त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तु सम्पूर्णाः संख्याताः संख्याया द्विज । सप्तषष्टिस्तथान्यानि नियुतानि महामुने
Three hundred million are counted as the full number, O twice-born; and there are sixty-seven more 'niyutas', O great sage.
विंशतिस्तु सह्स्त्राणि कालोऽयमधिकं विना । मन्वन्तरस्य सड्खयेयं मानुषैर्वत्सरैर्द्विज
There are twenty thousand more, without excess; this is the reckoning of a manvantara in human years, O twice-born.
चतुर्दशगुणो ह्योष कालो ब्राह्ममहः स्मृतम् । ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको नाम तस्यान्ते प्रतिसत्र्चरः
Fourteen times that period is called a day of Brahmā; at its end comes what is known as the incidental (naimittika) dissolution.
तदा ही दह्राते सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं भूर्भुवादिकम् । जनं प्रयान्ति तापार्था महर्लोकनिवासिनः
Then, at that time, all the three worlds—Bhū, Bhuvaḥ, and others—are dissolved; those dwelling in Maharloka, seeking relief from heat, go to Janaloka.
एकार्णवे तु त्रैलोक्ये ब्रह्म नारायणात्मकः । भोगिशय्यां गतः शेते त्रैलोक्यग्रासबृंहितः
When the three worlds are a single ocean, Brahmā, whose essence is Nārāyaṇa, lies upon the serpent-bed, magnified by the absorption of the worlds.
जनस्थैर्योगिभिर्देवाश्चिन्त्यमानोऽब्जसम्भवः । तत्प्रमाणां हि तां रात्रिं तदन्ते सृजते पुनः
The gods and yogis in Janaloka contemplate the lotus-born one; for a night of equal measure, and at its end, he creates again.
एवं तु ब्रह्मणो वर्षमेवं वर्षशतं च यत् । शतं हि तस्य वर्षाणां परमायुर्महात्मनः
In this way, a year of Brahmā is as has been described, and a hundred such years is his lifespan; for a hundred years is the supreme lifespan of that great being.
एकमस्य व्यतीतं तु परार्द्ध ब्रह्मणोऽनघ । तस्यान्तेऽभून्महाकल्पः पाद्य इत्यभिविश्रुतः
O sinless one, one parārdha of Brahmā has passed; at its end occurred the great kalpa known as Pādya.
द्वितीयस्य परार्द्धस्य वर्तमानस्य वै द्विज । वाराह इति कल्पोऽयं प्रथमः परिकीर्तितः
O twice-born, in the second parārdha, which is now ongoing, the first kalpa is renowned as the Vārāha Kalpa.
श्रीमैत्रेय उवाच यथा ससर्ज देवोऽसौ देवर्षिपितृदानवान् । मनुष्यतिर्यग्वृक्षादीन्भूव्योमसलिलौकसः
Śrī Maitreya said: Tell me how that divine one created the gods, sages, ancestors, and Dānavas, as well as humans, animals, trees, and all beings dwelling on earth, in the sky, and in water.
यद्गुणं यत्स्वभावं च यद्रू पं च जगद्द्विज। सर्गादौ सृष्टवान्ब्रह्मा तन्ममाचक्ष्व कृत्स्नशः
O twice-born, tell me in full what qualities, natures, and forms Brahmā created in the world at the beginning of creation.
श्रीपराशर उवाच मैत्रेय कथयाम्येतच्छृणुष्व सुसमाहितः । यथा ससर्ज देवोसौ देवादीनखिलान्विभुः
Śrī Parāśara said: Maitreya, I will tell you this; listen with full attention to how that divine Lord created the gods and all the rest.
सृष्टिं चिंतय तस्तस्य कल्पादिषु यथा पुरा । अबुद्धिपूर्वकः सर्गः प्रादुर्भूतस्तमोमयः
As he contemplated creation at the beginning of the kalpas, as before, an unconscious creation arose, consisting of darkness.
तमोमोहो महामोहस्तामिस्रो ह्यन्धसंज्ञितः । अविद्या पंचपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः
This darkness is delusion, great delusion, and is also called Tāmisra and Andhasa; this ignorance, in five forms, arose from the great soul.
पञ्चधाऽवस्थितः सर्गो ध्यायतो प्रतिबोधवान् । बहिरन्तोऽप्रकाशश्च संवृतात्मा नगात्मकः
The creation, existing in fivefold form, was present as he contemplated, but without awareness; it was both inner and outer, without light, veiled in its own nature, and tree-like in form.
मुख्या नगा यतः प्रोक्ता मुख्यसर्गस्ततस्त्वयम् ७ तं दृष्ट्वाऽसाधकं सर्गममन्यदपरं पुनः
Because the primary trees are declared to be the main creation, this is called the primary creation; seeing that this creation was ineffective, he again made another.
तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गस्तिर्यक्स्त्रोतोभ्यवर्त्तत । यस्मात्तिर्यक्प्रवृत्तिस्स तिर्यक्स्रोतास्ततः स्मृतः
As he contemplated, a creation with a horizontal current arose; because their activity was horizontal, it is known as the Tiryaksrotas creation.
पश्वादयस्ते विख्यातास्तमःप्राया ह्यवेदिनः । उत्पथग्राहिणश्चैव तेऽज्ञाने ज्ञानमानिनः
These, beginning with cattle, are well known; they are dominated by darkness and ignorant, following wrong paths, and though ignorant, they imagine themselves to possess knowledge.
अहंकृता अहंमाना अष्टाविंशद्वधात्मकाः । अतः प्रकाशास्ते सर्वे आवृताश्च परस्परम्
They are driven by ego and pride, numbering twenty-eight types; thus, all of them are manifest yet mutually obscured.
तमप्यसाधकं मत्वा ध्यायतोन्यस्ततोऽभवत् । ऊर्ध्वस्रोतास्तृतीयस्तु सात्त्विकोर्ध्वमवर्त्तत
Considering that creation also ineffective, as he meditated further, the third creation, the Sāttvika, arose upward as the Ūrdhvasrotas.
ते सुखप्रीतिबहुला बहिरन्तश्च नावृताः । प्रकाशा बहिरन्तश्च ऊर्ध्वस्रोतोद्भवाः स्मृताः
They are full of happiness and delight, unimpeded both within and without; luminous inside and out, they are said to be born of the upward current.
तुष्टात्मानस्तृतीयस्तु देवसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः । तस्मिन्सर्गेभवत्प्रीतिर्निष्पन्ने ब्रह्मणस्तदा
Content in themselves, this third creation is known as the creation of the gods; when this creation was accomplished, Brahmā experienced joy.
ततोन्यं स तदा दध्यौ साधकं सर्गमुत्तमम् . असाधकांस्तु ताञ्ज्ञात्वा मुख्यसर्गादिसम्भवान्
Then he contemplated another, superior creation, effective in its purpose, recognizing the previous ones, beginning with the primary creation, as ineffective.
तथाभिध्यायतस्तस्य सत्याभिध्यायिनस्ततः । प्रादुर्बभूव चाव्यक्तादर्वाक्स्रोतास्तु साधकः
Thus, as he meditated with true intent, from the unmanifest arose the downward-flowing, effective creation.
यस्मादर्वाग्व्यवर्त्तन्त ततोर्वाक्स्रोतसस्तु ते । ते च प्रकाशबहुलास्तमोद्रि क्ता रजोधिकाः
Because they turned away from the upward flow, those streams of speech became theirs; and those, abundant in illumination, were afflicted by darkness, dominated by passion.
तस्मात्ते दुःखबहुला भूयोभूयश्च कारिणः । प्रकाशा बहिरन्तश्च मनुष्याः साधकास्तु ते
Therefore, they are filled with suffering and repeatedly engaged in action; humans, manifest both outwardly and inwardly, are the ones who strive.
इत्येते कथिताः सर्गाः षडत्र मुनिसत्तम । प्रथमो महतः सर्गो विज्ञेयो ब्रह्मणस्तु सः
Thus, O foremost sage, these six creations have been described here; the first is known as the creation of Mahat, which belongs to Brahma.
तन्मात्राणां द्वितीयश्च भूतसर्गो हि स स्मृतः । वैकारिकस्तृतीयस्तु सर्ग ऐन्द्रि यकः स्मृतः
The second is remembered as the creation of the subtle elements; the third, called the Vaikarika creation, is known as the creation of the senses.
इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गः सम्भूतो बुद्धिपूर्वकः । मुख्यसर्गश्चतुर्थस्तु मुख्या वै स्थावराः स्मृताः
Thus, this Prakritic creation arises, preceded by intellect; the fourth creation is the primary one, and the immovable beings are considered primary.
तिर्यक्स्रोतास्तु यः प्रोक्तस्तैर्यग्योन्यः स उच्यते । तदूर्ध्वस्रोतसां षष्ठो देवसर्गस्तु संस्मृतः
The creation called 'those with transverse streams' is referred to as the animal creation; above them, the sixth creation, with upward streams, is remembered as the divine creation.