Linga Purana

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.

यस्माद्भवन्ति संहृष्टा ज्योत्स्नाया उद्भवे प्रजाः इत्येतास्तनवस्तेन ह्य् अपविद्धा महात्मना

Because beings become delighted at the appearance of Jyotsnā, these forms were cast off by the great soul.

सद्यो रात्र्यहनी चैव संध्या ज्योत्स्ना च जज्ञिरे ज्योत्स्ना संध्या अहश्चैव सत्त्वमात्रात्मकं त्रयम्

At once, night and day, twilight, and Jyotsnā were born; Jyotsnā, twilight, and day are the three composed of sattva alone.

तमोमात्रात्मिका रात्रिः सा वै तस्मान्निशात्मिका तस्माद्देवा दिवातन्वा तुष्ट्या सृष्टा मुखात्तु वै

Night is composed entirely of tamas, and thus is of the nature of darkness; therefore, the gods, created from the form of day, were born from his mouth in satisfaction.

यस्मात्तेषां दिवा जन्म बलिनस्तेन वै दिवा तन्वा ययासुरान् रात्रौ जघनादसृजत्प्रभुः

Because their birth was by day, they are powerful by day; with that form, the Lord created the Asuras at night from his abdomen.

प्राणेभ्यो निशिजन्मानो बलिनो निशि तेन ते एतान्येव भविष्याणां देवानामसुरैः सह

Those born at night from the vital breaths are powerful at night; these will be, among future gods, together with the Asuras.

पितॄणां मानवानां च अतीतानागतेषु वै मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु निमित्तानि भवन्ति हि

For the ancestors and humans, in all past and future Manvantaras, these are indeed the causes.

ज्योत्स्ना रात्र्यहनी संध्या चत्वार्यंभांसि तानि वै भान्ति यस्मात् ततो ऽंभांसि शब्दो ऽयं सुमनीषिभिः

Jyotsnā, night, day, and twilight—these four are called 'ambhāṃsi'; because they shine, this term is used by the wise.

भातिर्दीप्तौ निगदितः पुनश्चाथ प्रजापतिः सो ऽम्भांस्येतानि सृष्ट्वा तु देवमानुषदानवान्

The word 'bhāti' is said to mean shining; then Prajāpati, having created these ambhāṃsi, also created gods, humans, and Dānavas.

पितॄंश्चैव सृजत्तन्वा आत्मना विविधान्पुनः तामुत्सृज्य तनुं ज्योत्स्नां ततो ऽन्यां प्राप्य स प्रभुः

He also created the ancestors with his own form, and again various beings; casting off that Jyotsnā form, the Lord then assumed another.

मूर्तिं तमोरजःप्रायां पुनरेवाभ्यपूजयत् अन्धकारे क्षुधाविष्टांस् ततो ऽन्यान् सो ऽसृजत् प्रभुः

He again honored a form dominated by tamas and rajas, filled with hunger in darkness; then the Lord created others.