Markandeya Purana

जातास्ते ह्यु पपद्यन्ते सत्त्वोद्रिक्ताः स्वतेजसः । सहस्रमन्यद्वक्षस्तो मिथुनानां ससर्ज ह॥४९.

Those who were born thus appeared, endowed with abundant sattva and their own brilliance; then he created another thousand pairs from his chest.

ते सर्वे रजसोद्रिक्ताः शुष्मिणश्चाप्यमर्षिणः । ससर्जान्यते सहस्रन्तु द्वन्द्वानामूरुतः पुनः॥४९.

All of these were dominated by rajas, energetic and impatient; then he created yet another thousand pairs from his thighs.

रजस्तमोभ्यामुद्रिक्ता ईहाशीलास्तु ते स्मृताः । पद्भ्यां सहस्रमन्यच्च मिथुनानां ससर्ज ह॥४९.

These were dominated by both rajas and tamas, and are known as those inclined to desire; then he created another thousand pairs from his feet.

उद्रिक्तास्तमसा सर्वे निः श्रीका ह्यल्पचेतसः । ततः संहर्षमाणास्ते द्वन्द्वोत्पन्नास्तु प्राणिनः॥४९.

All these were dominated by tamas, lacking prosperity and of little intelligence; then, as they became excited, living beings arose in pairs.

अन्योन्यहृर्च्छ्याविष्टा मैथुनायोपचक्रमुः । ततः प्रभृति कल्पेऽस्मिन् मिथुनानां हि सम्भवः॥४९.

Filled with mutual desire, they began to unite sexually; from that time onward, in this cycle, the origin of beings in pairs was established.

मासि मास्यार्तवं यत् तु न तदासीत्तु योषिताम् । तस्मात्तदा न सुषुवुः सेवितैरपि मैथुनैः॥४९.

At that time, women did not have a monthly period; therefore, even though they engaged in sexual union, they did not conceive.

आयुषोऽन्ते प्रसूयन्ते मिथुनान्येव ताः सकृत् । ततः प्रभृति कल्पेऽस्मिन् मिथुनानां हि सम्भवः॥४९.

At the end of their lifespan, they would give birth to offspring, and only once; from that time onward, in this cycle, beings have arisen in pairs.

ध्यानेन मनसा तासां प्रजानां जायते सकृत् । शब्दादिर्विषयः शुद्धः प्रत्येकं पञ्चलक्षणः॥४९.

By meditation and with their mind, their offspring were produced at once; each had pure sensory faculties, characterized by five attributes.

इत्येषा मानुषी सृष्टिर्या पूर्वं वै प्रजापतेः । तस्यान्ववायसम्भूता यैरिदं पूरितं जगत्॥४९.

Such was the human creation that existed in the beginning, O Prajāpati; from their descendants, this world has been filled.

सरित्सरः समुद्रांश्च सेवन्ते पर्वतानपि । तास्तदा ह्यल्पशीतोष्णा युगे तस्मिंश्चरन्ति वै॥४९.

They frequented rivers, lakes, and oceans, and even mountains; in that age, they moved about experiencing only mild heat and cold.

तृप्तिं स्वाभाविकीं प्राप्ता विषयेषु महामते । न तासां प्रतिघातोऽस्ति न द्वेषो नापि मत्सरः॥४९.

They attained natural satisfaction in the objects of the senses, O wise one; among them there was no opposition, no hatred, and no envy.

पर्वतोदधिसेविन्यो ह्यनिकेतास्तु सर्वशः । ता वै निष्कामचारिण्यो नित्यं मुदितमानसाः॥४९.

They wandered everywhere, dwelling on mountains and by the sea, without fixed abode; they acted without desire and were always joyful in mind.

पिशाचोरगरक्षांसि तथा मत्सरिणो जनाः । पशवः पक्षिणश्चैव नक्रा मत्स्याः सरीसृपाः॥४९.

Then arose flesh-eating spirits, serpents, demons, envious people, animals, birds, crocodiles, fish, and reptiles.

अवारका ह्यण्डजा वा ते ह्यधर्मप्रसूतयः । न मूलफलपुष्पाणि नार्तवा वत्सराणि च॥४९.

They were of inferior birth, or born from eggs, and were the offspring of unrighteousness; there were no roots, fruits, or flowers, nor were there seasons or years.

सर्वकालसुखः कालो नात्यर्थं घर्मशीतता । कालेन गच्छता तेषां चित्रा सिद्धिरजायत॥४९.

Time was pleasant at all moments, with neither excessive heat nor cold; as time passed for them, wondrous accomplishments arose.

ततश्च तेषां पूर्वाह्ने मध्याह्ने च वितृप्तता । पुनस्तथेच्छतां तृप्तिरनायासेन साभवत्॥४९.

Thus, in the morning and at midday, they were satisfied; and whenever they wished, satisfaction came to them effortlessly.

इच्छताञ्च तथायासो मनसः समजायत । अपां सौक्ष्म्यं ततस्तासां सिद्धिर्नानारसोल्लसा॥४९.

Yet, for those who desired, exertion of the mind arose; then, through the subtlety of water, various delightful accomplishments appeared.

समजायत चैवान्या सर्वकामप्रदायिनी । असंस्कार्यैः शरीरैश्च प्रजास्ताः स्थिरयौवनाः॥४९.

Then another kind arose, granting every desire; with bodies not requiring purification, those beings remained in perpetual youth.

तासां विना तु संकल्पं जायन्ते मिथुनाः प्रजाः । समं जन्म च रूपञ्च म्रियन्ते चैव ताः समम्॥४९.

Without any intention, offspring were born in pairs; they were born together, had the same form, and died at the same time.

अनिच्छाद्वेषसंयुक्ता वर्तन्ते तु परस्परम् । तुल्यरूपायुषः सर्वा अधमोत्तमतां विना॥४९.

They lived among each other without desire or aversion; all were equal in form and lifespan, with neither inferiority nor superiority.

तत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां मानुषाणि तु । आयुः प्रमाणं जीवन्ति न च क्लेशाद्विपत्तयः॥४९.

For thousands of years, humans lived with a fixed lifespan, and there was no suffering or calamity.

क्वचित् क्वचित् पुनः साभूत् क्षितिर्भाग्येन सर्वशः । कालेन गच्छता नाशमुपयान्ति यथा प्रजाः॥४९.

Yet, at certain times and places, the earth, through fortune, was entirely so; as time passed, beings came to destruction as is their nature.

तथा ताः क्रमशो नाशं जग्मुः सर्वत्र सिद्धयः । तासु सर्वासु नष्टासु नभसः प्रच्युता नराः॥४९.

Thus, gradually, all those accomplishments perished everywhere; when all of them were lost, people fell from the sky.

प्रायशः कल्पवृक्षास्ते संभूता गृहसंज्ञिताः । सर्वे प्रत्युपभोगाश्च तासं तेभ्यः प्रजायते॥४९.

Mostly, wish-fulfilling trees arose, called 'house-trees'; all enjoyments for them came from these.

वर्तयन्ति स्म तेभ्यस्तास्त्रेतायुगमुखे तदा । ततः कालेन वै रागस्तासामाकस्मिकोऽभवत्॥४९.

They lived on those trees at the beginning of the Tretā Yuga; then, in the course of time, sudden passion arose among them.

मासि मास्यार्तवोत्पत्त्या गर्भोत्पत्तिः पुनः पुनः । रागोत्पत्त्या ततस्तासां वृक्षास्ते गृहसंज्ञिताः॥४९.

Month by month, with the arising of the season, conception occurred again and again; with the arising of passion, those trees, called 'house-trees,'

ब्रह्मन्नन्वपरेषान्तु पेतुः शाखा महीरुहाम् । वस्त्राणि च प्रसूयन्ते फलेष्वाभरणानि च॥४९.

O Brāhmaṇa, on others, branches of great trees fell; garments and ornaments were produced on their fruits.

तेष्वेव जायते तेषां गन्धवर्णरसान्वितम् । अमाक्षिकं माहवीर्यं पुटके पुटके मधु॥४९.

On those very trees, for them, honey endowed with fragrance, color, and taste was produced, strong and unfermented, in every hollow.

तेन वा वर्तयन्ति स्म मुखे त्रेयायुगस्य वै । ततः कालान्तरेणैव पुनर्लोभान्वितास्तु ताः॥४९.

With that, they lived at the beginning of the Tretā Yuga; then, as time passed, they again became filled with greed.