Vayu Purana

ततस्तेभ्यः स्वरेभ्यस्तु चतुर्द्दश महामुखाः। मनवः सम्प्रसूयन्ते दिव्या मन्वन्तरे स्वराः ।। २६.

Then, from those sounds, fourteen great-faced ones are born; the divine Manus arise in the Manvantaras, and the sounds are divine.

चतुर्द्दशमुखो यश्च अकारो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः। ब्रह्मकल्पः समाख्यातः सर्ववर्णः प्रजापतिः ।। २६.

The one with fourteen faces, whose first sound is 'a', is known as Brahma; the age of Brahma is declared, and he is the progenitor of all colors (races).

मुखात्तु प्रथमात्तस्य मनुः स्वायम्भुवः स्मृतः। अकारस्तु स विज्ञेयः श्वेतवर्णः स्वयम्भुवः ।। २६.

From his first face, the Manu called Svāyambhuva is remembered; the sound 'a' should be understood as white in color, and self-born.

द्वितीयात्तु मुखात्तस्य आकारो वै मुखः स्मृतः। नाम्ना स्वारोचिषो नाम वर्णः पाण्डुर उच्यते ।। २६.

From his second face, the sound 'ā' is said to be the mouth; by name, he is called Svārociṣa, and his color is described as pale.

तृतीयात्तु मुखात्तस्य इकारो यजुषां वरः। यजुर्मयः स चादित्यो यजुर्वेदो यतः स्मृतः ।। २६.

From his third face, the sound 'i' is the best among the Yajus; he is composed of Yajur, he is called Āditya, and from him the Yajurveda is remembered.

ईकारः स मनुर्ज्ञेयो रक्तवर्णः प्रतापवान्। ततः क्षत्रं प्रवर्त्तन्त तस्माद्रक्तस्तु क्षत्रियः ।। २६.

The sound 'ī' is to be known as the Manu, red in color and powerful; from him the kṣatriya class arose, therefore the kṣatriya is red.

चतुर्थात्तु मुखात्तस्य उकारः स्वर उच्यते। वर्णतस्तु स्मृतस्ताम्रः स मनुस्तामसः स्मृतः ।। २६.

From his fourth face, the sound 'u' is called a vowel; by color he is remembered as coppery, and that Manu is called Tāmasa.

पञ्चमात्तु मुखात्तस्य ऊकारो नाम जायते। पीतको वर्णतश्चैव मनुश्चापि चरिष्णवः ।। २६.

From his fifth face, the sound 'ū' is produced; by color he is yellow, and the Manu is called Cariṣṇu.

ततः षष्ठान्मुखात्तस्य ओङ्कारः कपिलः स्मृतः। वरिष्ठश्च ततः षष्ठो विजयः स महातपाः ।। २६.

Then from his sixth face, the sound 'oṃ' is remembered as tawny; the sixth Manu, called Vijaya, is the most excellent and greatly austere.

सप्तमात्तु मुखात्तस्य ततो वैवस्वतो मनुः। ऋकारश्च स्वरस्तत्र वर्णतः कुष्ण उच्यते ।। २६.

From his seventh face, then, comes the Manu called Vaivasvata; the sound 'ṛ' is the vowel there, and by color he is called dark.

अष्टमात्तु मुखात्तस्य ॠकारः श्यामवर्णतः। श्यामाक्षरसवर्णश्च ततः सावर्णिरुच्यते ।। २६.

From his eighth face, the sound 'ṝ' is of dark complexion; the letter and color are dark, and from him the Manu called Sāvarṇi is named.

मुखात्तु नवमात्तस्य लृकारो नवमः स्मृतः। धूम्रो वै वर्णतश्चापि धूम्रस्व मनुरुच्यते ।। २६.

From his ninth face, the sound 'ḷ' is remembered as the ninth; by color he is smoky, and the Manu is called Dhūmra.

दशमात्तु मुखात्तस्य लृकारः प्रभुरुच्यते। समश्चैव सवर्णश्च बभौ सावर्णिको मनुः ।। २६.

From his tenth face, the sound 'ḹ' is called the lord; he is equal and of the same color, and the Manu called Sāvarṇika shone.

मुखादेकादशात्तस्य एकारो मनुरुच्यते। पिशङ्गो वर्णतश्चैव पिशङ्गो वर्ण उच्यते ।। २६.

From his eleventh face, the sound 'e' is called Manu; by color he is tawny, and the color is called tawny.

द्वादशात्तु मुखात्तस्य ऐकारो नाम उच्यते। पिशङ्गो भस्मवर्णाभः पिशङ्गो मनुरुच्यते ।। २६.

From his twelfth face, the sound 'ai' is named; tawny, resembling the color of ash, and the Manu is called Piśaṅga.

त्रयोदशान्मुखात्तस्य ओकारो वर्ण उच्यते। पञ्चवर्णसमायुक्त ओकारो वर्ण उत्तमः ।। २६.

From his thirteenth face, the sound 'o' is called color; endowed with five colors, the sound 'o' is the highest color.

चतुर्द्दशमुखात्तस्य औकारो वर्ण उच्यते। कर्बूरो वर्णतश्चैव मनुः सावर्णिरुच्यते ।। २६.

From his fourteenth face, the sound 'au' is called color; by color he is variegated, and the Manu is called Sāvarṇi.

इत्येते मनवश्चैव स्वरा वर्णाश्च कल्पतः। विज्ञेया हि यथातत्त्वं स्वरतो वर्णतस्तथा ।। २६.

Thus, these Manus and vowels and colors in each age should be understood truly, both by their sound and by their color.

परस्परसवर्णाश्च स्वरा यस्माद् वृता हि वै । तस्मात्तेषां सवर्णत्वादन्वयस्तु प्रकीर्तितः ।। २६.

Because the vowels are mutually of the same color, therefore their succession is declared due to their sameness of color.

सवर्णाः सदृशाश्चैव यस्माज्जातास्तु कल्पजाः। तस्मात् प्रजानां लोकेऽस्मिन् सवर्णाः सर्वसन्धयः ।। २६.

Because those born in this cycle are of the same class and similar, therefore, in this world, all unions among beings are of the same class.

भविष्यन्ति यथाशैलं वर्णाश्च न्यायतोऽर्थतः। अभ्यासात्सन्धयश्चैव तस्माज्ज्ञेयाः स्वरा इति ।। २६.

As colors will arise according to law and meaning, and as unions occur through repetition, thus vowels should be understood.

अस्मिन् कल्पे त्वया चोक्तः प्रादुर्भावो महात्मनः। महादेवस्य रुद्रस्य साधकैर्मुनिभिः सह ।। २७.

In this cycle, you have spoken of the manifestation of the great soul, Mahadeva Rudra, together with accomplished sages.

उत्पत्तिरादिसर्गस्य मया प्रोक्त समासतः। विस्तरेणास्य वक्ष्यामि नामानि तनुभिः सह ।। २७.

I have briefly described the origin of the first creation; now I will explain it in detail, along with the names and bodies.

पत्नीषु जनयामास महादेवः सुतान् बहून्। कल्पेऽष्टमे व्यतीते तु यस्मिन् कल्पे तु तच्छृणु ।। २७.

Mahadeva begot many sons from his wives; listen to which cycle, the eighth, had passed when this occurred.

कल्पादौ चात्मानस्तुल्यं सुतं प्रध्यायतः प्रभोः। प्रादुरासीत्ततोङ्केऽस्य कुमारो नीललोहितः। तं दधे सुस्वरं घोरं निर्दहन्निव तेजसा ।। २७.

At the beginning of the cycle, the Lord, contemplating a son equal to himself, manifested a boy from his own body, blue and red; he placed him, fierce and resonant, as if burning with his radiance.

दृष्ट्वा रुदन्तं सहसा कुमारं नीललोहितम्। व्क रोदिषि कुमारेति ब्रह्मा तं प्रत्यभाषत ।। २७.

Seeing the blue-red boy suddenly crying, Brahma addressed him, 'Why do you cry, child?'

सोऽब्रवीद्देहि मे नाम प्रथमं वै पितामह। रुद्रस्त्वं देव नाम्नासि इत्युक्तः सोऽरुदत्पुनः ।। २७.

He said, 'Give me my first name, O Grandfather.' Brahma replied, 'You are Rudra by name.' Yet he cried again.

किं रोदिषीति तं ब्रह्मा रुदन्तं पुनरब्रवीत् । नाम देहि द्वितीयं मे इत्युवाच स्वयम्भुवम् ।। २७.

Brahma asked him, 'Why do you cry?' The boy replied, 'Give me a second name,' addressing the self-born one.

भवस्त्वं देव नाम्नासि ङ्त्युक्तः सोऽरुदत्पुनः। किं रोदिषीति तं ब्रह्मा प्रत्युवाचाथ शङ्करम् ।। २७.

'You are Bhava by name, O god,' Brahma said; yet he cried again. Brahma then addressed Shankara, 'Why do you cry?'