Kurma Purana

नमो हिरण्यगर्भाय वेधसे परमात्मने

Salutations to Hiraṇyagarbha, the Creator, the Supreme Self.

नारायणाय देवाय देवानां हितकारिणे

Salutations to Nārāyaṇa, the Divine One, the benefactor of the gods.

सर्वभूतात्मभूताय कूटस्थाय नमो नमः

Salutations again and again to the one who is the soul of all beings, who is immutable.

नमो बुद्धाय शुद्धाय नमस्ते ज्ञानरूपिणे

Salutations to the Awakened One, the Pure One; I bow to you, embodiment of knowledge.

अनन्तायाप्रमेयाय कार्याय करणाय च

Salutations to the Infinite, the Immeasurable, the Cause and the Instrument.

नमो मूलप्रकृतये मायारूपाय ते नमः

Salutations to the Root Nature, to you whose form is Māyā.

नमो योगाधिगम्याय नमः सकर्षणाय ते

Salutations to you who are attained through yoga; salutations to you, O Sakarṣaṇa.

नमः सिद्धाय पूज्याय गुणत्रयविभाविने

Salutations to the Perfected One, the Worshipful One, the one who distinguishes the three qualities.

नमो ऽमूर्ताय मूर्ताय माधवाय नमो नमः

Salutations again and again to the Formless and the Formed, to Mādhava.

पालयैतज्जगत् सर्वं त्राता त्वं शरणं गति

Protect this entire world; you are the savior, the refuge, the goal.

प्रसादमकरोत् तेषां वराहवपुरीश्वरः

The Lord, in the form of the Boar, bestowed his grace upon them.

मुमोच रूपं मनसा धारयित्वा प्रिजापतिः

Having conceived the form in his mind, the Lord of creatures released it.

विततत्वाच्च देहस्य न मही याति संप्लवम्

Because of the vastness of his body, the earth did not sink.

प्राक्सर्गदग्धानखिलांस्ततः सर्गे ऽदधन्मनः

He placed his mind upon creation, after all had been burned in the previous dissolution.

अबुद्धिपूर्वकः सर्गः प्रादुर्भूतस्तमोमयः

A creation arose, unconscious and filled with darkness.

अविद्या पञ्चपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः

This ignorance, with five stages, appeared from the Great Soul.

संवृतस्तमसा चैव बीजकम्भुवनावृतः

It was enveloped by darkness, and the seed was covered by the world.

मुक्या नगा इति प्रोक्ता मुख्यसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः

These are called the principal trees; and this is considered the primary creation.

तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गस्तिर्यक्स्त्रोतो ऽभ्यवर्तत

From his contemplation, the creation known as the horizontal stream arose.

पश्वादयस्ते विख्याता उत्पथग्राहिणो द्विजाः

Cattle and others, well known, are those who seize the wrong path, O twice-born.

ऊर्ध्वस्त्रोत इति प्रोक्तो देवसर्गस्तु सात्त्विकः

The creation called the upward stream is said to be the divine creation, characterized by sattva.

प्रकाशा बहिरन्तश्च स्वभावाद् देवसंज्ञिताः

Luminous within and without by their nature, they are designated as gods.

प्रादुरासीत् तदाव्यक्तादर्वाक्स्त्रोतस्तु साधकः

Then, from the unmanifest, the creation known as the downward stream appeared, which is effective.

दुः खोत्कटाः सत्त्वयुता मनुष्याः परिकीर्तिता

Humans, endowed with sattva but afflicted by intense suffering, are described.

तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गं सर्गो भूतादिको ऽभवत्

From his contemplation, the creation beginning with the elements came into being.

इत्येते पञ्च कथिताः सर्गा वै द्विजपुङ्गवाः

Thus, O best of twice-born, these five creations have been described.

तन्मात्राणां द्वितीयस्तु भूतसर्गो हि स स्मृतः

The second, arising from the subtle elements, is known as the elemental creation.

इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गः संभूतो ऽबुद्धिपूर्वकः

Thus, this natural creation has arisen, occurring without prior intelligence.

तिर्यक्स्त्रोतस्तु यः प्रोक्तस्तिर्यग्योन्यः स पञ्चमः

The creation called the horizontal stream, which is of various species, is the fifth.