस्य वै
These are to be understood as either innate or otherwise, in the case of a human.
अनुशेते यतः सर्वान्क्षेत्रज्ञानमथापि वा
Because all knowledge of the field rests upon it, or even arises from it.
यस्माद्वुद्ध्यानुशेते च तस्माद्वोधात्मकः स वै
Since intellect rests upon it, therefore it is indeed of the nature of knowledge.
एवं विवृत्तः क्षेत्रज्ञः क्षेत्रज्ञानाभिसंहितः
Thus the knower of the field, associated with knowledge of the field, is unfolded.
परं ह्यर्षयते यस्मात्परमर्षित्वमस्य तत्
Because it perceives the highest, its supreme perceiving is thus established.
यस्मादेव स्वयं भूतस्तस्माच्चाप्यृषिता स्मृता
Because it exists by itself, it is also called 'seer.'
यस्मादुत्पद्यमानैस्तैर्महान्परिगतः परः
Because the Mahat is encompassed by those who are being produced, it is supreme.
तस्मान्महर्षयः प्रोक्ता बुद्धेः परम दर्शिना
Therefore, those who see the highest truth of intellect are called great seers.
अहङ्कारं तपश्चैव ऋषन्ति ऋषितां गताः
Having attained the state of seers, they have mastered ego and austerity.
ऋषिपुत्रा ऋषीकास्तु मैथुनाद्गर्भसंभवाः
The sons of the seers, called Ṛṣikas, are born from union and conception.
सप्तषर्यस्त तस्ते च परसत्यस्य दर्शनाः
Those seven seers, and their descendants, are seers of the supreme truth.
ऋषन्ति ते ऋतं यस्माद्विशेषांश्चैव तत्त्वतः
They are called seers because they perceive the cosmic order and its particular realities.
अव्यक्तात्मा महानात्माहङ्कारात्मा तथैव च
The unmanifest self, the Mahat self, and likewise the ego-self.
इत्येता ऋषिजातीस्ता नामभिः पञ्च वै शृणु
Hear now these five lineages of seers, named as such.
मनुर्दक्षो वसिष्टश्च पुलस्त्यश्चेति ते दश
Manu, Daksha, and Vasiṣṭha, and Pulastya—these are the ten.
परत्वेनर्षयो यस्मात्स्मृतास्तस्मान्महर्षयः
Because the sages are remembered as being supreme, they are called great sages.
काव्यो बृहस्पतिश्चैव कश्यपश्व्यवनस्तथा
Kāvya, Bṛhaspati, Kaśyapa, and Vyavana as well,
कर्दमो विश्रवाः शक्तिर्वालखिल्यास्तथार्वतः
Kardama, Viśravas, Śakti, and the Vālakhilyas likewise,
ऋषिपुत्रानृ षीकांस्तु गर्भोत्पन्नान्निबोधत
Now hear of the sons of the sages, those born from the womb.