Varaha Purana

तावत् तस्य महारोषो ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः। संभूय तेन बालः स्यादङ्के रोषात्मसंभवः ।। २.

Then, great anger arose in Brahmā, the one born from the unmanifest; from that, a child appeared on his lap, born from his wrath.

यो रुदन् वारितस्तेन ब्रह्मणाऽव्यक्तमूर्त्तिना । ब्रवीति नाम मे देहि तस्य रुद्रेति सो ददौ ।। २.

That child, crying, was restrained by Brahmā, whose form was unmanifest; he said, 'Give me a name,' and Brahmā gave him the name Rudra.

सोऽपि तेन सृजस्वेति प्रोक्तो लोकमिमं शुभे । अशक्तः सोऽथ सलिले ममज्ज तपसे धृतः ।। २.

He too was told, 'Create this world, O auspicious one'; unable, he entered the waters, intent on austerity.

तस्मिन् सलिलमग्ने तु पुनरन्यं प्रजापतिम् । ब्रह्मा ससर्ज्ज भूतेषु दक्षिणाङ्गुष्ठतो वरम् । वामे चैव तथाऽङ्गुष्ठे तस्य पत्नीमथासृजत् ।। २.

Immersed in the waters, Brahmā then created another lord of creatures from his right thumb among beings; and likewise, from his left thumb, he created his wife.

स तस्यां जनयामास मनुं स्वायंभुवं प्रभुः । तस्मात् संभाविता सृष्टिः प्रजानां ब्रह्मणा पुरा ।। २.

In her, the lord begot Manu Svāyambhuva; thus, the creation of beings was accomplished by Brahmā in ancient times.

धरण्युवाच । विस्तरेण ममाचक्ष्व आदिसर्गं सुरेश्वर । ब्रह्मा नारायणाख्योऽयं कल्पादौ चाभवद् यथा ।। २.

The Earth said: Tell me in detail, O lord of gods, the original creation, and how Brahmā, called Nārāyaṇa, came to be at the beginning of the cycle.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । ससर्ज सर्वभूतानि यथा नारायणात्मकः । कथ्यमानं मया देवि तदशेषं क्षिते श्रृणु ।। २.

The Blessed Lord said: He created all beings as Nārāyaṇa; I shall tell you, O goddess, all of this as it happened, listen, O Earth.

गतकल्पावसाने तु निशि सुप्तोत्थितः शुभे । सत्त्वोद्रिक्तस्तथा ब्रह्मा शून्यं लोकमवैक्षत ।। २.

At the end of the past cycle, after waking from sleep at night, Brahmā, filled with sattva, saw the world as empty.

नारायणः परोऽचिन्त्यः पराणामपि पूर्वजः । ब्रह्मस्वरूपी भगवाननादिः सर्वसंभवः ।। २.

Nārāyaṇa is supreme, inconceivable, the ancestor even of the highest; the Blessed Lord, of the form of Brahmā, is beginningless and the source of all.

इदं चोदाहरन्त्यत्र श्लोकं नारायणं प्रति । ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणं देवं जगतः प्रभवाप्ययम् ।। २.

Here, they recite a verse about Nārāyaṇa: the god of the form of Brahmā is the origin and dissolution of the world.

आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः । अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ।। २.

The waters are called 'nārā'; the waters are indeed the offspring of Nara; their abode was first his, thus he is remembered as Nārāyaṇa.

सृष्टिं चिन्तयतस्तस्य कल्पादिषु यथा पुरा । अबुद्धिपूर्वकस्तस्य प्रादुर्भूतस्तमोमयः ।। २.

As he pondered creation at the beginning of the cycle, as before, there arose in him, without awareness, a manifestation composed of darkness.

तमो मोहो महामोहस्तामिस्त्रो ह्यन्धसंज्ञितः । अविद्या पञ्चपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः ।। २.

Darkness, delusion, great delusion, Tamisra, and what is called Andha—ignorance in five forms appeared in the great soul.

पञ्चधाऽवस्थितः सर्गो ध्यायतोऽप्रतिबोधवान् । बहिरन्तोऽप्रकाशश्च संवृतात्मा नगात्मकः । स मुख्यसर्गो विज्ञेयः सर्गविद्भिर्विचक्षणैः ।। २.

The creation established in fivefold form, while he was absorbed in meditation, was without conscious awareness; it was neither manifest outwardly nor inwardly, its nature concealed, consisting of immobile beings. This is to be known by the wise as the primary creation.

पुनरन्यदभूत् तस्य ध्यायतः सर्गमुत्तमम्। तिर्यक्स्त्रोतस्तु वै यस्मात् तिर्यक्स्त्रोतस्तु वै स्मृतः ।। २.

Then, as he continued to meditate, another, superior creation arose; because its current flows sideways, it is known as the 'tiryak-srotas' (lateral stream).

पश्वादयस्ते विख्याता उत्पथग्राहिणस्तु ते। तमप्यसाधकं मत्वा तिर्यक्स्त्रोतं चतुर्मुखः ।। २.

These, beginning with animals, are well known; they are led astray from the right path. Considering this 'tiryak-srotas' also as ineffective, the Four-Faced One (Brahma) regarded it thus.

ऊर्ध्वस्त्रोतस्त्रिधा यस्तु सात्त्विको धर्मवर्त्तनः । ततोर्ध्वचारिणो देवाः सर्वगर्भसमुद्भवाः ।। २.

The 'urdhva-srotas' (upward stream), which is threefold, is characterized by sattva and adherence to righteousness; from this arose the gods, who move upward and are born from all wombs.

तदा सृष्ट्वाऽन्यसर्गं तु तदा दध्यौ प्रजापतिः । असाधकांस्तु तान् मत्वा मुख्यसर्गादिसंभवान् ।। २.

Then, having created another creation, the Lord (Prajapati) again reflected; considering those originating from the primary creation and others as ineffective.

ततः स चिन्तयामास अर्वाक्स्त्रोतस्तु स प्रभुः । अर्वाक्स्त्रोतसि चोत्पन्ना मनुष्याः साधका मताः ।। २.

Then that Lord contemplated the 'arvāk-srotas' (downward stream); in the 'arvāk-srotas' arose humans, who are considered effective.

ते च प्रकाशबहुलास्तमोद्रिक्ता रजोधिकाः । तस्मात् तु दुखः बहुला भूयोभूयश्च कारिणः ।। २.

These are abundant in clarity, but also overwhelmed by darkness and dominated by rajas; therefore, suffering is prevalent among them, and they are repeatedly active.

इत्येते कथिताः सर्गाः षडेते सुभगे तव । प्रथमो महतः सर्गस्तन्मात्राणि द्वितीयकः ।। २.

Thus, O fortunate one, these six creations have been described to you: the first is the creation of Mahat, the second is of the subtle elements.

वैकारिकस्तृतीयस्तु सर्गश्चैन्द्रियकः स्मृतः । इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गः संभूतो बुद्धिपूर्वकः ।। २.

The third is the Vaikarika creation, and the fourth is called the creation of the senses; thus, this is the Prakrita (natural) creation, which arises through intellect.

मुख्यसर्गश्चतुर्थस्तु मुख्या वै स्थावराः स्मृताः । तिर्यक्स्त्रोतश्च यः प्रोक्तस्तैर्यक्स्त्रोतः स उच्यते ।। २.

The fourth is the primary creation, in which the immobile beings are considered primary; and the one called 'tiryak-srotas' is so named because of those beings.

तथोर्ध्वस्त्रोतसां श्रेष्ठः सप्तमः स तु मानवः । अष्टमोऽनुग्रहः सर्गः सात्त्विकस्तामसश्च सः ।। २.

Likewise, the best among the 'urdhva-srotas' is the seventh, the human creation; the eighth is the creation of grace, which is both sattvic and tamasic.

पञ्चैते वैकृताः सर्गाः प्राकृतास्तु त्रयः स्मृताः । प्राकृतो वैकृतश्चैव कौमारो नवमः स्मृतः ।। २.

Of these, five are called 'vaikrita' (modified) creations, and three are known as 'prakrita' (natural); the ninth, called 'kaumara', is both prakrita and vaikrita.

इत्येते वै समाख्याता नव सर्गाः प्रजापतेः । प्राकृता वैकृताश्चैव जगतो मूलहेतवः । इत्येते कथिताः सर्गाः किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ।। २.

Thus, these nine creations of Prajapati have been described—both prakrita and vaikrita—as the fundamental causes of the world. These creations have been explained; what else do you wish to hear?

धरण्युवाच । नवधा सृष्टिरुत्पन्ना ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । कथं सा ववृधे देव एतन्मे कथयाच्युत ।। २.

The Earth said: The creation of Brahma, born from the unmanifest, has arisen in nine forms. How did it grow, O god? Tell me this, O Achyuta.

श्रीवराह उवाच । प्रथमं ब्रह्मणा सृष्टा रुद्राद्यास्तु तपोधनाः। सनकादयस्ततः सृष्टा मरीच्यादय एव च ।। २.

Sri Varaha said: First, Brahma created Rudra and others, rich in austerity; then Sanaka and others were created, as well as Marichi and the rest.

मरीचिरत्रिश्च तथा अङ्गिराः पुलहः क्रतुः । पुलस्त्यश्च महातेजाः प्रचेता भृगुरेव च । नारदो दशमश्चैव वसिष्ठश्च महातपाः ।। २.

Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya of great brilliance, Prachetas, Bhrigu, Narada as the tenth, and Vasistha of great austerity.