द्विगुणस्तु ततो वायुः शब्दस्पर्शात्मको ऽभवत्
Then, the air, possessing two qualities, sound and touch, came into existence.
त्रिगुणः स्यात् ततो वह्निः स शब्दस्पर्शरूपवान्
Next, fire with three qualities—sound, touch, and form—arose.
तस्माच्चतुर्गुणा आपो विज्ञेयास्तु रसात्मिकाः
From that, water with four qualities, known as the essence of taste, is to be understood.
तसमात् पञ्चगुणा भूमिः स्थूला भूतेषु शब्द्यते
From that, earth with five qualities, gross among the elements, is spoken of.
परस्परानुप्रवेशाद् धारयन्ति परस्परम्
Through mutual interpenetration, they support one another.
नाशक्नुवन् प्रजाः स्त्रष्टुमसमागम्य कृत्स्नशः
Unable to create beings in their entirety without coming together,
महादादयो विशेषान्ता ह्मण्डमुत्पादयन्ति ते
From the great principle down to the particulars, they produce the cosmic egg.
विशेषेभ्यो ऽण्डमभवद् बृहत् तदुदकेशयम्
From the particulars, the great egg arose, vast and resting in the waters.
प्राकृते ऽण्डे विवृत्तः स क्षेत्रज्ञो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः
Within the primordial egg, the knower of the field, called Brahma, manifested.
आदिकर्ता स भूतानां ब्रह्माग्रे समवर्तत
He, the prime creator of beings, first appeared as Brahma.
हिरण्यगर्भं कपिलं छन्दोमूर्ति सनातनम्
He is called Hiraṇyagarbha, Kapila, the embodiment of the Vedas, the eternal one.
गर्भोदकं समुद्राश्च तस्यासन् परमात्मनः
The embryonic waters and the oceans belonged to that Supreme Self.
चन्द्रादित्यौ सनक्षत्रौ सग्रहौ सह वायुना
The moon and sun, with the stars, the planets, and the wind, were with him.
आपो दशगुणेनैव तेजसा बाह्यतो वृताः
The waters are enveloped externally by fire, tenfold in strength.
आकाशेनावृतो वायुः खं तु भूतादिनावृतम्
Air is enveloped by space, and space is enveloped by the primordial elements.
एते लोका महात्मनः सर्वतत्त्वाभिमानिनः
These worlds belong to the Great Self, who identifies with all principles.
ईश्वरा योगधर्माणो ये चान्ये तत्त्वचिन्तकाः
Those who are lords, those who possess the qualities of yoga, and others who contemplate reality—
एतैरावरणैरण्डं सप्तभिः प्राकृतैर्वृतम्
By these coverings, the cosmic egg is enveloped by seven natural layers.
प्रजापतेः परा मूर्तिरितीयं वैदिकी श्रुतिः
This is the supreme form of the Creator, as declared by the Vedic revelation.
द्वितीयं तस्य देवस्य शरीरं परमेष्ठिनः
The second body of that divine Lord, the Supreme Being—
तृतीयं भगवद्रूपं प्राहुर्वेदार्थवेदिनः
Those who know the meaning of the Vedas call the third form the blessed one.
चतुर्मुखः स भगवान् जगत्सृष्टौ प्रवर्तते
That blessed one, four-faced, engages in the creation of the world.
सत्त्वं गुणमुपाश्रित्य विष्णुर्विश्वेश्वरः स्वयम्
Viṣṇu, the Lord of all, himself assumes the quality of sattva.
तमोगुणं समाश्रित्य रुद्रः संहरते जगत्
Rudra, relying on the quality of tamas, dissolves the world.
एकधा स द्विधा चैव त्रिधा च बहुधा पुनः
He is one, and also twofold, threefold, and again manifold.
नानाकृतिक्रियारूपनामवन्ति स्वलीलया
By his own play, he assumes various forms, actions, appearances, and names.
सृजते ग्रसते चैव वीक्षते च विशेषतः
He creates, consumes, and especially observes all things.
गुणात्मकत्वात् त्रैकाल्ये तस्मादेकः स उच्यते
Because he is composed of qualities and exists in three times, therefore he is called one.
आदित्वादादिदेवो ऽसौ अजातत्वादजः स्मृतः
Because he is the first, he is called the primal god; because he is unborn, he is remembered as the unborn.
देवेषु च महादेवो माहदेव इति स्मृतः
Among the gods, the great god is remembered as Māhadeva.