In ancient times, the noble King Pṛthu had two powerful sons: Antarddhāna and Pālin. From Antarddhāna were born Śikhaṇḍinī and Havirdhāna. Havirdhāna, together with his wife Dhiṣaṇā, brought forth six sons: Prācīnabarhis, Śukra, Gaya, Kṛṣṇa, Vraja, and Ajina. Of these, Prācīnabarhis became a great sovereign upon the earth, revered for his might, ascetic discipline, and wisdom. He was called Prācīnabarhis because his sacred sacrificial grass always faced east. This lord took as his wife Savarṇā, the radiant daughter of the ocean, born beyond the great darkness. From their union came ten illustrious sons, known collectively as the Pracetas. The Pracetas were famed as masters of archery, united in virtue and righteousness. Together, they undertook severe austerities for ten thousand years, lying immersed in the waters of the ocean. During their long penance, the trees on earth grew unchecked, spreading so densely that living beings began to dwindle. In that interval between Cākṣuṣa Manu and the next, the trees grew so thick that the wind itself was repelled and could not blow; for ten thousand years, the sky was blocked and living beings were unable to move. When the Pracetas learned of this, they were filled with wrath. Still steadfast in their austerities, they released wind and fire from their mouths. The wind uprooted and dried the trees, while fire consumed them, resulting in the near destruction of all trees on earth. Seeing the devastation, and with only a few branches remaining, King Soma approached the Pracetas and spoke to them. Understanding the gravity of the situation and the need to preserve life, King Prācīnabarhis and all the rulers set aside their anger. Soma assured them, “Trees will be born again on earth; let the fire and wind subside. This maiden, radiant among the trees, is their precious jewel. I have nourished her with cows, foreseeing what was to come. Her name is Māriṣā, and she is formed from the trees themselves. Let her, fostered by Soma, become your wife.” Soma continued, “By half of your energy and half of mine, a wise son will be born from her—Dakṣa, the lord of creatures. Endowed with your fiery energy, he will, like fire itself, restore and increase the living beings on this earth, now mostly burned.” At Soma’s word, the Pracetas restrained their anger toward the trees and accepted Māriṣā as their lawful wife. In Māriṣā, by their will, they conceived a child. From the union of the ten Pracetas and Māriṣā was born the luminous lord of creatures, Dakṣa. Dakṣa, radiant with the splendor and vigor of Soma, first created beings from his mind and later through union. He brought forth both immobile and mobile beings, bipeds and quadrupeds, all by his mental power. Thereafter, he created women. He gave ten daughters to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa, and twenty-seven to the Moon for the regulation of time. He also gave four daughters to Ariṣṭanemi, two to Bāhuputra, two to Aṅgiras, and one to Kṛśāśva, from whom various offspring were born. Here, the account omits the interval between Cākṣuṣa Manu and the sixth Manu, as well as that of Vaivasvata, the seventh lord of creatures. From these unions were born the gods, birds, cattle, serpents, the Dānavas and Diti’s sons, Gandharvas, Apsarases, and many other races. From that time onward, beings in this world are born from sexual union, whereas the earlier creation arose from will, sight, and touch. The origins of the gods, asuras, divine sages, and the great-souled Dakṣa had already been described. But a question arose among the sages: “You have told of the birth of Dakṣa from the life-breath of Prajāpati. How did that great ascetic regain his Pracetas form? O Sūta, this is our doubt—how did he, the grandson of Soma, become his father-in-law?” The wise are never confused by the constant creation and dissolution among beings. In every age, Dakṣa and the others arise again and again and are again dissolved; the wise understand this cycle and are not deluded. In those earlier times, there was neither seniority nor juniority among them; only austerity and power were considered superior. Whoever knows this creation of the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, both moving and unmoving, surpasses the lifespan of mortals and is honored in the heavenly world. Thus, the creation during the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu, and the six secondary creations beginning with Svāyambhuva and ending with Cākṣuṣa, have been described. These accounts have been told according to understanding; their full detail is to be known in the creation of Vaivasvata. All the creations of Vivasvat are countless and inexhaustible. According to one’s health, lifespan, righteousness, desire, and wealth, whoever recites these accounts without envy attains those very qualities. Now, the creation of the great-souled Vaivasvata Manu is to be described in both summary and detail. Thus, in the seventh cycle, during the time of Manu Vaivasvata, the gods and supreme sages were born from Marīci and Kaśyapa. The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sādhyas, Viśve, Maruts, Bhṛgus, and Āṅgirasas—these eight classes of gods—are remembered. The Ādityas, Maruts, and Rudras are the sons of Kaśyapa, while the Sādhyas, Vasus, and Viśve are three groups, sons of Dharma. From Bhṛgu was born the Bhārgava god, and from Aṅgiras, the son called Āṅgirasa. At the end of the Vaivasvata period, these gods are always born from desire. This present creation is known as the Marīci creation, and among them, the present mighty Indra is renowned by name.