From the western side of Brahmā’s mouth, the Vairūpa and Atirātra rituals came forth. From the northern side, he brought into being the meters Anuṣṭubh and Savairāja. As Brahmā, the lord of all creatures, undertook the act of creation, he fashioned beings both immobile and mobile—those that are imperishable and perishable, stationary and moving. Again and again, these created beings return to him, ultimately merging back into their source, which brings him great satisfaction. Brahmā himself assigns their functions and duties. In the very beginning, the great lord shaped these beings from the sacred words of the Veda. At the end of the cosmic night, the unborn one restores these very beings to existence, and thus, at the dawn of each age, the same beings and their states are seen again. Yet, when the creatures created by the wise Brahmā did not multiply as intended, he devised intelligence to help them discern their purpose. Enveloping the qualities of rajas and sattva, and acting according to their own nature, he suppressed tamas, and from this, a pair was born. Brahmā then removed his own radiant form, and with one half, he created a woman; with the other, he created a man, Virāj. The woman, by her greatness, pervaded both heaven and earth and was firmly established. The man, Virāj, born from the unmanifest, became her son. This goddess, known as Śatarūpā, performed severe and difficult austerities. From Virāj, Śatarūpā gave birth to two sons. Of these sons, Manu gave his daughter Prasūti in marriage to Dakṣa. Yajña and Dakṣiṇā, by whom the world was sustained, were called Yāmā by the gods during the era of Svāyambhuva. Brahmā then created daughters, and their names are to be heard with care: Buddhi, Lajjā, Vapu, Śānti, Siddhi, Kīrti, and Trayodaśī. From them, younger daughters were born—eleven fair-eyed maidens: Saṃtati, Anasūyā, Ūrjā, Svāhā, and Svadhā. The sages Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu, foremost in knowledge of dharma, took these daughters beginning with Khyāti as their wives. From Dhṛti was born the son Niyama; from Tuṣṭi, arose Saṃtoṣa. From Kriyā came the sons Daṇḍa and Samaya. From Lajjā, Vinaya was born; from Vapu, Vyavasāyaka. Yaśas was the son of Kīrti. These are the sons of Dharma, and thus the creation of Dharma, which leads to happiness, was described. From Nikṛti and Anṛta were born Bhaya and Naraka. From Bhaya came Māyā, and Mṛtyu, the taker of beings. From Mṛtyu arose disease, old age, sorrow, thirst, and anger. These beings have neither wife nor son; all remain celibate. Thus, O foremost among sages, the creation has been briefly described.