एतानि सृष्ट्वा भगवान्ब्रह्मा तच्छक्तिचोदितः। ततः स्वच्छंदतोऽन्यानि वयांसि वयसोऽसृजत्
Having created these, the Blessed Brahma, impelled by that power, then, of his own free will, created other birds.
अवयो वक्षसश्चक्रे मुखतोजांश्च सृष्टवान्। सृष्टवानुदराद्गाश्च महिषांश्च प्रजापतिः
He made birds from his chest, and from his mouth he created goats; from his belly he produced cows and buffaloes, the Lord of creatures.
पद्भ्यां चाश्वान्स मातंगान्रासभान्गवयान्मृगान्। उष्ट्रानश्वतरांश्चैव न्यंकूनन्याश्च जातयः
From his feet he created horses, elephants, donkeys, wild oxen, deer, camels, mules, and other kinds as well.
ओषध्यः फलमूलिन्यो रोमभ्यस्तस्य जज्ञिरे। त्रेतायुगमुखे ब्रह्मा कल्पस्यादौ नृपोत्तम
Medicinal plants, bearing fruits and roots, were born from his hair; at the beginning of the Treta Yuga, at the dawn of the kalpa, O best of kings.
सृष्ट्वा पश्वोषधीस्सम्यक्युयोज स तदाध्वरे। गामजं महिषम्मेषमश्वाश्वतरगर्दभान्
Having properly created animals and plants, he assigned them to the sacrifice: the cow, goat, buffalo, sheep, horse, mule, and donkey.
एतान्ग्राम्यपशूनाहुरारण्यांश्च निबोधमे। श्वापदो द्विखुरो हस्ती वानरः पञ्चमः खगः
These are called domestic animals; now hear of the wild ones: the carnivore, the cloven-hoofed, the elephant, the monkey as the fifth, and the bird.
उष्ट्रकाः पशवष्षष्ठास्सप्तमास्तु सरीसृपाः। गायत्रं च ऋचश्चैव त्रिवृत्सोमं रथन्तरम्
Camels are the sixth kind of animal, and reptiles are the seventh; the Gayatra and the Rc verses, the Trivrt, Soma, and Rathantara.
अग्निष्टोमं च यज्ञानां निर्ममे प्रथमान्मुखात्। यजूंषि त्रैष्टुभं छन्दः स्तोमं पञ्चदशं तथा
He created Agnistoma, the foremost of sacrifices, from his mouth; the Yajus verses, the Trishtubh meter, and the fifteenfold Stoma as well.
बृहत्साम तथोक्थं च दक्षिणादसृजन्मुखात्। सामानि जगतीच्छन्दः स्तोमं सप्तदशं तथा
From his southern mouth he produced the Brihatsaman and the Uktha; the Sama hymns, the Jagati meter, and the seventeenfold Stoma as well.
वैरूपमतिरात्रं च पश्चिमादसृजन्मुखात्। एकविंशमथर्वाणमप्तोर्यामाणमेव च
From his western mouth he produced the Vairupa and Atiratra; the twenty-onefold Atharvan and the Aptoryama as well.
आनुष्टुभं सवैराजमुत्तरादसृजन्मुखात्। उच्चावचानि भूतानि गात्रेभ्यस्तस्य जज्ञिरे
From his northern mouth he produced the Anushtubh and the Savairaja; beings of various forms were born from his limbs.
सुरासुरपितॄन्सृष्ट्वा मनुष्यांश्च प्रजापतिः। ततः पुनः ससर्जासौ स कल्पादौ पितामहः
Having created gods, demons, ancestors, and humans, the Lord of creatures, at the beginning of the kalpa, again brought them forth, the Grandfather.
यक्षान्पिशाचान्गंधर्वांस्तथैवाप्सरसां गणान्। सिद्धकिन्नररक्षांसि सिंहान्पक्षिमृगोरगान्
The hosts of yakṣas, piśācas, gandharvas, likewise the groups of apsarases, siddhas, kinnaras, and rākṣasas, as well as lions, birds, beasts, and serpents—
अव्ययं च व्ययं चैव यदिदं स्थाणुजंगमम्। तत्ससर्ज तदा ब्रह्मा भगवानादिकृद्विभुः
Both the perishable and the imperishable, whatever is stationary or moving— all this, at that time, the blessed Lord Brahmā, the prime creator, brought forth.
तेषां ये यानि कर्माणि प्राक्सृष्ट्यां प्रतिपेदिरे। तान्येव प्रतिपद्यंते सृज्यमानाः पुनः पुनः
The actions which they had acquired in previous creations, those very same actions they assume again, being created repeatedly.
हिंस्राहिंस्रे मृदुक्रूरे धर्माधर्मावृतानृते। तद्भाविताः प्रपद्यंते तस्मात्तत्तस्य रोचते
Inclined toward violence or nonviolence, gentleness or cruelty, righteousness or unrighteousness, truth or falsehood— according to their disposition, they attain that, and thus it becomes pleasing to them.
इंद्रियार्थेषु भूतेषु शरीरेषु च स प्रभुः। नानात्त्वं विनियोगं च धातैव व्यसृजत्स्वयं
In the objects of the senses, among beings, and in bodies, that Lord himself assigned various forms and functions, the creator himself distributing them.
नामरूपं च भूतानां कृत्यानां च प्रपंचनम्। वेदशब्देभ्य एवादौ देवादीनां चकार सः
The names and forms of beings, and the diversity of their duties— he established all these, for gods and others, at the beginning, from the very words of the Veda.
ऋषीणां नामधेयानि यथा वेदे श्रुतानि वै। यथानियोगं योग्यानि अन्येषामपि सोकरोत्
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.
यथर्तावृतुलिंगानि नानारूपाणि पर्यये। दृश्यंते तानितान्येव तथा भावा युगादिषु
Just as, in the seasons, various forms and signs appear in succession, so too do these very states manifest at the beginnings of the ages.
करोत्येवंविधां सृष्टिं कल्पादौ स पुनःपुनः। सिसृक्षुश्शक्तियुक्तोसौ सृज्य शक्तिप्रचोदितः
In this way, at the start of each cycle, he creates such a creation again and again, desiring to create, endowed with power, prompted by the creative energy.
भीष्म उवाच। अर्वाक्स्रोतास्तु कथितो भवता यस्तु मानुषः। ब्रह्मन्विस्तरतो ब्रूहि ब्रह्मा तमसृजद्यथा
Bhīṣma said: You have described the 'downstream' creation, which is human; O Brāhman, tell in detail how Brahmā created that.
यथा सवर्णानसृजद्गुणांश्च स महामुने। यच्च तेषां स्मृतं कर्म विप्रादीनां तदुच्यताम्
How did he create those of the same color and their qualities, O great sage? And what are the prescribed duties of the Brāhmaṇas and others? Let that be told.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। सत्वाभिध्यायिनः पूर्वं सिसृक्षोर्ब्रह्मणः प्रजाः। अजायंत कुरुश्रेष्ठ सत्वोद्रिक्ता मुखात्प्रजाः
Pulastya said: 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.
वक्षसो रजसोद्रिक्तास्तथान्या ब्रह्मणोभवन्। रजसस्तमसश्चैव समुद्रिक्तास्तथोरुतः
Others, endowed with abundant passion, were born from Brahmā's chest; and those with a mixture of passion and darkness, likewise, from his thighs.
पद्भ्यामन्याः प्रजा ब्रह्मा ससर्ज कुरुसत्तम। तमःप्रधानास्ताः सर्वाश्चातुर्वर्ण्यमिदं ततः
From his feet, O best of the Kurus, Brahmā created other beings; all these were dominated by darkness, and thus arose the fourfold order.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च नृपसत्तम। पादोरुवक्षस्थलतो मुखतश्च समुद्गताः
Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras, O best of kings, emerged from the feet, thighs, chest, and mouth, respectively.
यज्ञनिष्पत्तये सर्वमेतद्ब्रह्मा चकार ह। चातुर्वर्ण्यं महाराज यज्ञसाधनमुत्तमम्
For the accomplishment of sacrifice, Brahmā made all this— the fourfold order, O great king, as the supreme means for sacrifice.
यज्ञेनाप्यायिता देवा वृष्ट्युत्सर्गेण मानवाः। आप्यायंते धर्मयज्ञा यतः कल्याणहेतवः
By sacrifice, the gods are nourished, and by the release of rain, humans are nourished; for righteous sacrifices are the cause of well-being.
निष्पद्यंते नरैस्ते तु सुकर्मनिरतैः सदा। विरुद्धाचरणापेतैः सद्भिः सन्मार्गगामिभिः
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.