यत्सत्यमक्षरं ब्रह्म ह्य् अष्टादशविधं तु तत् यत्सत्यं यदृतं तत्तु परं पदमनुस्मर
'That which is true, imperishable Brahman, of eighteen forms—whatever is true, whatever is right, remember that supreme state.'
एतद्वचो निशम्यैव ययौ स दिशमुत्तराम् गत्वा च तत्र ब्रह्मत्वम् अगमज्ज्ञानतेजसा
Hearing these words, he went to the northern direction, and having gone there, attained the state of Brahmā through the brilliance of knowledge.
ततो ब्रह्मा भुवं नाम द्वितीयमसृजत्प्रभुः संकल्पयित्वा मनसा तमेव च महामनाः
Then Brahmā, the Lord, mentally conceived and created the second world, called Earth, with his great mind.
ततः सो ऽथाब्रवीद्वाक्यं किं करोमि पितामह पितामहसमाज्ञातो ब्रह्माणं समुपस्थितः
Then he spoke these words: 'What shall I do, Grandfather?' Having been commanded by the Grandfather, he approached Brahmā.
ब्रह्माभ्यासं तु कृतवान् भुवश्च पृथिवीं गतः प्राप्तश्च परमं स्थानं स तयोः पार्श्वमागतः
He practiced devotion to Brahma and, having reached the earth from the intermediate region, attained the supreme state and came to their side.
तस्मिन्नपि गते पुत्रे तृतीयमसृजत्प्रभुः मोक्षप्रवृत्तिकुशलं भूर्भुवं नामतो विभुम्
When that son also departed, the Lord created a third, skilled in the pursuit of liberation, the illustrious Bhūrbhuva by name.
गोपतित्वं समासाद्य तयोरेवागमद्गतिम् एवं पुत्रास्त्रयो ऽप्येत उक्ताः शंभोर्महात्मनः
Having attained the role of protector of cows, he too followed the path of those two; thus, these three sons of the great-souled Śambhu have been described.
तान्गृहीत्वा सुतांस्तस्य प्रयातः स्वार्जितां गतिम् नारायणश्च भगवान् कपिलश्च यतीश्वरः
Taking those sons with him, he went to the state he had earned; and the blessed Nārāyaṇa, Kapila, and the lord of ascetics did likewise.
यं कालं तौ गतौ मुक्तौ ब्रह्मा तं कालमेव हि ततो घोरतमं भूयः संश्रितः परमं व्रतम्
The time in which those two attained liberation is indeed the same time as Brahma; thereafter, he undertook a most severe vow.
न रेमे ऽथ ततो ब्रह्मा प्रभुरेकस्तपश्चरन् शरीरार्धात्ततो भार्यां समुत्पादितवाञ्छुभाम्
Then Brahma, the sole Lord, did not find delight, and practicing austerity, he produced from half his body an auspicious wife.
तपसा तेजसा चैव वर्चसा नियमेन च सदृशीमात्मनो देवीं समर्थां लोकसर्जने
By means of austerity, brilliance, splendor, and discipline, he created a goddess equal to himself, capable of creating the worlds.
तया समाहितस्तत्र रेमे ब्रह्मा तपश्चरन् ततो जगाद त्रिपदां गायत्रीं वेदपूजिताम्
United with her there, Brahma delighted while practicing austerity; then he uttered the three-footed Gāyatrī, honored in the Vedas.
सृजन्प्रजानां पतयः सागरांश्चासृजद्विभुः अपरांश्चैव चतुरो वेदान्गायत्रिसंभवान्
Creating the lords of beings and the oceans, the illustrious one also produced the four Vedas, born from Gāyatrī.
आत्मनः सदृशान्पुत्रान् असृजद्वै पितामहः विश्वे प्रजानां पतयो येभ्यो लोका विनिःसृताः
The Grandfather then created sons resembling himself, the lords of all beings, from whom the worlds have emerged.
विश्वेशं प्रथमं तावन् महातापसमात्मजम् सर्वमन्त्रहितं पुण्यं नाम्ना धर्मं स सृष्टवान्
First, he created Viśveśa, his own son of great austerity, endowed with all mantras and virtue, by name Dharma.
दक्षं मरीचिमत्रिं च पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुम् वसिष्ठं गौतमं चैव भृगुमङ्गिरसं मनुम्
Dakṣa, Marīci, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasiṣṭha, Gautama, Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, and Manu.
अथैवाद्भुतमित्येते ज्ञेयाः पैतामहर्षयः त्रयोदशगुणं धर्मम् आलभन्त महर्षयः
These are known as the wondrous ancestral sages; the great seers embraced Dharma, which is thirteenfold.
अदितिर्दितिर्दनुः काला अनायुः सिंहिका मुनिः ताम्रा क्रोधाथ सुरता विनता कद्रुरेव च
Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kāla, Anāyu, Siṃhikā, Muni, Tāmrā, Krodhā, Suratā, Vinatā, and Kadrū.
दक्षस्यापत्यमेता वै कन्या द्वादश पार्थिव मरीचेः कश्यपः पुत्रस् तपसा निर्मितः किल
These twelve daughters, O King, are the offspring of Dakṣa; Kaśyapa, son of Marīci, was born through austerity.
तस्मै कन्या द्वादशान्या दक्षस्ताः प्रददौ तदा नक्षत्राणि च सोमाय तदा वै दत्तवानृषिः
To him, Dakṣa then gave those twelve other daughters; and the sage gave the stars to Soma at that time.
रोहिण्यादीनि सर्वाणि पुण्यानि रविनन्दन लक्ष्मीर्मरुत्वती साध्या विश्वेशा च मता शुभा
All the auspicious stars beginning with Rohiṇī, O son of the Sun, Lakṣmī, Marutvatī, Sādhyā, and the blessed Viśveśā are considered.
देवी सरस्वती चैव ब्रह्मणा निर्मिताः पुरा एताः पञ्च वरिष्ठा वै सुरश्रेष्ठाय पार्थिव
The goddess Sarasvatī too was formerly created by Brahma; these five, O King, are the most excellent, for the best of the gods.
दत्ता भद्राय धर्माय ब्रह्मणा दृष्टकर्मणा या तु रूपवती पत्नी ब्रह्मणः कामरूपिणी
The beautiful wife, endowed with auspiciousness and righteousness, was given by Brahmā, who perceives all actions, and she was able to assume any form at will.
सुरभिः सा हिता भूत्वा ब्रह्माणं समुपस्थिता ततस्तामगमद्ब्रह्मा मैथुनं लोकपूजितः
She, being favorable and named Surabhi, approached Brahmā; then Brahmā, honored by the worlds, united with her.
लोकसर्जनहेतुज्ञो गवामर्थाय सत्तमः जज्ञिरे च सुतास्तस्यां विपुला धूमसंनिभाः
Knowing the purpose of creation and for the sake of cows, the excellent one, sons were born from her, vast and resembling smoke.
नक्तसंध्याभ्रसंकाशाः प्रादहंस्तिग्मतेजसः ते रुदन्तो द्रवन्तश्च गर्हयन्तः पितामहम्
Resembling the darkness of night and twilight clouds, blazing with intense energy, they cried, ran, and reproached the Grandfather.
रोदनाद्रवणाच्चैव रुद्रा इति ततः स्मृताः निरृतिश्चैव शंभुर्वै तृतीयश्चापराजितः
Because of their weeping and running, they became known as Rudras; and Nirṛti, Śambhu, and Aparājita were the third among them.
मृगव्याधः कपर्दी च दहनो ऽथेश्वरश्च वै अहिर्बुध्न्यश्च भगवान् कपाली चापि पिङ्गलः
Mṛgavyādha, Kapardī, Dahana, Īśvara, Ahirbudhnya, the venerable Kapālī, and Piṅgala as well.
सेनानीश्च महातेजा रुद्रास्त्वेकादश स्मृताः तस्यामेव सुरभ्यां च गावो यज्ञेश्वराश्च वै
The commanders, possessed of great brilliance, are known as the eleven Rudras; and from Surabhi also came the cows and the lords of sacrifice.
प्रकृष्टाश्च तथा मायाः सुरभ्याः पशवो ऽक्षराः अजाश्चैव तु हंसाश्च तथैवामृतमुत्तमम्
From Surabhi also arose the excellent powers, the imperishable cattle, goats, and swans, as well as the supreme nectar.