सप्तवर्षसहस्राणि ततः सो ऽप्रतिमो ऽभवत्
For seven thousand years thereafter, he became incomparable.
मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु ब्रह्मणोंऽशेन जायते
In all the Manvantaras, he is born as a portion of Brahma.
अपिबत्स तदा कश्यं कश्यं मद्यमिहोच्यते
Then he drank kashyam, which here is called intoxicating liquor.
कश्यं मद्यं स्मृतं विप्रैः कश्यपानां तु कश्यपः
Kashyam liquor is remembered by the sages; among the Kashyapas, Kashyapa himself.
दक्षाभिशप्तः कुपितः कश्यपस्तेन सो ऽभवत्
Cursed by Daksha in anger, Kashyapa thus became so.
तस्मै प्राचेतसो दक्षः कन्यास्ताः प्रत्यपादयत्
To him, Prachetas Daksha gave those daughters.
इत्येतमृषिसर्गं तु पुण्यं यो वेद वारुणम्
Whoever knows this sacred account of the creation of the sages, called Vāruṇa, is blessed.
धारणाच्छ्रवणाद्वापि सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
By reciting or even hearing it, one is freed from all sins.
प्रजाः सृजेति व्यदिष्टः स्वयं दक्षः स्वयंभुवा
Dakṣa himself, at the command of the Self-born, was appointed to create beings.
मानसानि च भूतानि स पूर्वमसृजत्प्रभुः
First, that lord created beings born from his mind.
यक्षभूतपिशाचांश्च वयः पशुमृगांस्तथा
He created Yakṣas, Bhūtas, Piśācas, birds, cattle, and wild animals as well.
अपध्याता भगवता महादेवेन धीमता
But these were rejected by the wise Lord Mahādeva.
असिक्रीमावहद्भार्यां वीरणस्य प्रजापतेः
He took Asiknī, the wife of the lord Vīraṇa, as his spouse.
यया धृतमिदं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
By her, all this world, both moving and unmoving, is sustained.
दक्षस्योद्वहतो भार्यांमसिक्रीं वैरणीं पुरा
Long ago, when Dakṣa married Asiknī, the daughter of Vīraṇa,
नदीगिरिष्बसज्जन्तं पृष्ठतो ऽनुययौ प्रभुम्
She followed the lord from behind as he moved among rivers, mountains, and forests.
प्रथमो ऽत्र द्वितीयस्तु दक्षः स हि प्रजापतिः
Here, Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, is the second; the first is elsewhere.
असिक्रीं वैरणीं तत्र दक्षः प्राचेतसो ऽवहत्
There, Dakṣa, son of Pracetas, married Asiknī, the daughter of Vīraṇa.
असिक्न्यां जनयामास दक्षः प्राचे तसः प्रभुः
In Asiknī, Dakṣa, son of Pracetas, begot offspring.
देवर्षिप्रियसंवादो नारदो ब्रह्मणः सुतः
Nārada, the son of Brahmā, is renowned for his friendly discourse with the divine sages.
यः कश्यपसुतस्याथ परमेष्ठी व्यजायत
From him, the supreme lord, was born the son of Kaśyapa.
तस्मात्स काश्यपस्याथ द्वितीयो मानसो ऽभवत्
From him, the second mind-born son of Kaśyapa was born.
तेन वृक्षस्य पुत्रा वै हर्यश्वा इति विश्रुताः
By him were born the sons of Vṛkṣa, known as the Haryaśvas.
तस्योद्यतस्तदा दक्षः क्रुद्धः शापाय वै प्रभुः
Then Dakṣa, enraged, prepared to pronounce a curse.
ततो ऽभिसंधिं चक्रे वै दक्षश्च परमेष्ठिना
Then Daksha made an agreement with the supreme lord Brahma.
तस्मात्स नारदो जज्ञे भूयः शापभयदृषिः
From him, Nārada was again born, one who sees the danger of curses.
प्रजापतिसुतास्ते वै श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः
I wish to hear in truth about those sons of the Prajāpati.
समागता महावीर्या नारदस्तानुवाच ह
Those of great might assembled, and Nārada spoke to them.
अन्तरूर्ध्वमधश्चैव कथं स्रक्ष्यथ वै प्रजाः
How will you create beings above, below, and in between?
अधापि म निवर्त्तन्ते समुद्रस्था इवापगाः
Even now, they do not return, like rivers that remain in the ocean.