अपानात् क्रतुमव्यग्रं समानाच्च वसिष्ठकम्
From his apāna, the unwavering Kratu; from samāna, Vasiṣṭha.
आस्थाय मानवं रूपं धर्मस्तैः संप्रवर्तितः
Assuming a human form, Dharma was set in motion by them.
सिसृक्षुरम्भांस्येतानि स्वमात्मानमयूयुजत्
Desiring to create these beings, he engaged his own self.
ततो ऽस्य जघनात् पूर्वमसुरा जज्ञिरे सुताः
Then, from his lower body, the sons called Asuras were born first.
सा तमोबहुला यस्मात् प्रजास्तस्यांस्वपन्त्यतः
Because that night is filled with darkness, all beings sleep during it.
ततो ऽस्य मुखतो देवा दीव्यतः संप्रजज्ञिरे
Then, from his mouth, the gods were born as he shone forth.
तस्मादहो धर्मयुक्ता देवताः समुपासते
Therefore, O wise one, the gods endowed with righteousness worship him.
पितृवन्मन्यमानस्य पितरः संप्रजज्ञिरे
When he considered himself as the ancestor, the forefathers were born.
सापविद्धा तनुस्तेन सद्यः सन्ध्या व्यजायत
Pierced by him, that very body immediately became the twilight.
तयोर्मध्ये पितॄणां तु मूर्तिः सन्ध्या गरीयसी
Among these, the form of the forefathers, namely twilight, is the most exalted.
उपासते तदा युक्ता रात्र्यह्नोर्मध्यमां तनुम्
At that time, those united with the night worship the middle form of day and night.
ततो ऽस्य जज्ञिरे पुत्रा मनुष्या रजसावृताः
Then, his sons, humans enveloped in passion, were born.
ज्योत्स्त्रा सा चाभवद्विप्राः प्राक्सन्ध्या याबिधीयते
That radiance, O sages, became what is called the morning twilight.
मूर्ति तमोरजः प्रायां पुनरेवाभ्ययूयुजत्
He again joined a form predominated by darkness and passion.
पुत्रास्तमोरजः प्राया बलिनस्ते निशाचराः
His sons, predominated by darkness and passion, were those powerful night-wanderers.
रजस्तमोभ्यामाविष्टांस्ततो ऽन्यानसृजत् प्रभुः
Then the Lord created others, possessed by both passion and darkness.
मुखतो ऽजान् ससर्जान्यान् उदराद्गाश्चनिर्ममे
He created some from his mouth, and others he produced from his belly.
औपध्यः फलमूलिन्यो रोमभ्यस्तस्य जज्ञिरे
From his hairs were born the wild fruit-eating women.
अग्निष्टोमं च यज्ञानां निर्ममे प्रथमान्मुखात्
From his mouth, he first created the Agniṣṭoma among sacrifices.
बृहत्साम तथोक्थं च दक्षिणादसृजन्मुखात्
From the right side of his mouth, he created the Bṛhat Sāman and the Uktha.
वैरूपमतिरात्रं च पश्चिमादसृजन्मुखात्
From the western side of his mouth, he created the Vairūpa and Atirātra.
अनुष्टुभं सवैराजमुत्तरादसृजन्मुखात्
From the northern side of his mouth, he created the Anuṣṭubh and Savairāja.
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रजासर्गं सृजतस्तु प्रजापतेः
Indeed, when Brahmā, the lord of creatures, was creating the progeny,
ततो ऽसृजच्च भूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च
then he created beings, both immobile and mobile.
अव्ययं च व्ययं चैव द्वयं स्थावरजङ्गमम्
Both the imperishable and the perishable—these two, the stationary and the moving.
तान्येव ते प्रपद्यन्ते सृज्यमानाः पुनः पुनः
These very beings, being created again and again, return to him.
तद्भाविताः प्रपद्यन्ते तस्मात् तत् तस्य रोचते
Absorbed in him, they return; therefore, that is pleasing to him.
विनियोगं च भूतानां धातैव विदधात् स्वयम्
The creator himself assigns the functions of beings.
वेदशब्देभ्य एवादौ निर्ममे स महेश्वरः
In the beginning, that great lord fashioned them from the very words of the Veda.
शर्वर्यन्ते प्रसूतानां तान्येवैभ्यो ददात्यजः
At the end of the night, the unborn one gives those very beings to them again.