Vayu Purana

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.

पौरुषं कर्म दैवञ्च फलवृत्तिस्वभावतः। न चैकं न पृथग्भावमधिकं न तयोर्विदुः। एतदेवञ्च नैकञ्च न चोभे न च वाप्युभे

Human action, fate, and the nature of their results—none know these as one, nor as separate, nor which is greater; neither this alone, nor both, nor neither, nor both together.

कर्मस्थान् विषयान् ब्रूयुः सत्त्वस्थाः समदर्शिनः। नामरूपञ्च भूतानां कृतानाञ्च प्रपञ्चनम्। वेदशब्धेभ्य एवादौ निर्ममे स महेश्वरः

Those established in virtue and seeing equally speak of the places of action and objects; the names and forms of beings and their manifestations were fashioned by the great Lord from the words of the Vedas at the beginning.

ऋषीणां नामधेयानि याश्च देवेषु दृष्टयः। शर्वर्यन्ते प्रसूतानां तान्येवास्य दधाति सः

He assigns to the sages their names, and to the gods their visions, just as they were at the end of the night, when they were born.

यथर्त्तावृतुलिङ्गानि नानारूपाणि पर्यये। दृश्यन्ते तानि तान्येव तथा भावा युगादिषु

Just as the signs of the seasons and their various forms are seen in succession, so too are the states of being at the beginnings of the ages.

एवंविधासु सृष्टासु ब्रह्मणाऽव्यक्तजन्मना। शर्वर्यन्ते प्रदृश्यन्ते सिद्धिमाश्रित्य मानसीम् ॥१.९.

In such creations made by Brahmā, born from the unmanifest, at the end of the night, beings endowed with perfection and mental origin are seen.

एवंभूतानि सृष्टानि चराणि स्थावराणि च। यदास्य ताः प्रजाः सृष्टा न व्यवर्धन्त धीमतः

When these moving and unmoving beings were created, those creatures did not multiply, despite the wisdom of the creator.

अथान्यान्मानसान् पुत्रान् सदृशानात्मनोऽसृजत्। भृगुं पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुमाङ्गिरसन्तथा

Then he created other mind-born sons, similar to himself: Bhṛgu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and Aṅgiras.

मरीचिं दक्षमत्रिं च वसिष्ठं चैव मानसम्। नव ब्रह्माण इत्येते पुराणे निश्चयं गताः । तेषां ब्रह्मात्मकानां वै सर्वेषां ब्रह्मवादिनाम्

He also created Marīci, Dakṣa, Atri, and the mind-born Vasiṣṭha; these nine are called Brahmās, as established in the Purāṇas; all of them are of the nature of Brahmā and are knowers of Brahman.

ततोऽसृजत्पुनर्ब्रह्मा रुद्रं रोषात्मसंभवम्। संकल्पं चैव धर्मं च पूर्वेषामपि पूर्वजः

Then Brahmā, the ancient progenitor even of the ancients, out of anger, again created Rudra, born from his own wrath, as well as Will and Dharma.

अग्रे ससर्ज्ज वै ब्रह्मा मानसानात्मनः समान्। सनन्दनं ससनकं विद्वांसं च सनातनम्

In the beginning, Brahmā indeed created from his own mind the mind-born sons: Sanandana, Sanaka, and the wise Sanātana.