शुश्रूषुर्मम धर्मांश्च कुक्षौ चर सुखं मम मम ब्रह्मा शरीरस्थो देवैश्च ऋषिभिः सह
Desiring to hear my teachings, dwell happily within my womb; Brahma abides in my body, together with the gods and sages.
व्यक्तमव्यक्तयोगं माम् अवगच्छासुरद्विषम् अहमेकाक्षरो मन्त्रस् त्र्यक्षरश्चैव तारकः
Understand me as the union of manifest and unmanifest, the enemy of the asuras; I am the single-syllabled mantra, and also the three-syllabled, the liberating one.
परस्त्रिवर्गाद् ओंकारस् त्रिवर्गार्थनिदर्शनः एवमादिपुराणेशो वदन्नेव महामतिः
Beyond the three aims of life, I am Om, the signifier of their meaning; thus spoke the wise lord of the ancient Purana.
वक्त्रमाहृतवानाशु मार्कण्डेयं महामुनिम् ततो भगवतः कुक्षिं प्रविष्टो मुनिसत्तमः
He swiftly drew in the great sage Markandeya through his mouth; then the best of sages entered the Lord's belly.
स तस्मिन्सुखमेकान्ते शुश्रूषुर्हंसमव्ययम् यो ऽहमेव विविधतनुं परिश्रितो महार्णवे व्यपगतचन्द्रभास्करे शनैश्चरन्प्रभुरपि हंससंज्ञितो ऽसृजज्जगद्विहरति कालपर्यये
There, in that secluded place, he happily listened to the imperishable Swan; I myself, having assumed various forms, moved in the great ocean, with the moon and sun gone, slowly wandering—the Lord, called the Swan, created and roamed the world in the course of time.
आपवः स विभुर्भूत्वा चारयामास वै तपः छादयित्वात्मनो देहं यादसां कुलसंभवम्
He, the radiant one, having become the waters, practiced austerity, concealing his own body, taking birth among the race of aquatic beings.
ततो महात्मातिबलो मतिं लोकस्य सर्जने महतां पञ्चभूतानां विश्वो विश्वमचिन्तयत्
Then the great-souled, exceedingly powerful one, intent on the creation of the world, reflected upon the great five elements and the universe.
तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य निर्वाते संस्थिते ऽर्णवे निराकाशे तोयमये सूक्ष्मे जगति गह्वरे
As he was reflecting, with the wind stilled and the ocean at rest, in a world subtle, deep, filled with water, and without space—
ईषत्संक्षोभयामास सो ऽर्णवं सलिलाश्रयः अनन्तरोर्मिभिः सूक्ष्मम् अथ छिद्रमभूत्पुरा
He slightly agitated the ocean, he who rests in the waters; then, by the endless waves, a subtle fissure arose in ancient times.
शब्दं प्रति तदोद्भूतो मारुतश्छिद्रसंभवः स लब्ध्वान्तरमक्षोभ्यो व्यवर्धत समीरणः
From that fissure, sound arose, and from it, wind was born; having found an opening, the wind, unshakable, grew strong.
विवर्धता बलवता वेगाद्विक्षोभितो ऽर्णवः तस्यार्णवस्य क्षुब्धस्य तस्मिन्नम्भसि मन्थिते कृष्णवर्त्मा समभवत् प्रभुर्वैश्वानरो महान्
As the powerful wind increased, the ocean was stirred by its force; in that agitated water, as it was churned, the Lord of fire, Vaiśvānara, of dark path, arose.
ततः संशोषयामास पावकः सलिलं बहु क्षयाज्जलनिधेश्छिद्रम् अभवद्विस्तृतं नभः
Then the fire began to dry up the abundant water; as the ocean diminished, a great opening appeared, and the sky expanded.
आत्मतेजोद्भवाः पुण्या आपो ऽमृतरसोपमाः आकाशं छिद्रसम्भूतं वायुराकाशसंभवः
The pure waters, born from the radiance of the Self, are like the essence of immortality; space arises from the presence of openings, and wind is born from space.
आभ्यां संघर्षणोद्भूतं पावकं वायुसंभवम् दृष्ट्वा प्रीतो महादेवो महाभूतविभावनः
From the friction of these two, fire arises, born from wind; seeing this, the great god, the revealer of the great elements, was pleased.
दृष्ट्वा भूतानि भगवांल् लोकसृष्ट्यर्थमुत्तमम् ब्रह्मणो जन्मसहितं बहुरूपो व्यचिन्तयत्
Beholding the elements, the Blessed Lord, for the supreme purpose of creating the worlds, contemplated the many-formed birth of Brahmā.
चतुर्युगाभिसंख्याते सहस्रयुगपर्यये बहुजन्मा हि विश्वात्मा ब्रह्मणो हविरुच्यते
At the end of a thousand cycles of four yugas, the Soul of the Universe, having many births, is called the offering of Brahmā.
यत्पृथिव्यां द्विजेन्द्राणां तपसा भावितात्मनाम् ज्ञानं वृष्टं तु विश्वार्थे योगिनां याति मुख्यताम्
The knowledge that rains down on earth for the sake of the universe, from the twice-born lords whose souls are purified by austerity, becomes supreme among yogins.
तं योगवन्तं विज्ञाय सम्पूर्णैश्वर्यमुत्तमम् पदे ब्रह्मणि विश्वेशं न्ययोजयत योगवित्
Recognizing him as endowed with yoga and perfect sovereignty, the knower of yoga appointed the Lord of the Universe in the supreme state of Brahmā.
ततस्तस्मिन्महातोये महीशो हरिरच्युतः जले क्रीडंश्च विधिवन् मोदते सर्वलोककृत्
Then, in those great waters, the Lord Hari, the infallible one, the creator of all worlds, delights in play within the waters according to the proper order.
पद्मं नाभ्युद्भवं चैकं समुत्पादितवांस्तदा सहस्रपर्णं विरजं भास्कराभं हिरण्मयम्
At that time, he produced a single lotus, sprung from his navel, with a thousand petals, spotless, shining like the sun, and golden in hue.
हुताशनज्वलितशिखोज्ज्वलत्प्रभम् उपस्थितं शरदमलार्कतेजसम् विराजते कमलमुदारवर्चसं महात्मनस्तनुरुहचारुदर्शनम्
Its blazing flames shone like sacrificial fire, radiant with the pure brilliance of the autumn sun; the splendid lotus, of noble luster, appeared near the great soul’s beautiful chest.
अथ योगवतां श्रेष्ठम् असृजद्भूरितेजसम् स्रष्टारं सर्वलोकानां ब्रह्माणं सर्वतोमुखम्
Then he created the foremost among those endowed with yoga, radiant with great splendor—the Brahmā, the creator of all worlds, facing in every direction.
यस्मिन्हिरण्मये पद्मे बहुयोजनविस्तृतम् सर्वतेजोगुणमयं पार्थिवैर्लक्षणैर्वृतम्
Within that golden lotus, vast for many leagues, filled with all the qualities of radiance, and adorned with earthly marks—
तच्च पद्मं पुराणज्ञाः पृथिवीरूपमुत्तमम् नारायणसमुद्भूतं प्रवदन्ति महर्षयः
That lotus, the knowers of the ancient lore declare, is the supreme form of the earth, said by the great sages to have arisen from Nārāyaṇa.
या पद्मा सा रसा देवी पृथिवी परिचक्ष्यते ये पद्मसारगुरवस् तान्दिव्यान् पर्वतान्विदुः
That Padmā is the goddess Rasā, who is called the earth; those who are teachers of the essence of the lotus know those divine mountains.
हिमवन्तं च मेरुं च नीलं निषधमेव च कैलासं मुञ्जवन्तं च तथान्यं गन्धमादनम्
These are Himavat, Meru, Nīla, Niṣadha, Kailāsa, Muñjavān, and also Gandhamādana.
पुण्यं त्रिशिखरं चैव कान्तं मन्दरमेव च उदयं पिञ्जरं चैव विन्ध्यवन्तं च पर्वतम्
Also the sacred Triśikhara, the lovely Mandara, Udaya, Piñjara, and the Vindhya mountain.
एते देवगणानां च सिद्धानां च महात्मनाम् आश्रयाः पुण्यशीलानां सर्वकामफलप्रदाः
These are the abodes of the hosts of gods and the great-souled siddhas, of those of virtuous conduct, bestowing all desired fruits.
एतेषामन्तरे देशो जम्बूद्वीप इति स्मृतः जम्बूद्वीपस्य संस्थानं यज्ञिया यत्र वै क्रियाः
Between these lies the region known as Jambūdvīpa, whose form is that of Jambūdvīpa, where indeed the sacrificial rites are performed.
एभ्यो यत्स्रवते तोयं दिव्यामृतरसोपमम् दिव्यास्तीर्थशताधाराः सुरम्याः सरितः स्मृताः
From these flows water, like the divine nectar of immortality; hundreds of divine, delightful rivers and sacred fords are known.