O noble one, listen to the ancient story of creation as revealed in sacred verse. In the beginning, from a body dominated by the quality of rajas, humans first arose—this was the initial form brought forth by the Lord of creatures. Yet, that body was soon abandoned by the Creator, who moves ever onward. The cast-off form transformed into light, known as the morning twilight, and with the arrival of this light, strong humans and ancestors awakened from their slumber. At the time of twilight, these beings indeed come forth, for light, night, day, and twilight—all belong to the Lord alone. The bodies of Brahmā, the Grandfather of all, are intertwined with the three guṇas, and, after relinquishing his first form, he assumed another body composed entirely of rajas. Then, from Brahmā’s hunger, anger was born—she herself caused it. Famished and shrouded in darkness, the Blessed One thus brought forth beings embodying wrath. These deformed creatures, driven by hunger, rushed toward the Lord of creation. Some cried, “Let us protect him!” and thus became known as Rakshasas. Others declared, “Let us eat!” and they became Yakshas. The sight of these fierce beings terrified the Creator so much that his hair began to fall out. Those who lost their heads grew new ones; from their crawling, serpents came forth, and because of their deficiency, they are called snakes. Then, from the enraged Creator, beings embodying wrath were produced—fierce, tawny-hued, and flesh-eating. As Brahmā drank from the cow, Gandharvas emerged from him at that moment; likewise, as he drank speech, Gandharvas were born from his very being. Having brought forth these, the Blessed Brahmā, impelled by his creative power, then, of his own free will, created other birds. From his chest, he fashioned birds; from his mouth, goats. From his belly, cows and buffaloes were produced by the Lord of creatures. From his feet, he created horses, elephants, donkeys, wild oxen, deer, camels, mules, and other kinds as well. Medicinal plants, bearing fruits and roots, sprang from his hair at the dawn of the Treta Yuga, at the beginning of the kalpa, O best of kings. Having properly created animals and plants, Brahmā assigned them to sacrifice: cow, goat, buffalo, sheep, horse, mule, and donkey. These are known as domestic animals. Now hear of the wild ones: the carnivores, the cloven-hoofed, the elephant, the monkey as the fifth, and the bird. Camels are the sixth kind, and reptiles the seventh. He also created the Gayatra and Rc verses, Trivrt, Soma, and Rathantara. From his mouth, he brought forth Agnistoma, the foremost of sacrifices; the Yajus verses, the Trishtubh meter, and the fifteenfold Stoma. From his southern mouth, he produced the Brihatsaman and Uktha, the Sama hymns, Jagati meter, and the seventeenfold Stoma. From his western mouth, he produced Vairupa and Atiratra, the twenty-onefold Atharvan, and Aptoryama. From his northern mouth, he produced Anushtubh and Savairaja. Beings of various forms were born from his limbs. Having created gods, demons, ancestors, and humans, the Lord of creatures, at the beginning of the kalpa, again brought them forth—he, the Grandfather of all. The hosts of Yakṣas, Piśācas, Gandharvas, groups of Apsarases, Siddhas, Kinnaras, and Rākṣasas, as well as lions, birds, beasts, and serpents—all these he created. Both perishable and imperishable, whatever is stationary or moving—all this, at that time, the blessed Lord Brahmā, the prime creator, brought forth. The actions acquired in previous creations—those very same actions beings assume again, being created repeatedly. Inclined toward violence or nonviolence, gentleness or cruelty, righteousness or unrighteousness, truth or falsehood—according to their disposition, beings attain that which pleases them. In the objects of the senses, among all beings and bodies, the Lord assigned various forms and functions, distributing them himself. The names and forms of beings, and the diversity of their duties—he established all these, for gods and others, at the beginning, drawing from the very words of the Veda. The names of the seers, as heard in the Veda, he assigned to them as appropriate, and likewise to others, according to their proper function. Just as, in the changing seasons, various forms and signs appear in succession, so too do these very states manifest at the beginnings of the ages. In this way, at the start of each cycle, Brahmā creates such a creation again and again, desiring to create, endowed with power, prompted by the creative energy. Then Bhīṣma spoke: “You have described the ‘downstream’ creation, which is human; O Brāhman, tell in detail how Brahmā created that. How did he create those of the same color and their qualities, O great sage? And what are the prescribed duties of Brāhmaṇas and others? Let that be told.” Pulastya replied: “At first, as Brahmā desired to create, beings devoted to goodness were born; O best of the Kurus, those endowed with abundant goodness arose from his mouth. Others, endowed with abundant passion, were born from Brahmā’s chest; and those with a mixture of passion and darkness, likewise, from his thighs. From his feet, O best of the Kurus, Brahmā created other beings; all these were dominated by darkness, and thus arose the fourfold order. Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras, O best of kings, emerged from the feet, thighs, chest, and mouth, respectively. For the accomplishment of sacrifice, Brahmā made all this—the fourfold order, O great king, as the supreme means for sacrifice. By sacrifice, the gods are nourished, and by the release of rain, humans are nourished; for righteous sacrifices are the cause of well-being. These are accomplished by men who are always devoted to good deeds, who have turned away from contrary conduct, who are virtuous and follow the right path.” Thus, O king, the sacred order of creation, its beings, their natures, and their duties, were established by the Lord at the dawn of the ages, according to the eternal wisdom of the Veda.