Vayu Purana

महाभूतप्रशाखश्च विशेषैः पत्रवांस्तथा। धर्माधर्मसुपुष्पस्तु सुखदुःखफलोदयः

With branches of the great elements, bearing leaves of particulars, flourishing with the blossoms of dharma and adharma, yielding the fruits of pleasure and pain.

आजीवः सर्वभूतानामयं वृक्षः सनातनः। एतद्ब्रह्मबलं चैव ब्रह्मवृक्षस्य तस्य ह

This eternal tree is the livelihood of all beings; this is the power of Brahma, the strength of that Brahma tree.

अव्यक्तं कारणं यत्तन्नित्यं सदसदात्मकम्। इत्येषोऽनुग्रहः सर्गो ब्रह्मणः प्राकृतस्तु यः

The unmanifest cause, which is eternal and of the nature of both existence and non-existence; thus, this is the creation arising from grace, the primordial creation of Brahma.

मुख्यादयस्तु षट्‌सर्गा वैकृता बुद्धिपूर्वकाः। त्रैकाले समवर्तन्त ब्रह्मणस्तेऽभिमानिनः ॥१.९.

The principal and other six creations are modifications preceded by intellect; they occur in three times, belonging to those who identify with Brahma.

सर्गाः परस्परस्याथ कारणं ते बुधैः स्मृताः। दिव्यौ सुपर्णौ सयुजौ सशाखौ पटविद्रुमौ

The creations are mutually causes of each other, so the wise declare; the two divine birds, united, with branches, are the silk-cotton and coral trees.

द्यौर्मूर्द्धानं यस्य विप्रास्तुवन्ति खन्नाभिं वै चन्द्रसूर्यौ च नेत्रे। दिशः श्रोत्रे चरणौ चास्य भूमिः सोऽचिन्त्यात्मा सर्वभूत प्रसूतिः

He whose head is the sky, whom the Brahmins praise, whose navel is space, whose eyes are the moon and sun, whose ears are the directions, whose feet are the earth—he is the inconceivable self, the origin of all beings.

वक्राद्यस्य ब्राह्मणाः संप्रसूता यद्वक्षस्तः क्षत्रियाः पूर्वभागे। वैश्याश्वोरोर्यस्य पद्भयां च शूद्राः सर्वे वर्णा गात्रतः संप्रसूताः

From whose mouth the Brahmins are born, from whose chest the Kṣatriyas in the eastern part, from whose thighs the Vaiśyas, and from whose feet the Śūdras—all castes are born from his body.

महेश्वरः परोऽव्यक्तादण्डमव्यक्तसंभवम्। अण्डाज्जज्ञे पुनर्ब्रह्मा येन लोकाः कृतास्त्विमे

The great lord, beyond the unmanifest, the egg born from the unmanifest; from the egg, Brahmā was again born, by whom these worlds were created.

एवंभूतेषु लोकेषु ब्रह्मणा लोककर्तृणा। यदा ता न प्रवर्त्तन्ते प्रजाः केनापि हेतुना ।। १०.

When, in such worlds, Brahmā, the creator of worlds, does not set the creatures in motion for some reason—

तमोमात्रावृतो ब्रह्मा तदाप्रभृति दुःखितः। ततः स विदधे बुद्धिमर्थनिश्चयगामिनीम् ।। १०.

Brahmā, enveloped by the measure of darkness, from that time becomes distressed; then he devised intellect leading to the determination of purpose.

अथात्मनि समस्राक्षीत्तमोमात्रां नियामिकाम् । राजसत्वं पराजित्य वर्त्तमानं स धर्मतः ।। १०.

Then, within himself, he placed the measure of darkness as the regulator, overcoming the quality of passion, and proceeded according to dharma.

तप्यते तेन दुःखेन शोकञ्चक्रे जगत्पतिः। तमश्च व्यनुदत्तस्माद्रजस्तमसमावृणोत् ।। १०.

The Lord of the world was tormented by that sorrow and grief; from him, darkness was dispelled, and rajas and tamas enveloped him.

तत्तमः प्रतिनुत्तं वै मिथुनं स व्यजायत। अधर्माच्चरणाज्जज्ञे हिंसा शोकादजायत ।। १०.

That darkness having been dispelled, a pair was indeed produced; from adharma arose violence, and from grief was born sorrow.

ततस्तस्मिन् समुद्भूते मिथुने चरणात्मनि। ततश्च भगवानासीत् प्रीतश्चैवमशिश्रियत् ।। १०.

Then, in that pair that arose—embodying action—the Blessed Lord became pleased and thus entered into it.

स्वां तनुं स ततो ब्रह्मा तामपोहदभास्वराम्। द्विधाकरोत्स तं देहमर्द्धेन पुरुषोऽभवत् ।। १०.

Then Brahma cast off his own radiant body; he divided that form in two, and from one half became the male.

अर्द्धेन नारी सा तस्य शतरूपा व्यजायत। प्राकृतां भूतधात्रीं तां कामान्वै सृष्टवान् विभुः ।। १०.

From the other half, she became his woman, Śatarūpā by name; she, the primal mother of beings, was created by the mighty one through desire.

सा दिवं वृथिवीञ्चैव महिम्ना व्याप्य धिष्ठिता। ब्रह्मणः सा तनुः पूर्वा दिवमावृत्त्य तिष्ठति ।। १०.

She, pervading heaven and earth by her greatness, was established; that former body of Brahma remains, having ascended to heaven.

या त्वर्द्धात् सृजते नारी शतरूपा व्यजायत। सा देवी नियुतन्तप्त्वा तपः परमदुश्चरम् ।। १०.

From that half which he created as woman, Śatarūpā was born; that goddess, having performed severe and supreme austerity—

भर्तारन्दीप्तयशसं पुरुषं प्रत्यपद्यत। स वै स्वायम्भुवः पूर्वं पुरुषो मनुरुच्यते ।। १०.

She accepted as her husband the illustrious man, radiant in fame; he, the primeval self-born man, is called Manu.

तस्यैवसप्ततियुगं मन्वन्तरमिहोच्यते । लब्धा तु पुरुषः पत्नीं शतरूपामयोनिजाम् ।। १०.

His period of seventy yugas is here called a manvantara; having obtained Śatarūpā, the man without a mother, as his wife—

तया स रमते सार्द्धं तस्मात्सा रतिरुच्यते। प्रथमः संप्रयोगः स कल्पादौ समवर्त्तत ।। १०.

With her he enjoyed union, and thus it is called pleasure; that first union occurred at the beginning of the kalpa.

विराजमसृजत् ब्रह्मा सोऽभवत् पुरुषो विराट् । सम्राण्मानसरूपात्तु वै राजस्तु मनुः स्मृतः ।। १०.

Brahma created Virāj, and he became the cosmic man, Virāj; from the mind-born form of the sovereign, Manu the king is remembered.

स वैराजः प्रजासर्गः स सर्गे पुरुषो मनुः। वैराजात्पुरुषाद्वीराच्छतरूपा व्यजायत ।। १०.

That creation of beings from Virāj is the man called Manu in creation; from Virāj, from the man, from him, Śatarūpā was born.

प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ पुत्रौ पुत्रवतां वरौ । कन्ये द्वे च महाभागे याभ्यां जाताः प्रजास्त्विमाः ।। १०.

Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, two sons, foremost among those with sons; and two illustrious daughters, from whom these beings were born.

देवी नाम्ना तथाकूतिः प्रसूतिश्चैव ते शुभे। स्वायम्भुवः प्रसूतिन्तु दक्षाय व्यसृजत् प्रभुः ।। १०.

The goddess named Ākūti and also Prasūti, both auspicious; Svāyambhuva gave Prasūti to Dakṣa, the lord.

प्राणो दक्षस्तु विज्ञेयः सङ्कल्पो मनुरुच्यते। रुचेः प्रजापतेश्चैव आकूतिं प्रत्यपादयत् ।। १०.

Dakṣa is to be known as the vital breath, and Manu is called resolve; and the mind-born Ruci, the progenitor, accepted Ākūti.

आकूत्यां मिथुनं यज्ञे मानसस्य रुचेः शुभम्। यज्ञश्च दक्षिणा चैव यमकौ सम्बभूवतुः ।। १०.

From Ākūti, in the sacrifice, a pair was born to the mind-born Ruci, auspicious: Yajña and Dakṣiṇā, the twin children, came forth.

यज्ञस्य दक्षिणायाञ्च पुत्रा द्वादश जज्ञिरे। यामा इति समाखयाता देवाः स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे ।। १०.

From Yajña and Dakṣiṇā, twelve sons were born; they are called the Yāmas, the gods in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara.

यमस्य पुत्रा यज्ञस्य तस्माद्यामास्तु ते स्मृताः। अजिताश्चैव शूकाश्च गणौ द्वौ ब्रह्मणः स्मृतौ ।। १०.

The sons of Yama, of Yajña, are thus remembered as the Yāmas; and Ajitas and Śukas, two groups, are known as the hosts of Brahma.