अश्रद्धयापि शृणुते लभते पुण्यसंचयम् । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पद्मं श्रोत्रातिथी कुरु
Even one who listens without faith accumulates merit; therefore, with every effort, make the Padma your honored guest through hearing.
तत्रादिखंडं वक्ष्यामि पुण्यं पापविनाशनम् । शृण्वंतु मुनयः सर्वे सशिष्यास्त्वत्र ये स्थिताः
Now I shall relate the Ādikhaṇḍa, which is meritorious and destroys sin; let all the sages assembled here with their disciples listen.
सूत उवाच-। आदिसर्गमहं तावत्कथयामि द्विजोत्तमाः । ज्ञायते येन भगवान्परमात्मा सनातनः
Sūta said: I shall now recount the original creation, O best of twice-born, by which the blessed supreme soul, eternal, is known.
सृष्टेषु प्रलयादूर्ध्वं नासीत्किंचिद्द्विजोत्तमाः । ब्रह्मसंज्ञमभूदेकं ज्योतिर्वै सर्वकारकम्
After the dissolution of creation, O best of Brāhmaṇas, nothing existed; there was only one light, called Brahman, the cause of all.
नित्यं निरंजनं शांतं निर्मलं नित्यनिर्मलम् । आनंदसागरंस्वच्छं यत्कांक्षंति मुमुक्षवः
It is eternal, stainless, peaceful, pure, ever immaculate, an ocean of bliss, transparent, and sought after by those who desire liberation.
सर्वज्ञं ज्ञानरूपत्वादनंतमजमव्ययम् । अविनाशि सदास्वच्छमच्युतं व्यापकं महत्
It is all-knowing, of the nature of knowledge, infinite, unborn, undecaying, imperishable, ever pure, unchanging, all-pervading, and great.
सर्गकाले तु संप्राप्ते ज्ञात्वा तं ज्ञानरूपकम् । आत्मलीनं विकारं च तत्स्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे
When the time for creation arrived, knowing that entity of the nature of knowledge, absorbed in itself and its transformation, it began to create.
तस्मात्प्रधानमुद्भूतं ततश्चापि महानभूत् । सात्विको राजसश्चैव तामसश्च त्रिधा महान्
From that arose Pradhāna (primordial matter), and from that came Mahān (the great principle); Mahān is threefold: sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika.
प्रधानेनावृतो ह्येव त्वचा बीजमिवावृतम् । वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चैव तामसः
Just as a seed is covered by its husk, so is the principal element enveloped by the skin; the vaikārik, taijasa, and bhūtādi are the threefold forms of tamas.
त्रिविधोयमहंकारो महत्तत्वादजायत । यथा प्रधानेन महान्महता स तथा वृतः
From the great principle arose the threefold ego; as the great arises from the principal, so is it enveloped in the same way.
भूतादिस्तु विकुर्वाणः शब्दतन्मात्रकं ततः । ससर्ज शब्दतन्मात्रादाकाशं शब्दलक्षणम्
The bhūtādi, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle essence of sound; from that subtle essence of sound, it created space, characterized by sound.
शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं भूतादिः सममावृणोत् । शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं स्पर्शमात्रं ससर्ज ह
The bhūtādi enveloped both the subtle essence of sound and space together; from the subtle essence of sound and space, it then produced the subtle essence of touch.
बलवानभवद्वायुस्तस्य स्पर्शो गुणो मतः । आकाशं शब्दमात्रं तु स्पर्शमात्रं समावृणोत्
Wind became powerful, and its quality is considered to be touch; space, which is characterized by sound, enveloped the subtle essence of touch.
ततो वायुविकुर्वाणो रूपमात्रं ससर्ज ह । ज्योतिरुत्पद्यते वायोस्तद्रूपगुणमुच्यते
Then, wind, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle essence of form; from wind arises light, which is said to possess the quality of form.
स्पर्शमात्रस्तु वै वायू रूपमात्रं समावृणोत् । ज्योतिश्चापि विकुर्वाणं रसमात्रं ससर्ज ह
The subtle essence of touch, belonging to wind, enveloped the subtle essence of form; light, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle essence of taste.
संभवंति ततोंभांसि रसमात्राणि तानि तु । रसमात्राणिचांभांसि रूपमात्रं समावृणोत्
From that, the waters came into being, along with the subtle essences of taste; the subtle essences of taste and waters enveloped the subtle essence of form.
विकुर्वाणानिचांभांसिगंधमात्रंससर्जिरे । तस्माज्जाता मही चेयं सर्वभूतगुणाधिका
The waters, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle essence of smell; from that, the earth was born, endowed with all the qualities of the elements.
ससंघातो यतस्तस्मात्तस्य गंधो गुणो मतः । तस्मिंस्तस्मिंस्तु तन्मात्रात्तेन तन्मात्रता स्मृता
Because it is a composite, its quality is considered to be smell; from each subtle essence arises its corresponding element, and thus their subtle essence is remembered.
तन्मात्राण्यविशेषाणि विशेषाः क्रमशो पराः । भूततन्मात्रसर्गोयमहंकारात्तु तामसात्
The subtle essences are undifferentiated, while the differentiated elements arise successively; the creation of the elements from the subtle essences originates from tamasic ego.
कीर्तितस्तु समासेन मुनिवर्यास्तपोधनाः । तैजसानींद्रियाण्याहुर्देवा वैकारिका दश
This has been briefly described by the eminent sages, rich in austerity; the ten taijasa senses are said to be divine and vaikārik.
एकादशं मनश्चात्र कीर्तितं तत्त्वचिंतकैः । ज्ञानेंद्रियाणि पंचात्र पंचकर्मेंद्रियाणि च
The eleventh, the mind, is also mentioned here by those who contemplate the principles; there are five organs of knowledge and five organs of action.
तानि वक्ष्यामि तेषां च कर्माणि कुलपावनाः । श्रवणं त्वक्चक्षुर्जिह्वा नासिका चैव पंचमी
I will now speak of them and their functions, O purifier of families; hearing, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose are the five.
शब्दादिज्ञानसिद्ध्यर्थं बुद्धियुक्तानि पंच वै । पायूपस्थं हस्तपादौ कीर्तिता वाक्चपंचमी
These five, endowed with intellect, exist for the attainment of knowledge of sound and so forth; anus, genitals, hands, feet, and speech are the five organs of action.
विसर्गानंदनादानगत्युक्तिकर्मतत्स्मृतम् । आकाशवायुतेजांसि सलिलं पृथिवी तथा
Their functions are remembered as elimination, enjoyment, grasping, movement, and speaking; space, wind, light, water, and earth likewise.
शब्दादिभिर्गुणैर्विप्राः संयुक्ता उत्तरोत्तरैः । नानावीर्याः पृथग्भूतास्ततस्ते संहतिं विना
O Brahmins, each is endowed with qualities such as sound and so on, increasingly; they possess various powers and exist separately, lacking unity.
नाशक्नुवन्प्रजाः स्रष्टुमसमागत्य कृत्स्नशः । समेत्यान्योन्यसंयोगं परस्परमथाश्रयात्
Unable to create beings without coming together completely, they unite with one another, relying mutually upon each other.
एकसंघास्सलक्ष्याश्च संप्राप्यैक्यमशेषतः । पुरुषाधिष्ठितत्वाच्च प्रधानानुग्रहेण च
When the various groups, each with their own characteristics, fully unite as one, and through the presence of the Purusha and the favor of Pradhana,
महदादयो विशेषांता अंडमुत्पादयंति ते । तत्क्रमेण विवृद्धं तु जलबुद्बुदवत्सदा
then, from Mahat down to the specific elements, they produce the cosmic egg; and in due order, it grows continually, like a bubble in water.
भूतेभ्योंडं महाप्राज्ञा वृद्धं तदुदकेशयम् । प्राकृतं ब्रह्मरूपस्य विष्णोः स्थानमनुत्तमम्
From the elements, O wise one, the egg grows, resting in the waters; it is the primal, natural seat of Vishnu in the form of Brahma, unsurpassed.
तत्राव्यक्तस्वरूपोसौ विष्णुर्विश्वेश्वरः प्रभुः । ब्रह्मरूपं समास्थाय स्वयमेव व्यवस्थितः
There, in his unmanifest form, Vishnu, the Lord of the universe, having assumed the form of Brahma, abides by his own will.