Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

तस्मिन् ब्रह्मवने ऽव्यक्तो ब्रह्मा चरति सर्ववित् अव्यक्तबीजप्रभव ईश्वरानुग्रहे स्थितः

In that Brahma forest, the unmanifest Brahmā moves, all-knowing, established by the grace of the Lord, originating from the seed of the unmanifest.

बुद्धिस्कंधमहाशाख इन्द्रियांतरकोटरः महाभूतप्रमाणश्च विशेषामलपल्लवः

With intellect as the great branch, the senses as inner hollows, the measure of the great elements, and the pure shoots of particularities.

धर्माधर्मसुपुष्पाढ्यः सुखदुःखफलोदयः आजीव्यः सर्वभूतानां ब्रह्मवृक्षः सनातनः

Abundant with the blossoms of righteousness and unrighteousness, yielding the fruits of pleasure and pain, the eternal Brahma tree is the source of life for all beings.

द्यां मूर्धानं तस्य विप्रा वदंति खं वै नाभिं चंद्रसूर्यौ च नेत्रे दिशः श्रोत्रे चरणौ च क्षितिं च सो ऽचिन्त्यात्मा सर्वभूतप्रणेता

The sages say its head is the sky, its navel is space, its eyes are the moon and sun, its ears are the directions, its feet are the earth; this inconceivable Self is the mover of all beings.

वक्त्रात्तस्य ब्रह्मणास्संप्रसूतास्तद्वक्षसः क्षत्रियाः पूर्वभागात् वैश्या उरुभ्यां तस्य पद्भ्यां च शूद्राः सर्वे वर्णा गात्रतः संप्रसूताः

From its mouth arose the Brāhmaṇas, from its chest the Kṣatriyas, from its front the Vaiśyas, from its thighs and feet the Śūdras; all castes were born from its limbs.

भवता कथिता सृष्टिर्भवस्य परमात्मनः चतुर्मुखमुखात्तस्य संशयो नः प्रजायते

You have described the creation by the Supreme Self, Bhava, from the mouth of the Four-faced One; yet, we have a doubt regarding this.

देवश्रेष्ठो विरूपाक्षो दीप्तश्शूलधरो हरः कालात्मा भगवान् रुद्रः कपर्दी नीललोहितः

The foremost of gods, Virūpākṣa, radiant, bearing the trident, Hara, the embodiment of time, the blessed Rudra, with matted hair, dark and red-hued—

सब्रह्मकमिमं लोकं सविष्णुमपि पावकम् यः संहरति संक्रुद्धो युगांते समुपस्थिते

He who, when the end of the age arrives, in anger withdraws this world along with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and even Fire—

यस्य ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च प्रणामं कुरुतो भयात् लोकसंकोचकस्यास्य यस्य तौ वशवर्तिनौ

Before whom Brahmā and Viṣṇu bow in fear, for he contracts the worlds, and those two remain under his control—

यो ऽयं देवः स्वकादंगाद्ब्रह्मविष्णू पुरासृजत् स एव हि तयोर्नित्यं योगक्षेमकरः प्रभुः

This very god, who formerly created Brahmā and Viṣṇu from his own body, is indeed always the lord who ensures their welfare and sustenance.

स कथं भगवान् रुद्र आदिदेवः पुरातनः पुत्रत्वमगमच्छंभुर्ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः

How then did the blessed Rudra, the ancient primeval god, Śambhu, become the son of Brahmā, whose birth is unmanifest?

प्रजापतिश्च विष्णुश्च रुद्रस्यैतौ परस्परम् सृष्टौ परस्परस्यांगादिति प्रागपि शुश्रुम

We have also heard before that Prajāpati and Viṣṇu were mutually created from Rudra, each from the other's body.

कथं पुनरशेषाणां भूतानां हेतुभूतयोः गुणप्रधानभावेन प्रादुर्भावः परस्परात्

How then did these two, who are the causes of all beings, arise from each other, taking the roles of guṇa and pradhāna?

नापृष्टं भवता किंचिन्नाश्रुतं च कथंचन भगवच्छिष्यभूतेन भवता सकलं स्मृतम्

There is nothing you have not been asked, nor anything you have not heard; as a devoted disciple of the Blessed One, you remember everything.

तत्त्वं वद यथा ब्रह्मा मुनीनामवदद्विभुः वयं श्रद्धालवस्तात श्रोतुमीश्वरसद्यशः

Tell us the truth, just as Brahmā, the all-pervading, spoke to the sages; we, full of faith, wish to hear the glorious deeds of the Lord.

स्थाने पृष्टमिदं विप्रा भवद्भिः प्रश्नकोविदैः इदमेव पुरा पृष्टो मम प्राह पितामहः

This question has rightly been asked by you, O wise brāhmaṇas skilled in inquiry; my grandfather was asked the same in ancient times.

तदहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा रुद्रसमुद्भवः यथा च पुनरुत्पत्तिर्ब्रह्मविष्ण्वोः परस्परम्

Therefore, I shall now explain how Rudra originated, and also how Brahmā and Viṣṇu mutually arise again.

त्रयस्ते कारणात्मानो जतास्साक्षान्महेश्वरात् चराचरस्य विश्वस्य सर्गस्थित्यंतहेतवः

These three, born directly from the Great Lord, are the causes of the universe, both moving and unmoving, and are the reasons for creation, preservation, and destruction.

परमैश्वर्यसंयुक्ताः परमेश्वरभाविताः तच्छक्त्याधिष्ठिता नित्यं तत्कार्यकरणक्षमाः

Endowed with supreme sovereignty, inspired by the Supreme Lord, ever established in his power, they are always capable of performing their respective functions.

पित्रा नियमिताः पूर्वं त्रयोपि त्रिषु कर्मसु ब्रह्मा सर्गे हरिस्त्राणे रुद्रः संहरणे तथा

Formerly, the Father assigned the three to their respective tasks: Brahmā to creation, Hari to preservation, and Rudra likewise to dissolution.

तथाप्यन्योन्यमात्सर्यादन्योन्यातिशयाशिनः तपसा तोषयित्वा स्वं पितरं परमेश्वरम्

Yet, out of mutual rivalry and the desire to surpass one another, they pleased their own father, the Supreme Lord, through austerities.

लब्ध्वा सर्वात्मना तस्य प्रसादात्परमेष्ठिनः ब्रह्मनारायणौ पूर्वं रुद्रः कल्पान्तरे ऽसृजत्

Having obtained, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, all powers, Rudra in a previous cycle created Brahmā and Nārāyaṇa.

कल्पान्तरे पुनर्ब्रह्मा रुद्रविष्णू जगन्मयः विष्णुश्च भगवान्रुद्रं ब्रह्माणमसृजत्पुनः

In another cycle, Brahmā created Rudra and Viṣṇu, who embody the universe; and again, the blessed Viṣṇu created Rudra and Brahmā.

नारायणं पुनर्ब्रह्मा ब्रह्माणमसृजत्पुनः एवं कल्पेषु कल्पेषु ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः

Again, Brahmā created Nārāyaṇa, and again Brahmā was created by the Lord; thus, in each cycle of creation, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara arise.

परस्परेण जायंते परस्परहितैषिणः तत्तत्कल्पान्तवृत्तान्तमधिकृत्य महर्षिभिः

They are born from one another, each seeking the good of the other; regarding the events at the end of each cycle, the great sages have spoken.

प्रभावः कथ्यते तेषां परस्परसमुद्भवात् शृणु तेषां कथां चित्रां पुण्यां पापप्रमोचिनीम्

Their power is described as arising mutually from each other; listen to their wondrous story, which is meritorious and frees from sin.

कल्पे तत्पुरुषे वृत्तां ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः पुरा नारायणो नाम कल्पे वै मेघवाहने

In that cycle, in the Tatpuruṣa creation, of Brahmā the supreme lord, formerly, Nārāyaṇa was named in the Meghavāhana cycle.

दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु मेघो भूत्वावहद्धराम् तस्य भावं समालक्ष्य विष्णोर्विश्वजगद्गुरुः

For a divine thousand years, becoming a cloud, he bore the earth; observing the state of Viṣṇu, the teacher of the universe—

सर्वस्सर्वात्मभावेन प्रददौ शक्तिमव्ययाम् शक्तिं लब्ध्वा तु सर्वात्मा शिवात्सर्वेश्वरात्तदा

He, being the self of all, granted the imperishable power to all; having obtained that power from Śiva, the Lord of all, the self of all—