सर्गकाले तु संप्राप्ते ज्ञात्वा तं ज्ञानरूपकम् । आत्मलीनं विकारं च तत्स्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे
When the time of creation arrived, knowing that entity whose nature is knowledge, which is absorbed in itself and unchanging, it undertook to create.
तस्मात्प्रधानमुद्भूतं ततश्चापि महानभूत् । सात्विको राजसश्चैव तामसश्च त्रिधा महान्
From that arose Pradhana, and from it came Mahat; Mahat is threefold—sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic.
प्रधानेनावृतो ह्येव त्वचा बीजमिवावृतम् । वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चैव तामसः
Mahat, enveloped by Pradhana just as a seed is covered by its skin, is threefold: Vaikarika, Taijasa, and Bhutadi, the tamasic.
त्रिविधोयमहंकारो महत्तत्वादजायत । यथा प्रधानेन महान्महता स तथा वृतः
From Mahat arose the threefold ahamkara; just as Mahat is enveloped by Pradhana, so too is ahamkara enveloped by Mahat.
भूतादिस्तु विकुर्वाणः शब्दतन्मात्रकं ततः । ससर्ज शब्दतन्मात्रादाकाशं शब्दलक्षणम्
Bhutadi, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle element of sound; from the subtle element of sound, it created space, characterized by sound.
शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं भूतादिः सममावृणोत् । शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं स्पर्शमात्रं ससर्ज ह
Bhutadi enveloped both the subtle element of sound and space; then, from the subtle element of sound and space, it produced the subtle element of touch.
बलवानभवद्वायुस्तस्य स्पर्शो गुणो मतः । आकाशं शब्दमात्रं तु स्पर्शमात्रं समावृणोत्
Then arose the powerful Vayu, whose quality is said to be touch; space, which is only sound, was enveloped by the subtle element of touch.
ततो वायुविकुर्वाणो रूपमात्रं ससर्ज ह । ज्योतिरुत्पद्यते वायोस्तद्रूपगुणमुच्यते
Then, as Vayu underwent transformation, it produced the subtle element of form; from Vayu arose light, which is said to possess the quality of form.
स्पर्शमात्रस्तु वै वायू रूपमात्रं समावृणोत् । ज्योतिश्चापि विकुर्वाणं रसमात्रं ससर्ज ह
By mere touch, indeed, air enveloped only form; and fire, undergoing transformation, produced only taste.
संभवंति ततोंभांसि रसमात्राणि तानि तु । रसमात्राणिचांभांसि रूपमात्रं समावृणोत्
From that, those essences of taste came into being; and those essences of taste, in turn, were enveloped by only form.
विकुर्वाणानिचांभांसिगंधमात्रंससर्जिरे । तस्माज्जाता मही चेयं सर्वभूतगुणाधिका
And those essences, undergoing transformation, produced only scent; from that, this earth was born, endowed with all the qualities of beings.
ससंघातो यतस्तस्मात्तस्य गंधो गुणो मतः । तस्मिंस्तस्मिंस्तु तन्मात्रात्तेन तन्मात्रता स्मृता
Because it is a composite, its quality is considered to be scent; in each, from each subtle element, its particularity is remembered as such.
तन्मात्राण्यविशेषाणि विशेषाः क्रमशो पराः । भूततन्मात्रसर्गोयमहंकारात्तु तामसात्
The subtle elements are undifferentiated; the differentiated ones arise successively; this creation of the subtle elements of matter proceeds from tamasic ego.
कीर्तितस्तु समासेन मुनिवर्यास्तपोधनाः । तैजसानींद्रियाण्याहुर्देवा वैकारिका दश
Thus, in summary, O best of sages, ascetics declare that the ten organs are luminous and arise from the vaikarika aspect.
एकादशं मनश्चात्र कीर्तितं तत्त्वचिंतकैः । ज्ञानेंद्रियाणि पंचात्र पंचकर्मेंद्रियाणि च
Here, the mind is said to be the eleventh by those who contemplate reality; among these are the five organs of knowledge and the five organs of action.
तानि वक्ष्यामि तेषां च कर्माणि कुलपावनाः । श्रवणं त्वक्चक्षुर्जिह्वा नासिका चैव पंचमी
I shall describe them and their functions, O purifier of lineages: hearing, touch, sight, taste, and the fifth is smell.
शब्दादिज्ञानसिद्ध्यर्थं बुद्धियुक्तानि पंच वै । पायूपस्थं हस्तपादौ कीर्तिता वाक्चपंचमी
These five, endowed with intelligence, exist for the attainment of knowledge of sound and the rest; the anus, genitals, hands, feet, and speech are declared as the fifth.
विसर्गानंदनादानगत्युक्तिकर्मतत्स्मृतम् । आकाशवायुतेजांसि सलिलं पृथिवी तथा
Their actions are remembered as excretion, pleasure, taking, movement, and speaking; ether, air, fire, water, and likewise earth.
शब्दादिभिर्गुणैर्विप्राः संयुक्ता उत्तरोत्तरैः । नानावीर्याः पृथग्भूतास्ततस्ते संहतिं विना
O sages, these are endowed with the qualities beginning with sound, each successive one possessing more; they are of various powers, distinct, and without combination.
नाशक्नुवन्प्रजाः स्रष्टुमसमागत्य कृत्स्नशः । समेत्यान्योन्यसंयोगं परस्परमथाश्रयात्
Unable to create beings without coming together completely, they then, by mutual union and reciprocal support—
एकसंघास्सलक्ष्याश्च संप्राप्यैक्यमशेषतः । पुरुषाधिष्ठितत्वाच्च प्रधानानुग्रहेण च
Having attained complete unity as a single aggregate, and because of the supervision of the Purusha and the favor of Pradhana—
महदादयो विशेषांता अंडमुत्पादयंति ते । तत्क्रमेण विवृद्धं तु जलबुद्बुदवत्सदा
From Mahat down to the particular elements, they produce the cosmic egg; that, in due order, always grows like a bubble in water.
भूतेभ्योंडं महाप्राज्ञा वृद्धं तदुदकेशयम् । प्राकृतं ब्रह्मरूपस्य विष्णोः स्थानमनुत्तमम्
From the elements, O greatly wise one, the egg grew, resting in water; it is the primal 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, the mighty one, having assumed the form of Brahma, abides by his own will.
स्वेदजांडमभूत्तस्य जरायुश्च महीधराः । गर्भोदकं समुद्राश्च तस्याभून्महदात्मनः
From him arose the sweat-born, the egg-born, and the womb-born, O mountain; the waters of the womb and the oceans came from that great soul.
साद्रिद्वीपसमुद्राश्च सज्योतिर्लोकसंग्रहः । तस्मिन्नंडेभवत्सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम्
With mountains, islands, oceans, and the collection of luminous worlds; in that egg existed everything—gods, asuras, and humans.
अनादिनिधनस्यैव विष्णोर्नाभेः समुत्थितम् । यत्पद्मं तद्धैममंडमभूच्छ्रीकेशवेच्छया
From the navel of Viṣṇu, who is without beginning or end, arose a lotus; that golden sphere came into being by the will of Śrīkeśa.
रजोगुणधरो देवः स्वयमेव हरिः परः । ब्रह्मरूपंसमास्थाय जगत्स्रष्टुं प्रवर्तते
The supreme Hari himself, endowed with the quality of passion, assuming the form of Brahmā, proceeds to create the universe.
सृष्टं च पात्यनुयुगं यावत्कल्पविकल्पना । नारसिंहादिरूपेण रुद्ररुपेण संहरेत्
He preserves what is created, throughout each age, until the end of the kalpa; then, taking forms such as Narasiṃha or Rudra, he brings about dissolution.
सब्रह्मरूपं विसृजन्महात्मा जगत्समस्तं परिपातुमिच्छन् । रामादिरूपं स तु गृह्य याति बभूव रुद्रो जगदेतदत्तुम्
Desiring to protect the entire world, the great soul, assuming the form of Brahmā, creates; then, taking forms such as Rāma, he becomes Rudra to consume this world.