पिबन्नपः स वसति समुद्रे वडवामुखे समुद्रवासिनः पुत्रः सहरक्षो विभाव्यते
Drinking the waters, he dwells in the mouth of the submarine fire; the son of the ocean-dwelling one, Saharakṣa, is distinguished.
सहरक्षस्तु वै कामान् गृहे स वसते नृणाम् क्रव्यादग्निः सुतस्तस्य पुरुषान्यो ऽत्ति वै मृतान्
Saharakṣa dwells in the home of men, fulfilling desires; his son, the flesh-eating fire, consumes the dead among men.
इत्येते पावकस्याग्नेर् द्विजैः पुत्राः प्रकीर्तिताः ततः सुतास्तु सौवीर्याद् गन्धर्वैरसुरैर् हृताः
Thus, these sons of Pāvaka Agni are proclaimed by the twice-born; then, his sons of great strength were carried off by Gandharvas and Asuras.
मथितो यस्त्वरण्यां तु सो ऽग्निराप समिन्धनम् आयुर् नाम्ना तु भगवान् पशौ यस्तु प्रणीयते
The fire churned in the forest obtained fuel; the blessed one named Āyus is led to the animal.
आयुषो महिमान्पुत्रो दहनस्तु ततः सुतः पाकयज्ञेष्व् अभीमानी हुतं हव्यं भुनक्ति यः
The son of Āyus, of great power, is the burning one; he is the son who, in the cooking sacrifice, consumes the offered oblation.
सर्वस्माद्देवलोकाच्च हव्यं कव्यं भुनक्ति यः पुत्रो ऽस्य सहितो ह्यग्निर् अद्भुतः स महायशाः
He is the son who consumes oblations and ancestral offerings from all the worlds of the gods; his companion, the wondrous Agni, is of great renown.
प्रायश्चित्तेष्वभीमानी हृतं हव्यं भुनक्ति यः अद्भुतस्य सुतो वीरो देवांशस्तु महान्स्मृतः
He who is proud in expiatory rites consumes the stolen oblation; the son of Adbhuta is a heroic one, and among the gods he is remembered as the great one.
विविधाग्निस्ततस्तस्य तस्य पुत्रो महाकविः विविधाग्निसुतादर्काद् अग्नयो ऽष्टौ सुताः स्मृताः
Then, from him, the various fires arose; his son is the great sage, and from the sons of the various fires, due to heat, eight fires are remembered as born.
काम्यास्विष्टिष्वभीमानी रक्षोहायतिकृच्च यः सुरभिर्वसुमान्नादो हर्यश्वश्चैव रुक्मवान्
He who is proud in desired offerings and who destroys demons and enemies—Surabhi, Vasuman, Nada, Haryashva, and also Rukmavan—
प्रवर्ग्यः क्षेमवांश्चैव इत्यष्टौ च प्रकीर्तिताः शुच्यग्नेस्तु प्रजा ह्येषा अग्नयश्च चतुर्दश
Pravargya and Kṣemavan—thus, eight are proclaimed; these are the progeny of the pure fire, and indeed, there are fourteen fires.
इत्येते ह्यग्नयः प्रोक्ताः प्रणीता ये हि चाध्वरे समतीते तु सर्गे ये यामैः सह सुरोत्तमैः
Thus, these fires have been described—those who are established in the sacrifice, and those who existed in the past creation, along with the best of the gods of the night.
स्वायम्भुवे ऽन्तरे पूर्वम् अग्नयस्ते ऽभिमानिनः एते विहरणीयेषु चेतनाचेतनेष्विह
In the previous interval of Svāyambhuva, these proud fires existed; here, among the animate and inanimate, they move about.
स्थानाभिमानिनो ऽग्नीध्राः प्रागासन्हव्यवाहनाः काम्यनैमित्तिकाद्यास्ते ये ते कर्मस्ववस्थिताः
The Agnīdhra priests, who are attached to their stations, formerly bore the oblations; those who are of the desired and occasional types, they are established in the rites.
पूर्वे मन्वन्तरे ऽतीते शुक्रैर्यामैश्च तैः सह एते देवगणैः सार्धं प्रथमस्यान्तरे मनोः
In the previous Manvantara that has passed, together with the Shukras and Yamas, these, along with the divine hosts, existed in the first interval of Manu.
इत्येता योनयो ह्यक्ताः स्थानाख्या जातवेदसाम् स्वारोचिषादिषु ज्ञेयाः सवर्णान्तेषु सप्तसु
Thus, these origins, called stations, of the knowers of fire have been established; they are to be understood in the seven Savarni cycles, beginning with Svarocisha.
तैरेवं तु प्रसंख्यातं साम्प्रतानागतेष्विह मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु लक्षणं जातवेदसाम्
Thus, by them, the characteristics of the knowers of fire have been enumerated for all the Manvantaras that have come and will come.
मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु नानारूपप्रयोजनैः वर्तन्ते वर्तमानैश्च यामैर्देवैः सहाग्नयः
In all the Manvantaras, with various forms and purposes, the fires exist together with the present Yamas and gods.
अनागतैः सुरैः सार्धं वत्स्यन्तो ऽनागतास्त्वथ इत्येष प्रचयो ऽग्नीनां मया प्रोक्तो यथाक्रमम् विस्तरेणानुपूर्व्या च किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छथ
And with the gods yet to come, those yet to be will dwell; thus, the succession of fires has been told by me in order and detail—what else would you wish to hear?
इदानीं प्राह यद्विष्णुः पृष्टः परममुत्तमम् तदिदानीं समाचक्ष्व धर्माधर्मस्य विस्तरम्
Now, tell in detail that supreme and highest matter which Viṣṇu spoke when asked, the full account of righteousness and unrighteousness.
एवमेकार्णवे तस्मिन् मत्स्यरूपी जनार्दनः विस्तारमादिसर्गस्य प्रतिसर्गस्य चाखिलम्
Thus, in that single ocean, Janārdana in the form of a fish narrated in full the origin and the entire re-creation.
कथयामास विश्वात्मा मनवे सूर्यसूनवे कर्मयोगं च सांख्यं च यथावद्विस्तरान्वितम्
The soul of the universe spoke to Manu, the son of the Sun, about the discipline of action and Sāṃkhya, properly and in detail.
श्रोतुमिच्छामहे सूत कर्मयोगस्य लक्षणम् यस्मादविदितं लोके न किंचित्तव सुव्रत
We wish to hear, O Sūta, the characteristics of the discipline of action, for nothing in the world is unknown to you, O virtuous one.
कर्मयोगं च वक्ष्यामि यथा विष्णुविभाषितम् ज्ञानयोगसहस्राद्धि कर्मयोगः प्रशस्यते
I will explain the discipline of action as described by Viṣṇu, for indeed, the discipline of action is praised above a thousand disciplines of knowledge.
कर्मयोगोद्भवं ज्ञानं तस्मात्तत्परमं पदम् कर्मज्ञानोद्भवं ब्रह्म न च ज्ञानमकर्मणः
Knowledge arises from the discipline of action; therefore, that is the supreme state. Brahman arises from action and knowledge, but not from knowledge without action.
तस्मात्कर्मणि युक्तात्मा तत्त्वमाप्नोति शाश्वतम् वेदो ऽखिलो धर्ममूलम् आचारश्चैव तद्विदाम्
Therefore, one whose mind is steadfast in action attains the eternal truth; the entire Veda is the root of dharma, as is the conduct of those who know it.
अष्टावात्मगुणास् तस्मिन् प्रधानत्वेन संस्थिताः दया सर्वेषु भूतेषु क्षान्ती रक्षातुरस्य तु
In that, eight qualities of the self are established as primary: compassion toward all beings, forbearance toward those who seek protection,
अनसूया तथा लोके शौचमन्तर्बहिर्द्विजाः अनायासेषु कार्येषु माङ्गल्याचारसेवनम्
Also, absence of envy in the world, purity inward and outward for twice-born ones, performing duties without hardship, and observance of auspicious conduct.
न च द्रव्येषु कार्पण्यम् आर्तेषूपार्जितेषु च तथास्पृहा परद्रव्ये परस्त्रीषु च सर्वदा
There should be no miserliness regarding wealth, even that acquired in distress; likewise, one should always be free from desire for others’ possessions and others’ wives.
अष्टावात्मगुणाः प्रोक्ताः पुराणस्य तु कोविदैः अयमेव क्रियायोगो ज्ञानयोगस्य साधकः
These eight qualities of the self have been declared by the knowers of the Purāṇas; this alone is the discipline of action, which leads to the path of knowledge.
कर्मयोगं विना ज्ञानं कस्यचिन् नेह दृश्यते श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितं धर्मम् उपतिष्ठेत्प्रयत्नतः
Without the discipline of action, knowledge is not seen in anyone here; one should diligently practice the dharma taught in the śruti and smṛti.