युगानुरूपा धर्मेण यैरिमा वर्द्धिताः प्रजाः
By whom, in accordance with the age and with righteousness, these beings were increased.
अभिध्याय प्रजा ब्रह्मा नानावीर्याः स्वमानसीः
Brahmā, meditating, created various mental offspring from his own mind.
कल्पे ऽतीते पुराण्यासीद्देवाद्यास्तु प्रजा इह
In a previous kalpa, the first beings here were the progeny beginning with the gods.
मन्वंतरक्रमेणेह कनिष्ठाः प्रथमेन ताः
In the succession of Manvantaras, those beings were at first the youngest.
कुशलाकुशलैः कंदैरक्षीणैस्तैस्तदा युताः
At that time, they were joined by actions, both virtuous and unvirtuous, which did not diminish.
देवासुरपितॄंश्चैव यक्षैर्गन्धर्वमानुषैः
Gods, asuras, ancestors, as well as yakshas, gandharvas, and humans—
आहारार्थं प्रजानां वै विदात्मानो विनिर्ममे
For the sake of the nourishment of beings, the knower of the self created them.
तच्छरीरसमुत्पन्नैः कार्यैस्तैः कारणैः सह
With those effects arising from that body, along with those causes—
ततो देवासुरपितॄन्मनुष्यांश्च चतुषृयम्
Then, from that, the fourfold groups of gods, asuras, ancestors, and humans—
युक्तात्मनस्ततस्तस्य तमोमात्रासमुद्भवः
Then, from him, whose self was united, arose a portion consisting of darkness.
ततो ऽस्य जघ नात्पूर्वमसुरा जज्ञिर सुताः
Then, from his lower part, asuras were born as his sons.
सृष्टा यया सुरास्तन्वा तां तनुं स व्यपोहत
He cast off that body by which the gods had been created.
सा तमोबहुला यस्मात्ततो रात्रिस्त्रियामिका
Because it was full of darkness, it became known as the night of threefold duration.
सृष्ट्वासुरांस्ततः सो ऽथ तनुमन्यामपद्यत
Having created the asuras, then he assumed another body.
ततस्तां युञ्ज मानस्य प्रियमासीत्प्रभोः किल
Then he united with that, the mind-born, which was dear to the Lord.
यतो ऽस्य दीव्यतो जातास्तेन देवाः प्रकीर्त्तिताः
Because, as he was shining, they were born from him, they are called gods.
तस्मात्तन्वास्तु दिव्याया जज्ञिरे तेन देवताः
Therefore, from that divine body, the deities were born.
उत्सृष्टा सा तनुस्तेन अहः समभवत्तदा
That body, having been cast off by him, then became the day.
देवान्सृष्ट्वा ततः सो ऽथ तनुमन्यामपद्यत
Having created the gods, then he assumed another body.
पितेव मन्यमानस्तान्पुत्रान्प्रध्याय स प्रभुः
Thinking of them as his sons, the Lord reflected, like a father.
तस्मात्ते पितरो देवाः पितृत्वं तेषु तत्स्मृतम्
Therefore, your ancestors are called the gods; their status as ancestors is thus remembered among them.
सापविद्धा तनुस्तेन सद्यः संध्या व्यजायत
From that, her body was struck down, and immediately the twilight was born.
तयोर्मध्ये तु वै पैत्री या तनुः सा गरीयसी
Of the two, the ancestral form that was between them is indeed the greater.
युक्तास्तनुमुपासंते उषाव्युष्ट्योर्यदन्तरम्
They worship that form which exists in the interval between dawn and dusk.
ततो ऽन्यस्यां पुनर्ब्रह्मा स्वतन्वामुपपद्यत
Then, in another form, Brahma again manifested himself from his own body.
मनसा तु सुतास्तस्य प्रजनाज्जज्ञिरे प्रजाः
By his mind, his sons were born; from his creation, beings came forth.
सृष्ट्वा पुनः प्रजाः सो ऽथ स्वां तनुं स व्यपोहत
Having created beings again, he then cast off his own form.
तस्माद्भवन्ति संहृष्टा ज्योत्स्नाया उद्भवे प्रजाः
Therefore, beings are delighted at the appearance of moonlight.
सद्यो रात्र्यहनी चैवसंध्या ज्योत्स्ना च जज्ञिरे
Immediately, night, day, twilight, and moonlight were born.
तमोमात्रात्मिका रात्रिः सा वै तस्मान्नियामिका
Night, whose essence is darkness, indeed governs over them.