रक्षणाद्रक्ष इत्युक्तं क्षपणाद्यक्ष उच्यत
'Rakṣa' is so called from protecting, and 'yakṣa' from destroying.
ते शीर्णा व्युत्थिता ह्यूर्द्धमारो हन्तः पुनः पुनः
They, having withered, rose up again and again, O hero.
बालात्मना स्मृता व्याला हीनत्वादहयः स्मृताः
Because of their childish nature, they are called 'vyālas'; due to their inferiority, they are called 'ahis' (serpents).
तेषां लयः पृथिव्यां यः सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ घनाः
Their dissolution on earth is like that of clouds from the sun and the moon.
स तान्सर्प्पान् सहोत्पन्नानाविवेश विषात्मकः
He, of poisonous nature, entered all those serpents born together.
वर्णेन कपिशेनोग्रास्ते भूताः पिशिताशनाः
Those fierce beings, tawny in color, subsist on flesh.
गायतो गां ततस्तस्य गन्धर्वा जज्ञिरे सुताः
As he sang, from him were born the Gandharvas, his sons.
पिबतो जज्ञिरे वाचं गन्धर्वास्तेन ते स्मृताः
As he drank, those Gandharvas were born as speech, and thus they are remembered.
छन्दतश्चैव छन्दासि वयांसि वयसासृजत्
From his desire, he created the metres and the birds.
मुखतोजाः सृजन्सो ऽथ वक्षसश्चाप्यवीः सृजन्
Then, creating strength from his mouth and also creating the Avīs from his chest,
पादतो ऽश्वान्समातङ्गान् रासभान् गवयान्मृगान्
From his feet he created horses, elephants, donkeys, wild oxen, and deer.
ओषध्यः फल मूलिन्यो रोमभ्यस्तस्य जज्ञिरे
Medicinal herbs, fruit-bearing and root-bearing plants were born from his hair.
अस्य त्वादौ तु कल्पस्य त्रेतायुगमुखेपुरा
But at the beginning of this kalpa, at the start of the Tretā Yuga, formerly—
एते ग्राम्याः समृताः सप्त आरण्याः सप्त चापरे
These seven are considered domestic animals, and another seven are wild.
औदकाः पशवः षष्ठाः सप्तमास्तु सरीसृपाः
The sixth are aquatic animals, and the seventh are reptiles.
मर्कटः सप्तमो ह्येषां चारण्याः पशवस्तु ते
Among the wild animals, the monkey is the seventh, and these are the wild beasts.
अग्निष्टोमं च यज्ञानां निर्ममे प्रथमान्मुखात्
From his mouth, he first created the Agniṣṭoma among sacrifices.
बृहत्साम तथोक्तं च दक्षिणात्सो ऽसृजन्मुखात्
From his southern mouth, he created the Bṛhatsāman and what is spoken.
वैरूप्यमतिरात्रं च पश्चिमात्सो ऽसृजन्मखात्
From his western mouth, he created the Vairūpya and Atirātra.
अनुष्टुभं सवैराजं चतुर्थादसृजन्मुखात्
From the fourth mouth, he created the Anuṣṭubh and Savairāja.
सृष्ट्वासौ भगवान्देवः पर्जन्यमितिविश्रुतम्
Having created these, the blessed Lord, renowned as Parjanya,
उच्चावचानि भूतानि गात्रेभ्यस्तस्य जज्ञिरे
From his limbs were born beings of various forms, both high and low.
सृष्ट्वा चतुष्टयं पूर्वं देवर्षिपितृमानवान्
First, he created the four kinds: gods, sages, ancestors, and humans.
सृष्ट्वा यक्षपिशाचांश्च गन्धर्वप्सरसस्तदा
Then he created Yakṣas, Piśācas, as well as Gandharvas and Apsarases.
अव्ययं च व्ययं चैव द्वयं स्थावरजङ्गमम्
He created both the imperishable and perishable, the two: stationary and moving beings.
तान्येव प्रतिपद्यन्ते सृज्यमानाः पुनःपुनः
These, being created again and again, return to those very forms.
तद्भाविताः प्रपद्यन्ते तस्मात्तत्तस्य रोचते
Endowed with that nature, they attain it; therefore, it pleases them.
विनियोगं च भूतानां धातैव व्यदधात्स्वयम्
The Creator himself assigned the functions of beings.
दैवमित्यपरे विप्राः स्वभावं भूतचिन्तकाः
Some wise men call it divine; those who contemplate beings call it inherent nature.
न चैव तु पृथग्भावमधिकेन ततो विदुः
But they do not know any separate existence beyond that.