इयं ब्रसी मया क्लप्ता आस्यतां सुखदा कृता। अर्घ्यपात्रे तु पालाशे दूर्वाक्षतसुमैः कुशैः
This ladle has been prepared by me; let it be placed, as it brings comfort. In the vessel for offering, made of palāśa wood, are durvā grass, rice grains, flowers, and kuśa grass.
सर्षपैश्च दधिक्षौद्रैर्यवैश्च पयसा सह। अष्टांगो ह्येष निर्द्दिष्टो ह्यर्घो हि मुनिभिः पुरा
With mustard seeds, curd, honey, barley, and milk together, this eightfold offering is prescribed, as established by the sages of old.
श्रुत्वैतद्वचनं तस्य भीष्मस्यामिततेजसः। उपविष्टो ब्रह्मसुतः पुलस्त्यो भगवानृषिः
Hearing these words of Bhīṣma, whose energy is immeasurable, the divine sage Pulastya, son of Brahma, sat down.
विष्टरं सहपाद्येन अर्घपात्रं मुदान्वितः। जुजोष भगवान्प्रीतः सदाचारेण तेन तु
With a seat and water for washing the feet, and the vessel for offering, filled with joy, the blessed one, pleased, accepted it with proper conduct.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। सत्यवान्दानशीलोसि सत्यसंधिर्नरेश्वरः। ह्रीमान्मैत्रः क्षमाशीलो विक्रांतः शत्रुशासने
Pulastya said: You are truthful, generous, steadfast in your word, O king; modest, friendly, patient, valiant in subduing enemies.
धर्मज्ञस्त्वं कृतज्ञस्त्वं दयावान्प्रियभाषिता। मान्यमानयिता विज्ञो ब्रह्मण्यः साधुवत्सलः
You know righteousness, you are grateful, compassionate, and speak kindly; you honor the honorable, are wise, devoted to Brahmins, and cherish the virtuous.
तुष्टस्तेहं सदा वत्स प्रणिपातपरस्य वै। प्रब्रूहि त्वं महाभाग कथनं ते वदाम्यहम्
I am always pleased with you, child, who are devoted to reverence; tell me, O fortunate one, what you wish to ask, and I shall speak.
भीष्म उवाच। भगवन्भगवान्ब्रह्मा कस्मिन्काले स्थितो विभुः। सृष्टिं चकार वै पूर्वं देवादीनां वदस्व मे
Bhīṣma said: O revered one, O blessed Brahma, at what time did the mighty one exist? Tell me how he first created the gods and others.
स्थितिं वा भगवान्विष्णुः कथं रुद्रस्तु निर्मितः। कथं वा ऋषयो देवास्सृष्टास्तेन महात्मना
Or how did the blessed Viṣṇu sustain, and how was Rudra created? How were the sages and gods brought forth by that great soul?
कथं पृथ्वी कथं व्योम कथं चेमे तु सागराः। कथं द्वीपाः पर्वताश्च ग्रामारण्यपुराणि च
How was the earth, how was the sky, and how were these oceans? How were the islands, mountains, villages, forests, and cities?
मुनीन्प्रजापतींश्चैव सप्तर्षीन्प्रवरानपि। वर्णान्वायुं पुरास्थानं गंधर्वान्यक्षराक्षसान्
And the sages, the progenitors, the eminent seven seers, the castes, the wind, the ancient places, the Gandharvas, Yakṣas, and Rākṣasas?
तीर्थानि सरितो वाथ सूर्यादीन्ग्रहतारकान्। यथा ससर्ज भगवांस्तथा मे त्वं वदस्व ह
The sacred places, rivers, and also the sun, planets, and stars—how did the blessed one create them? Tell me this as it happened.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। परः पराणां परमः परमात्मा पितामहः। रूपवर्णादिरहितो विशेषण विवर्जितः
Pulastya said: The supreme among the supreme, the highest Self, the ancestor, is without form, color, or attributes, devoid of any distinguishing marks.
अपक्षयविनाशाभ्यां परिणामर्द्धिजन्मभिः। गुणैर्विवर्जितः सर्वैः स भातीति हि केवलम्
He is free from decrease, destruction, transformation, growth, and birth; he is devoid of all qualities, and thus he alone shines.
सर्वत्रासौ समश्चापि वसन्ननुपमो मतः। भावयन्ब्रह्मरूपेण विद्वद्भिः परिपठ्यते
He is equal everywhere, dwelling in all, incomparable; contemplating in the form of Brahman, he is expounded by the wise.
तं गुह्यं परमं नित्यमजमक्षयमव्ययम्। तथा पुरुषरूपेण कालरूपेण संस्थितम्
That secret, supreme, eternal, unborn, imperishable, and unchanging one is also established in the form of the person and of time.
तं नत्वाहं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा सृष्टिं चकार ह। पूर्वं तु पद्मशयनादुत्थाय जगतःप्रभुः
Having bowed to him, I shall speak of how he created the world, rising first from the lotus-seat, the Lord of the universe.
गुणव्यंजनसंभूतः सर्गकाले नराधिप। सात्विको राजसश्चैव तामसश्च त्रिधा महान्
At the time of creation, O king, the great one arose, composed of qualities and distinctions: sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic, in threefold form.
प्रधानतत्वेन समं तथा बीजादिभिर्वृतः। वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चैव तामसः
As the chief principle, it is equally enveloped by the seeds and so forth; the sattvic (vaikārika), rajasic (taijasa), and tamasic (bhūtādi) forms arise.
त्रिविधोयमहंकारो महत्तत्त्वादजायत। भूतेंद्रियाणां पंचानां तथा कर्मेन्द्रियैः सह
This threefold ego (ahaṃkāra) was born from the great principle (mahat); along with the five elements, the five organs of action also emerged.
पृथिव्यापस्तथातेजो वायुराकाशमेव च। एकैकशः स्वरूपेण कथयामि यथोत्तरम्
Earth, water, fire, air, and also space—one by one, in their own nature, I will describe them in order.
शब्दमात्रमथाकाशं भूतादिः खं समावृणोत्। अथाकाशं विकुर्वाणं स्पर्शमात्रं ससर्ज ह
Then, the tamasic (bhūtādi) covered space (kha), which is characterized only by sound; and as space transformed, it produced touch alone.
बलवानेष वै वायुस्तस्य स्पर्शो गुणो मतः। आकाशं शब्दमात्रं तु स्पर्शमात्रं समावृणोत्
This powerful one is indeed air, whose quality is considered to be touch; space, having only sound, was enveloped by touch alone.
ततो वायुर्विकुर्वाणो रूपमात्रं ससर्ज ह। ज्योतीरूपन्तु तद्वायुस्तद्रूपगुणमुच्यते
Then, as air transformed, it produced form alone; that form is called light, and air is said to possess the quality of form.
स्पर्शरूपस्तु वै वायू रूपमात्रं समावृणोत्। ज्योतिश्चापि विकुर्वाणं रसमात्रं ससर्ज ह
Air, possessing touch and form, was enveloped by form alone; and as light transformed, it produced taste alone.
संभवंति ततोंभांसि रूपमात्रं समावृणोत्। विकुर्वाणानि चांभांसि गंधमात्रं ससर्जिरे
From that, water came into being, enveloped by form alone; and as water transformed, it produced smell alone.
संघातो जायते तस्मात्तस्य गंधो मतो गुणः। तैजसानीन्द्रियाण्याहुर्देवा वैकारिका दश
From that, a compound arises, whose quality is considered to be smell; the gods declare the senses born of rajas to be ten.
एकादशम्मनश्चात्र देवा वैकारिकाः स्मृताः। त्वक्चक्षुर्नासिका जिह्वा श्रोत्रमत्र च पंचमम्१०० 1.2.
The mind is the eleventh here; the gods born of sattva are remembered thus: skin, eye, nose, tongue, and ear as the fifth.
एतेषां तु मतं कृत्यं शब्दादि ग्रहणं पुनः। वाक्पाणिपादपायूनि चोपस्थं तत्र पञ्चमम्
Their function, it is said, is the perception of sound and so on; speech, hands, feet, anus, and the generative organ are the five organs of action.
विसर्गशिल्पगत्युक्तिर्गुणा एषां विपर्ययात्। आकाश वायु तेजांसि सलिलं पृथिवी तथा
Emission, craftsmanship, movement, and speech are their qualities, in reverse order; space, air, fire, water, and likewise earth.