Having devised ways to protect themselves from cold and other hardships, the beings of old then created means of livelihood, developing various manual skills and crafts that arose from their work. They brought forth grains and pulses to sustain life—rice, barley, wheat, chickpeas, sesame, priyangu, udāra, koradūṣa, and satīnakā were remembered among these. Black gram, green gram, lentils, niṣpāva, kulattha, āḍhakya, more chickpeas, and hemp—seventeen in all—were also known. These, O sage, are the cultivated plants, and among them are fourteen kinds, both cultivated and wild, that are especially suitable for sacrifice. These include rice, barley, black gram, wheat, chickpeas, sesame, priyangu as the seventh, and kulattha as the eighth. Śyāmāka, nīvāra, jartila with gavedhukā, veṇuyava, and markaṭaka are also counted among them. These fourteen herbs, both domestic and wild, exist, it is said, for the accomplishment of sacrifice; indeed, sacrifice is their highest purpose. Together with sacrifice, these grains and plants are the supreme cause of living beings. Therefore, those who know both the higher and lower truths should always perform sacrifices. O best of sages, when people undertake the daily performance of sacrifice, it brings them benefit and grants relief from suffering. Yet, when the age of Kali began to spread its influence, some people’s minds were overtaken by the evil companion born of that age. These individuals ceased to set their thoughts upon sacrifice. Instead, they began to revile the teachings of the Vedas, the Vedas themselves, and all sacrificial acts, thus becoming destroyers of sacrifice. Their minds and conduct grew wicked; they became revilers of the Vedas, disruptors of the righteous path, and they acted with crooked intentions. When the means of livelihood had been established, the Lord of creatures created beings and assigned them to their proper places and stations according to their qualities. O best upholder of righteousness, he established the castes and stages of life, and the worlds for all castes who rightly observe their duties. The place of Brahmā was said to be for Brahmins engaged in ritual acts; the place of Indra for Kṣatriyas who do not turn back in battle. For Vaiśyas who follow their own duty, the place of the wind-god was assigned; for those born as Śūdras who engage in service, the Gandharva realm was designated. The place remembered for the eighty-eight thousand sages of pure celibacy is the same as that for those who dwell with their teachers. The Seven Sages were assigned the place of forest-dwellers; householders, the place of Prajāpati; and renunciants, the realm called Brahman. For yogis who are content in themselves, the immortal realm is their place. Those who are single-minded, always meditating on Brahman, and for yogis, their highest place is that which the wise behold. The planets, such as the moon and sun, come and go, but even now, those who contemplate the twelve-syllabled mantra do not return. As for those who revile the Veda, destroy sacrifice, and abandon their own duty, their places are declared to be Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Mahāraurava, Raurava, the dreadful forest of sword-leaves, Kālasūtra, and Avīci—realms of suffering and darkness. Śrī Parāśara continued: Then, as the Lord meditated, mind-born beings arose from him. Along with the faculties and actions that emerged from his body, the embodied souls came forth from the limbs of that wise one. All those beings I have previously mentioned—from the gods down to the immovable—who exist within the domain of the three qualities, returned once more. Thus, both moving and unmoving beings were created. However, these creatures did not multiply, so he created other mind-born sons, similar to himself. Bhrigu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Angiras, Marici, Daksha, Atri, and also Vasistha—these were the mind-born sons, and they are known in the Purana as the nine Brahmas. He then created Khyati, Bhuti, Sambhuti, Kshama, Priti, Sannati, Urja, and Anasuya. After creating Prasuti as well, he gave these great souls wives, saying, "Be wives," and thus assigned them. Those such as Sanandana and others, previously created by the Creator, did not attach themselves to the worlds, being indifferent to progeny. All of them, having attained knowledge and being free from passion and envy, remained detached and did not participate in the creation of the worlds. Then, from Brahma arose a great wrath, capable of burning the three worlds. From his anger, a blazing mass of flames appeared, illuminating all the three worlds. From the furrowed, wrath-ignited brow of his forehead, Rudra arose, shining like the midday sun. Fierce and exceedingly powerful, with a form half-male and half-female, Brahma said to him, "Divide yourself," and then vanished. Thus addressed, Rudra divided himself into female and male, and again into many male forms, tenfold, and then again into one. The lord, with gentle and fierce, peaceful and unpeaceful forms, divided his female aspect into many, with various forms, both dark and fair. Then, O twice-born, the lord Svayambhuva, previously born from Brahma himself, made himself Manu for the protection of creatures. And that woman, Shatarupa, purified of faults by austerity, was taken as wife by the divine Svayambhuva Manu.