Linga Purana

ससमुद्रामिमां पृथ्वीं सप्तद्वीपां सपर्वताम् भूराद्यांश् चतुरो लोकान् पुनः सो ऽथ व्यकल्पयत्

He then arranged this earth, with its oceans, seven continents, and mountains, and the four worlds beginning with Bhū, once more.

लोकान् प्रकल्पयित्वाथ प्रजासर्गं ससर्ज ह ब्रह्मा स्वयंभूर्भगवान् सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः

Having thus established the worlds, the self-born Lord Brahmā, desiring to create, produced the various beings.

ससर्ज सृष्टिं तद्रूपां कल्पादिषु यथापुरा तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गं तथा वै बुद्धिपूर्वकम्

He created creation in the same manner as in previous cycles; as he contemplated creation, so it came to be, with deliberate thought.

बुद्ध्याश् च समकाले वै प्रादुर्भूतस् तमोमयः तमोमोहो महामोहस् तामिस्रश्चान्धसंज्ञितः

And at the same time as intellect, there arose that which is composed of darkness: ignorance, great delusion, and what is called tamas and andhas.

अविद्या पञ्चपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः पञ्चधावस्थितः सर्गो ध्यायतः सो ऽभिमानिनः

This ignorance, with five aspects, arose from the Great Soul; the creation that abides in fivefold form belongs to the one who meditates with self-conceit.

संवृतस्तमसा चैव बीजाङ्कुरवदावृतः बहिरन्तश्चाप्रकाशस् तब्धो निःसंज्ञ एव च

Enveloped by darkness, covered like a seed by its sprout, without light within or without, it is inert and devoid of awareness.

यस्मात्तेषां वृता बुद्धिर् दुःखानि करणानि च तस्मात्ते संवृतात्मानो नगा मुख्याः प्रकीर्तिताः

Because their intellect is veiled and their instruments are sources of suffering, therefore these beings with veiled selves are called the primary trees.

मुख्यसर्गं तथाभूतं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मा ह्यसाधकम् अप्रसन्नमनाः सो ऽथ ततो ऽन्यं सो ह्यमन्यत

Seeing that the primary creation was thus ineffective, Brahmā, with a mind dissatisfied, then conceived of another creation.

तस्याभिध्यायतश्चैव तिर्यक्स्रोता ह्यवर्तत तस्मात् तिर्यक्प्रवृत्तः स तिर्यक्स्रोतास् ततः स्मृतः

As he contemplated, a crosswise stream arose; from that, the crosswise-moving beings came forth, and thus they are known as the crosswise stream.

पश्वादयस्ते विख्याता उत्पथग्राहिणो द्विजाः तस्याभिध्यायतो ऽन्यं वै सात्त्विकः समवर्तत

These, beginning with cattle, are known as those who stray from the path, O twice-born; as he contemplated further, a sattvic creation arose.

ऊर्ध्वस्रोतास्तृतीयस्तु स वै चोर्ध्वं व्यवस्थितः यस्मात्प्रवर्तते चोर्ध्वम् ऊर्ध्वस्रोतास्ततः स्मृतः

The third creation is the upward stream, which is established above; because it proceeds upward, it is therefore called the upward stream.

ते सुखप्रीतिबहुला बहिरन्तश् च संवृताः प्रकाशा बहिरन्तश् च ऊर्ध्वस्रोतोभवाः स्मृताः

They are abundant in happiness and delight, enclosed within and without; luminous within and without, they are known as those born of the upward stream.

ते सत्त्वस्य च योगेन सृष्टाः सत्त्वोद्भवाः स्मृताः ऊर्ध्वस्रोतास्तृतीयो वै देवसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः

Created by the union with sattva, they are remembered as born of sattva; the third, the upward stream, is known as the creation of the gods.

प्रकाशाद् बहिरन्तश् च ऊर्ध्वस्रोतोद्भवाः स्मृताः ते ऊर्ध्वस्रोतसो ज्ञेयास् तुष्टात्मानो बुधैः स्मृताः

Luminous within and without, they are remembered as born of the upward stream; these upward stream beings are to be known as contented souls, so the wise say.

ऊर्ध्वस्रोतःसु सृष्टेषु देवेषु वरदः प्रभुः प्रीतिमानभवद्ब्रह्मा ततो ऽन्यं सो ऽभ्यमन्यत

When the upward stream gods were created, the gracious Lord Brahmā became pleased, and then he conceived of another creation.

ससर्ज सर्गमन्यं हि साधकं प्रभुरीश्वरः ततो ऽभिध्यायतस्तस्य सत्याभिध्यायिनस्तदा

The Lord, the master, created another creation, effective in its purpose; then, as he contemplated, being intent on truth, it came forth.

प्रादुरासीत्तदा व्यक्ताद् अर्वाक्स्रोतास्तु साधकः यस्माद् अर्वाङ्न्यवर्तन्त ततो ऽर्वाक्स्रोतसस् तु ते

Then, from the manifest, appeared the effective creation, the forward stream; because they move forward, they are therefore called the forward stream.

ते च प्रकाशबहुलास् तमःपृक्ता रजो ऽधिकाः तस्मात्ते दुःखबहुला भूयोभूयश् च कारिणः

They are abundant in light, mixed with darkness, dominated by rajas; therefore, they are full of suffering and act repeatedly.

संवृता बहिरन्तश् च मनुष्याः साधकाश् च ते

Humans, who are effective, are veiled within and without.

लक्षणैस्तारकाद्यैस्ते ह्य् अष्टधा तु व्यवस्थिताः

They are established in eightfold form, marked by characteristics such as stars and so on.

सिद्धात्मानो मनुष्यास्ते गन्धर्वसहधर्मिणः इत्येष तैजसः सर्गो ह्य् अर्वाक्स्रोतःप्रकीर्तितः

These humans, with perfected selves, are akin to Gandharvas; thus, this fiery creation is called the forward stream.

पञ्चमो ऽनुग्रहः सर्गश् चतुर्धा तु व्यवस्थितः विपर्ययेण शक्त्या च सिद्ध्या तुष्ट्या तथैव च

The fifth is the creation of grace, which is established in fourfold manner: by reversal, by power, by attainment, and likewise by satisfaction.

स्थावरेषु विपर्यासस् तिर्यग्योनिषु शक्तितः सिद्धात्मानो मनुष्यास्तु ऋषिदेवेषु कृत्स्नशः

In immobile beings, there is reversal; in animal births, by power; perfected souls are among humans; among seers and gods, it is complete.

इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गो वैकृतो नवमः स्मृतः भूतादिकानां भूतानां षष्ठः सर्गः स उच्यते

Thus, this is the primary creation; the secondary is considered the ninth; among the elements and beings, the sixth creation is so called.

निवृत्तं वर्तमानं च तेषां जानन्ति वै पुनः भूतादिकानां भूतानां सप्तमः सर्ग एव च

They know again the cessation and continuance of those elements and beings; and the seventh creation of elements and beings as well.

ते परिग्राहिणः सर्वे संविभागरताः पुनः स्वादनाश् चाप्यशीलाश् च ज्ञेया भूतादिकाश् च ते

All of them are graspers, ever intent on division; they are to be known as those who taste, those of unsteady conduct, and those beginning from the elements.

विपर्ययेण भूतादिर् अशक्त्या च व्यवस्थितः प्रथमो महतः सर्गो विज्ञेयो ब्रह्मणः स्मृतः

By reversal and by lack of power, the beginning from the elements is established; the first creation from the great principle is to be known as that of Brahma.

तन्मात्राणां द्वितीयस्तु भूतसर्गः स उच्यते वैकारिकस्तृतीयस्तु सर्ग ऐन्द्रियकः स्मृतः

The second is said to be the creation of the subtle elements; the third, arising from the modifications, is known as the sense creation.

इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गः सम्भूतो बुद्धिपूर्वकः मुख्यसर्गश्चतुर्थश् च मुख्या वै स्थावराः स्मृताः

Thus, this is the primary creation, arisen with intellect preceding; the principal creation is the fourth, and the principal ones are known as the immobile beings.