मेधावित्वं च शौर्यं च शास्त्रस्येव च पारणम्
Intelligence, heroism, and the mastery of scripture.
त्रैकाल्यं त्रीणि कर्माणि तिस्रो मात्रा गुणास्त्रयः
The threefoldness, the three actions, the three measures, and the three qualities.
सर्वभूतगणाः सृष्टाः सर्वभूतगणात्मना
All groups of beings have been created by the soul of all beings.
गतागतानां यो नेता सर्वत्र विविधेश्वरः
He who is the leader of arrivals and departures, the lord of all diversity.
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य प्रभवश्चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य रक्षिता
The origin of the four castes and the protector of the four castes.
दिगन्तरं नभो भूमिरापो वायुर्विभावसुः
The directions, the sky, the earth, the waters, the wind, and the fire.
यः परं श्रुयते देवो यः परं श्रूयते तपः
He who is heard as the supreme god, he who is heard as the supreme austerity.
आदित्यादिस्तु यो देवो यश्च दैत्यान्तको विभुः
He who is the god among the Adityas, and the mighty destroyer of the Daityas.
सेतुर्यो लोकसेतूनां मेधो यो मध्यकर्मणाम्
He who is the bridge among the bridges of worlds, the wisdom among intermediate actions.
सोमभूतस्तु भूतानामग्निभूतो ऽग्निवर्चसाम्
He who is the moon among beings, fire among those with fiery brilliance.
विनयो नयतृप्तानां तेजस्तेजस्विनामपि
Discipline among those satisfied by guidance, brilliance even among the brilliant.
आकाशप्रभवो वायुर्वायुप्राणो हुताशनः
Wind born from space, breath from wind, and fire from the oblation.
रसाच्छोणितसंभूतिः शोणितान्मासमुच्यते
From rasa arises blood, and from blood, what is called the month.
अस्य्नो मज्जा समभवन्मज्जातः शुक्रसंभवः
From marrow comes majja, and from majja arises semen.
तत्रापां प्रथमावापः स सौम्यो राशिरुच्यते
There, the first acquisition of water is said to be the lunar sign.
शुक्रं सोमात्मकं विद्यादार्त्तवं पावकात्मकम्
Know that semen is of the nature of Soma, and menstrual blood is of the nature of fire.
कफवर्गे भवेच्छुक्रं पित्तवर्गे च शोणितम्
In the kapha group, semen is present; in the pitta group, blood.
देहस्य मध्ये त्दृदयं स्थानं तु मनसः स्मृतम्
In the middle of the body, the heart is remembered as the seat of the mind.
मनः प्रजापतिर्ज्ञेयः कफः सोमो विभाव्यते
The mind is to be known as Prajapati, and kapha is regarded as Soma.
एवं प्रवर्त्तिते गर्भे वृत्ते कर्कन्धुसंनिभे
Thus, in the developing embryo, which has taken the form of a karkandhu fruit, growth proceeds.
स पञ्चधा शरीरस्थो विद्यते वर्द्धयेत्पुनः
He, situated in the body in fivefold ways, continues to grow again.
प्राणो ऽस्य परमात्मानं वर्द्धयन्परिवर्त्तते
His prana, nourishing the supreme self, moves about.
व्यानो व्यानीयते येन समानः सर्वसंधिषु
By which vyana spreads, and samana is present in all the joints.
पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम्
Earth, air, space, water, and light are the five elements.
पार्थिवं देहमाहुस्तु प्राणात्मानं च मारुतम्
They say the body is of the nature of earth, and the vital self is of air.
ज्योतिश्चक्षुषि कोष्ठो ऽस्मात्तेषां यन्नामतः स्मृतम्
Light is in the eyes, the cavity is in the body; these are remembered by their respective names.
इत्येतान्पुरुषः सर्वान्सृजत्येकः सनातनः
Thus, the one eternal person creates all these.
एष नः संशयो धीमन्नेष वै विस्मयो महान्
This is our doubt, O wise one; this indeed is a great wonder.
श्रोतुमिच्छामहे विष्णोः कर्माणि च यथाक्रमम्
We wish to hear, in due order, the deeds of Vishnu.
विष्णोरुत्पत्तिमाश्चय कथयस्व महामते
O greatly wise one, tell us about the origin of Vishnu.