Vayu Purana

अम्भांस्येतानि रक्षाम उक्तवन्तश्च तेषु च। राक्षसास्ते स्मृता लोके क्रोधात्मानो निशाचराः

These beings declared, 'Let us protect the waters,' among them; those are known in the world as Rākṣasas, beings of wrath, night-dwellers.

येऽब्रुवन् क्षिणुमोऽम्भांसि तेषां दृष्टाः परस्परम्। तेन ते कर्मणा यक्षा गुह्यकाः क्रूरकर्मिणः

Those who said, 'Let us diminish the waters,' were seen quarreling among themselves; by that act, they became yakshas and guhyakas, beings of cruel deeds.

रक्षणे पालने चापि धातुरेष विभाव्यते। य एष क्षितिधातुर्वै क्षयणे सन्निरुच्यते

In protection and preservation, this element is recognized; this earth-element is thus named for its diminishing nature.

तान्दृष्ट्वा ह्यप्रियेणास्य केशा अशीर्यंत धीमतः। शीतोष्णाच्चोच्छ्रिता ह्यूर्द्ध्वं तदारोहन्त तं प्रभुम् ॥१.९.

Seeing them, his hair fell out unpleasantly from the wise one; due to cold and heat, it rose upward, and then ascended to that lord.

हीना मच्छिरसो व्याला यस्माच्चैवापसर्पिताः। व्यालात्मानः स्मृता व्यालाद्धीनत्वादहयः स्मृताः

Because they were inferior and retreated from my head, those with serpent nature are called serpents; due to their inferiority, they are remembered as snakes.

पन्नत्वात्पन्नगाश्चैव सर्पाश्चैवापसर्पिणः। तेषां पृथिव्यां निलयाः सूर्याचन्द्रमसोरधः

Because they crawl, they are called crawling beings, and serpents because they move away; their abodes on earth are beneath the sun and moon.

तस्य क्रोधोद्भवो योऽसावग्निगर्भस्सुदारुणः। स तु सर्पसहोत्पन्नानाविवेश विषात्मिकान्

From his wrath arose a being, fierce and born of fire; it entered those born with the serpents, possessing the nature of poison.

सर्पान् दृष्ट्वा ततः क्रोधात् क्रोधात्मानो विनिर्ममे। वर्णेन कपिशेनोग्रास्ते भूताः पिशिताशनाः

Seeing the serpents, out of anger, he created beings of wrathful nature; fierce, tawny in color, they were flesh-eaters.

भूतत्वात्ते स्मृता भूताः पिशाचाः पिशिताशनात्। वयतो गास्ततस्तस्य गन्धर्वो जज्ञिरे तदा

Because of their nature, they are remembered as spirits; flesh-eaters are called piśācas, and from his breath, the gandharva was then born.

ध्यायतीत्येष धातुर्वै यात्रार्थे परिपठ्यते। पिबतो जज्ञिरे गास्तु गंधर्वास्तेन ते स्मृताः ।.

This element is recited for the purpose of journeying; from drinking, the cows were born, and thus the gandharvas are remembered.

अष्टास्वेतासु सृष्टासु देवयोनिषु स प्रभुः। ततः स्वच्छन्दतोऽन्यानि वयांसि वय सोऽसृजत्

When eight divine classes were created by that lord, then, at his own will, he created other birds and flying creatures.

छाद्यतस्तानि छन्दांसि वयसोऽपि वयांस्यपि। शून्यान् दृष्ट्वा तु देवो वैऽसृजत्पक्षिगणानपि

Those were covered, and so were the meters; and also the birds and flying creatures; seeing the emptiness, the god created flocks of birds.

मुखतोऽजान् ससर्ज्जाथ वक्षसश्चवयोऽसृजत्। गाश्चैवाथोदराद्ब्रह्मा पार्श्वाभ्याञ्च विनिर्ममे

From his mouth he produced, and from his chest he created birds; cows also from his abdomen, Brahma fashioned from his sides.

पद्भ्याञ्चाश्चान् समातङ्गान् शरभान् गवयान् मृगान्। उष्ट्रानश्चतरांश्चैव ताश्वान्याश्चैव जातयः ॥१.९.

From his feet he produced elephants, sharabhas, gavayas, deer, camels, and four-footed creatures, as well as other species of horses.

ओषध्यः फलमूलानि रोमतस्तस्य जज्ञिरे। एवं पश्वोषधीः सृष्ट्वा न्ययुञ्जत्सोऽध्वरे प्रभुः

Medicinal herbs and fruits were born from his hair; thus, after creating cattle and plants, the lord assigned them to the sacrifice.

तस्मादादौ तु कल्पस्य त्रेतायुगमुखे तदा। गौरजः पुरुषो मेषो ह्यश्वोऽश्वतरगर्द्दभौ। एतान् ग्राम्यान् पशूनाहुरारण्यांश्च निबोधत

Therefore, at the beginning of the kalpa, at the start of the Treta age, the bull, man, sheep, horse, mule, and donkey—these are called domestic animals; now hear of the wild ones.

श्वापदा द्विखुरो हस्ती वानरः पक्षिपञ्चमाः। उन्दकाः पशवः सृष्टाः सप्तमास्तु सरीसृपाः

Carnivores, two-hoofed animals, elephant, monkey, birds as the fifth, aquatic animals as cattle, and reptiles as the seventh were created.

गायत्रं वरुणञ्चैव त्रिवृत्सौम्यं रथन्तरम्। अग्निष्टोमं च यज्ञानां निर्ममे प्रथमान्मुखात्

Gāyatra, Varuna, Trivrit, Saumya, and Rathantara; Agniṣṭoma among sacrifices, he created first from his mouth.

छन्दांसि त्रैष्टुभङ्कर्म स्तोमं पञ्चदशन्तथा। बृहत्साममथोक्थञ्च दक्षिणात्सोऽसृजन्मुखात्

He created the meters, the Trishtubh, the ritual, the fifteenfold stoma, Brihatsaman, and Uktha from the right side of his mouth.

सामानि जगती च्छन्दस्तोमं पञ्चदशन्तथा। वैरूप्यमतिरात्रञ्च पश्चिमादसृजन्मुखात्

From his mouth, he created the Sāman chants, the Jagatī meter, the fifteenfold chant, the irregularity, and the Atirātra ritual, all from the western direction.

एकविंशमथर्वाणमाप्तोर्यामाणमेव च। अनुष्टुभं सवैराजमुत्तरादसृजन्मुखात्

From his mouth, he produced the twenty-one Atharvan chants, the Āptoryāma ritual, the Anuṣṭubh meter, and the Vairāja, all from the northern direction.

विद्युतोऽशनिमेघांश्च रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि च। वयांसि च ससर्ज्जादौ कल्पस्य भगवान् प्रभुः

At the beginning of the cycle, the blessed Lord created lightning, hail, clouds, red rainbows, and winds.

उच्चावचानि भूतानि गात्रेब्यस्तस्य जज्ञिरे। ब्रह्मणस्तु प्रजासर्गं सृजतो हि प्रजापतेः

From his limbs arose beings of various forms and natures, as Brahmā, the Lord of creatures, was engaged in the creation of living beings.

सृष्ट्वा चतुष्टयं पूर्वं देवासुरपितॄन् प्रजाः। ततः सृजति भूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च ॥१.९.

Having first created the four groups—gods, demons, ancestors, and mortals—he then produced both immobile and mobile beings.

यक्षान् पिशाचान् गन्धर्वान् तथैवाप्सरसाङ्गणान्। नरकिन्नररक्षांसि वयः पशुमृगोरगान्

He created Yakṣas, Piśācas, Gandharvas, and likewise the groups of Apsarases; also humans, Kinnaras, Rākṣasas, birds, cattle, and serpents.

अव्ययञ्च व्ययं चैव यदिदं स्थाणु जङ्गमम्। तेषां ये यानि कर्माणि प्राक्सृष्ट्यां प्रतिपेदिरे। तान्येव प्रतिपद्यन्ते सृज्यमानाः पुनः पुनः

Both the imperishable and perishable, whatever is stationary or moving, all their actions which they had acquired before creation, they again assume when being created, time after time.

हिंस्राहिंस्रे मृदुक्रूरे धर्माधर्मावृतानृते। तद्भाविताः प्रपद्यन्ते तस्मात्तत्तस्य रोचते

Whether violent or gentle, righteous or unrighteous, true or false, beings attain forms according to their disposition, and thus that is pleasing to them.

महाभूतेषु नानात्वमिन्द्रियार्थेषु मूर्त्तिषु। विनियोगञ्च भूतानां धातैव व्यदधात् स्वयम्

The diversity among the great elements, the senses, and forms, as well as the allocation of functions among beings, was established by the creator himself.

केचित् पुरुषकारन्तु प्राहुः कर्म च मानवाः। दैवमित्यपरे विप्राः स्वभावं दैवचिन्तकाः

Some people speak of human effort and action, others of fate, and some sages consider inherent nature as fate.