Linga Purana

प्राणाद्ब्रह्मासृजद्दक्षं चक्षुर्भ्यां च मरीचिनम् भृगुस्तु हृदयाज्जज्ञे ऋषिः सलिलजन्मनः

From his breath, Brahmā created Dakṣa; from his eyes, Marīci; Bhṛgu was born from the heart of the sage born from water.

शिरसो ऽङ्गिरसश्चैव श्रोत्रादत्रिं तथासृजत् पुलस्त्यं च तथोदानाद् व्यानाच्च पुलहं पुनः

From his head, he created Aṅgiras; from the ears, Atri; from the outgoing breath, Pulastya; and from the diffusive breath, Pulaha again.

समानजो वसिष्ठश् च अपानान्निर्ममे क्रतुम् इत्येते ब्रह्मणः पुत्रा दिव्या एकादशा स्मृताः

Vasiṣṭha was born from the equalizing breath, and from the downward breath, Kratu was produced; these are remembered as the eleven divine sons of Brahmā.

धर्मादयः प्रथमजाः सर्वे ते ब्रह्मणः सुताः भृग्वादयस्तु ते सृष्टा नवैते ब्रह्मवादिनः

Dharma and the others were the firstborn, all sons of Brahmā; Bhṛgu and the others were created—these nine were speakers of Brahman.

गृहमेधिनः पुराणास् ते धर्मस् तैः सम्प्रवर्तितः तेषां द्वादश ते वंशा दिव्या देवगुणान्विताः

Those ancient householders established dharma; among them are twelve lineages, divine and endowed with the qualities of the gods.

क्रियावन्तः प्रजावन्तो महर्षिभिर् अलंकृताः ऋभुः सनत्कुमारश् च द्वावेतावूर्ध्वरेतसौ

They were active in rites, prolific, adorned by great sages; Ṛbhu and Sanatkumāra—these two were of upward-flowing seed.

पूर्वोत्पन्नौ परं तेभ्यः सर्वेषामपि पूर्वजौ व्यतीते त्वष्टमे कल्पे पुराणौ लोकसाक्षिणौ

Born before, they are supreme among them, the eldest of all; in the eighth past kalpa, they were ancient, witnesses of the worlds.

विराजेतामुभौ लोके तेजः संक्षिप्य धिष्ठितौ तावुभौ योगकर्माणाव् आरोप्यात्मानम् आत्मनि

Both of them, having withdrawn their brilliance, stood established in both worlds, engaged in the discipline of yoga, having placed their own selves within themselves.

प्रजां धर्मं च कामं च त्यक्त्वा वैराग्यमास्थितौ यथोत्पन्नः स एवेह कुमारः स इहोच्यते

Having abandoned progeny, righteousness, and desire, and established in detachment, as he arose, so indeed is he here called Kumāra.

तस्मात्सनत्कुमारेति नामास्येह प्रतिष्ठितम् ततो ऽभिध्यायतस्तस्य जज्ञिरे मानसाः प्रजाः

Therefore, the name Sanatkumāra is established for him here; from his contemplation, mind-born offspring were produced.

तच्छरीरसमुत्पन्नैः कार्यैस्तैः कारणैः सह क्षेत्रज्ञाः समवर्तन्त गात्रेभ्यस्तस्य धीमतः

From the actions arising from his body, together with those causes, the knowers of the field (individual souls) came forth from the limbs of that wise one.

ततो देवासुरपितॄन् मानुषांश् च चतुष्टयम् सिसृक्षुर् अम्भांस्येतानि स्वम् आत्मानम् अयूयुजत्

Then, desiring to create the four kinds—gods, asuras, ancestors, and humans—he joined his own self with these waters.

ततस्तु युञ्जतस्तस्य तमोमात्रसमुद्भवम् समभिध्यायतः सर्गं प्रयत्नेन प्रजापतेः

Then, as he engaged in union, intent on creation with effort, from the mere essence of darkness, creation arose from Prajāpati.

ततो ऽस्य जघनात्पूर्वम् असुरा जज्ञिरे सुताः असुः प्राणः स्मृतो विप्रास् तज्जन्मानस् ततो ऽसुराः

Then, from his lower part, first were born sons—the asuras; breath (asu) is called life by the sages, and from that birth, they are called asuras.

यया सृष्टासुराः सर्वे तां तनुं स व्यपोहत सापविद्धा तनुस् तेन सद्यो रात्रिर् अजायत

By that body through which all the asuras were created, he cast it off; that body, being cast away, immediately became night.

सा तमोबहुला यस्मात् ततो रात्रिर्नियामिका आवृतास्तमसा रात्रौ प्रजास्तस्मात्स्वपन्त्युत

Because it was full of darkness, therefore night is the regulator; covered by darkness in the night, indeed, beings sleep.

सृष्ट्वासुरांस्ततः सो वै तनुमन्यामगृह्णत अव्यक्तां सत्त्वबहुलां ततस्तां सो ऽभ्यपूजयत्

Having created the asura body, he then took up another, unmanifest and full of sattva; then he honored that one.

ततस्तां युञ्जतस् तस्य प्रियम् आसीत् प्रजापतेः ततो मुखात्समुत्पन्ना दीव्यतस्तस्य देवताः

Then, as he engaged with that body, Prajāpati found delight; from his mouth, as he shone, the deities were born.

यतो ऽस्य दीव्यतो जातास् तेन देवाः प्रकीर्तिताः धातुर्दिविति यः प्रोक्तः क्रीडायां स विभाव्यते

Because they were born as he shone, they are called gods; the root 'div' means to shine, and in play, it is thus understood.

यस्मात्तस्य तु दीव्यन्तो जज्ञिरे तेन देवताः देवान्सृष्ट्वाथ देवेशस् तनुमन्यामपद्यत

Because, shining, they were born from him, they are called deities; having created the gods, the lord of gods then assumed another body.

उत्सृष्टा सा तनुस्तेन सद्यो ऽहः समजायत तस्मादहो धर्मयुक्तं देवताः समुपासते

That body, being cast off by him, immediately became day; therefore, the gods worship day, which is endowed with righteousness.

सत्त्वमात्रात्मिकामेव ततो ऽन्यां सो ऽभ्यमन्यत पितृवन्मन्यमानस्य पुत्रांस्तान्ध्यायतः प्रभोः

Then he considered another body, consisting only of sattva, as he contemplated sons like ancestors, as the lord reflected.

पितरो ह्युपपक्षाभ्यां रात्र्यह्णोर् अन्तरे ऽभवन् तस्मात्ते पितरो देवाः पितृत्वं तेन तेषु तत्

The ancestors arose in the interval between night and day, in the two twilights; therefore, those ancestors are called gods, and their status as ancestors is thus established among them.

यया सृष्टास्तु पितरस् तनुं तां स व्यपोहत सापविद्धा तनुस्तेन सद्यः संध्या व्यजायत

By that body through which the ancestors were created, he cast it off; that body, being cast away, immediately became twilight.

यस्मादहर्देवतानां रात्रिर्या सासुरी स्मृता तयोर्मध्ये तु पैत्री या तनुः सा तु गरीयसी

Because the day belongs to the gods and the night is considered asuric, the ancestral body, which is between the two, is the most excellent.

तस्माद्देवा सुराः सर्वे ऋषयो मानवास् तथा उपासन्ते मुदायुक्ता रात्र्यह्णोर् मध्यमां तनुम्

Therefore, all the gods, the celestials, the sages, and likewise humans, worship with joy the form that is the middle of night and day.

ततो ह्यन्यां पुनर्ब्रह्मा तनुं वै समगृह्णत रजोमात्रात्मिकायां तु मनसा सो ऽसृजत्प्रभुः

Then, Brahmā again assumed another form, composed entirely of rajas, and with his mind, the Lord created.

रजःप्रियांस्ततः सो ऽथ मानसानसृजत्सुतान् मनस्विनस्ततस्तस्य मानवा जज्ञिरे सुताः

He then mentally created sons who were fond of rajas; from him, those sons, endowed with mind, were born as Manus.

सृष्ट्वा पुनः प्रजाश्चापि स्वां तनुं ताम् अपोहत सापविद्धा तनुस्तेन ज्योत्स्ना सद्यस्त्वजायत

Having created beings once more, he cast off that form of his; as that form was cast away, Jyotsnā was immediately born.