Vayu Purana

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.

सनत्कुमारं च विभुं सनकं च सनन्दनम्। न ते लोकेषु सर्ज्जन्ते निरपेक्षाः सनातनाः

And also Sanatkumāra, the mighty one, Sanaka, and Sanandana; these eternal ones, detached, are not born in the worlds.

सर्वे ते ह्यागतज्ञाना वीतरागा विमत्सराः। तेष्वेवं निरपेक्ष्येषु लोकवृत्तानुकारणात्

All of them, having attained knowledge, are free from passion and envy; since they are so detached, they do not follow worldly ways.

हिरण्यगर्भो भगवान् परमेष्ठी ह्यचिन्तयत्। तस्य रोषात्समुत्पन्नः पुरुषोऽर्क्कसमद्युतिः। अर्द्धनारीनरवपुस्तेजसा ज्वलनोपमः

The blessed Hiraṇyagarbha, the supreme lord, reflected; from his anger arose a being with the brilliance of the sun, half-male and half-female in form, blazing like fire.

सर्वं तेजोमयं जातमादित्यसमतेजसम्। विभजात्मानमित्युक्त्वा तत्रैवान्तरधीयत

Everything became filled with radiance, equal in splendor to the sun; saying, 'Divide yourself,' he vanished right there.

एवमुक्त्वा द्विधाभूतः पृथक् स्त्री पुरुषः पृथक्। स चैकादशधा जज्ञे अर्द्धमात्मानमीश्वरः ॥१.९.

Having spoken thus, that being became two: separately female and separately male; and the lord generated himself in eleven forms from half of himself.

तेनोक्तास्ते महात्मानः सर्व एव महात्मना। जगतो बहुलीभावमधिकृत्य हितैषिणः

He addressed those great souls, all of them, with his own greatness, desiring the increase of the world and wishing for its welfare.

लोकवृत्तान्तहेतोर्हि प्रयतध्वमतन्द्रिताः। विश्वं विश्वस्य लोकस्य स्थापनाय हिताय च

For the sake of the world's affairs, strive diligently and without fatigue, for the establishment and welfare of the entire universe and all its beings.

एवमुक्तास्तु रुरुदुर्दुद्रुवुश्च समन्ततः। रोदनाद्द्रावणाच्चैव रुद्रा नाम्नेतिविश्रुताः

Thus addressed, they cried and ran in all directions; because of their weeping and running, they became widely known by the name 'Rudras.'

यैर्हि व्याप्तमिदं सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्। तेषामनुचरा लोके सर्वलोकपरायणाः

By them, this entire threefold world, with all that moves and does not move, is pervaded; their attendants in the world are devoted to all beings.

नैकनागा युतबला विक्रान्ताशचव गणेश्वराः। तत्र या सा महाभागा शंकरस्यार्द्धकायिनी

Mighty, powerful, and lords of hosts, endowed with countless serpent-armies; among them, she who is most blessed is the one who shares half the body of Śaṅkara.