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.
स्वर्गापवर्गं मानुष्यात्प्राप्नुवंति नरा नृप। यच्चाभिरुचितं स्थानं तद्यांति मनुजा विभो
O King, humans attain heaven, liberation, or whatever realm they desire; they go to the place that is agreeable to them, O Lord.
प्रजास्ता ब्रह्मणा सृष्टाश्चातुर्वर्ण्यव्यवस्थितौ। सम्यक्शुद्धाः समाचारा चरणा नृपसत्तम
Those beings were created by Brahmā, established in the fourfold order; they were pure, of good conduct, and steadfast, O best of kings.
यथेच्छावासनिरताः सर्वबाधाविवर्जिताः। शुद्धांतःकरणाः शुद्धा धर्मानुष्ठाननिर्मलाः
Devoted to living as they wished, free from all afflictions, pure in mind, pure in heart, and spotless in the practice of dharma.
शुद्धे च तासां मनसि शुद्धांतःसंस्थिते हरौ। शुद्धज्ञानं प्रपश्यंति ब्रह्माख्यं येन तत्पदं
With their minds pure, their hearts established in the pure Lord, they perceive pure knowledge—Brahman itself—by which that supreme state is attained.
ततः कालात्मको योसौ विरिंचा वा स उच्यते। संसारपातमत्यर्थं घोरमल्पाल्पसारवत्
Then, that entity called Time, or Virin̄ci, is said to be the cause of the fall into saṃsāra, which is extremely dreadful, impure, and of little substance.
अधर्मबीजभूतं तत्तमोलोभसमुद्गतम्। प्रजासु तासु राजेंद्र रागादिक्रमसाधनम्
That principle, arising from the seed of unrighteousness and born of darkness and greed, becomes, O king, the means for the rise of passion and similar qualities among those beings.
ततः सा सहजासिद्धिस्तेषां नातीव जायते। राजन्वश्यादयश्चान्याः सिद्धयोष्टौ भवंति याः
Then, their innate accomplishments do not arise abundantly; O king, and the other eight accomplishments, such as control, also manifest.
तासु क्षीणास्वशेषासु वर्द्धमाने च पातके। द्वंद्वाभिभवदुःखार्तास्ता भवंति ततः प्रजाः
When those accomplishments are diminished or exhausted, and sin increases, then those beings become afflicted by the suffering of dualities.
ततो दुर्गाणि ताश्चक्रुर्वार्क्षं पार्वतमौदकम्। धान्वनं च तथा दुर्गं पुरं खार्वटकादि यत्
Thereafter, they made fortresses—mountainous, forested, watery, and woodland strongholds, as well as cities and villages, O King.
गृहाणि च यथान्यायं तेषु चक्रुः पुरादिषु। शीततापादिबाधानां प्रशमाय महामते
They built houses in those cities and other places, as appropriate, O wise one, to alleviate afflictions from cold, heat, and the like.
प्रतिहारमिमं कृत्वा शीतादेस्ताः प्रजाः पुनः। वार्तोपायं ततश्चक्रुर्हस्तसिद्धिं च कर्मजाम्
Having thus established these protections against cold and so on, those beings then devised means of livelihood and acquired skill in manual work.
व्रीहयश्च यवाश्चैव गोधूमा अणवस्तिलाः। प्रियंगुकोविदाराश्च कोरदूषाः सचीनकाः
Rice, barley, wheat, millet, sesame, priyangu, kodrava, and china—these grains and pulses were produced.
माषा मुद्गा मसूराश्च निष्पावाः सकुलत्थकाः। अढकाश्चणकाश्चैव शणास्सप्तदश स्मृताः
Black gram, green gram, lentils, niṣpāva, kulattha, aḍhaka, chickpeas, and hemp—seventeen are thus remembered.
इत्येता ओषधीनां तु ग्राम्याणां जातयो नृप। ओषध्यो यज्ञियाश्चैव ग्राम्यावन्याश्चतुर्दश
These are the types of cultivated plants, O King; and there are fourteen cultivated and wild grains suitable for sacrifice.
व्रीहयः सयवा माषा गोधूमा अणवस्तिलाः। प्रियंगुसप्तमा ह्येता अष्टमास्तु कुलुत्थकाः
Rice, barley, black gram, wheat, millet, sesame, priyangu—these are the seven; the eighth is kulattha.
श्यामाकस्त्वथ नीवारो वर्तुलस्स गवेधुकः। अथ वेणुयवाः प्रोक्तास्तद्वन्मर्कटका नृप
Śyāmāka, nīvāra, vartula, gavedhuka, veṇuyava, and markaṭaka are also mentioned, O King.
ग्राम्या वन्याः स्मृता ह्येता ओषध्यश्च चतुर्दश। यज्ञनिष्पत्तये तद्वत्तथासां हेतुरुत्तमः १५० 1.3.
These fourteen, both cultivated and wild, are known as sacrificial plants; they are the best means for the accomplishment of sacrifice.
एताश्च सहयज्ञेन प्रजानां कारणं परम्। परापरविदः प्राज्ञास्ततो यज्ञान्वितन्वते
And these, together with sacrifice, are the supreme cause of beings; therefore, the wise who know the higher and lower truths perform sacrifices.
अहन्यहन्यनुष्ठानं यज्ञानां पार्थिवोत्तम। उपकारकरं पुंसां क्रियमाणं फलार्थिनाम्
Day after day, the performance of sacrifices, O best of kings, is beneficial for people who act seeking their reward.
येषां चकालसृष्टोसौ पपा(?)बिंदुर्महामते। मर्यादां स्थापयामास यथास्थानं यथागुणम्
For those whose creation occurred in that age, O wise one, he established boundaries according to place and merit.