दशभ्यस्तु प्रचेतोभ्यो मारीषायां प्रजापतिः । जज्ञे दक्षो महाभागो यः पूर्वं ब्रह्मणोऽभवत् ॥ १,१५.
From Māriṣā and the ten Pracetas was born Prajāpati Dakṣa, the greatly fortunate one, who was formerly the son of Brahmā.
स तु दक्षो महाभागःसृष्ट्यर्थं सुमहामते । पुत्रानुत्पादयामास प्रजासृष्ट्यर्थमात्मनः ॥ १,१५.
That Dakṣa, greatly blessed and wise, produced sons for the purpose of creation, to generate offspring from himself.
अवरांश्च वरांश्चैव द्विपदोथ चतुष्पदान् । आदेशं ब्रह्मणः कुर्वन् सृष्ट्यर्थं समुपस्थितः ॥ १,१५.
He created both inferior and superior beings, bipeds and quadrupeds, following Brahmā's command, for the purpose of creation.
स सृष्ट्वा मनसा दक्षः पश्चादसृजत स्त्रियः । ददौ स दश धर्माय कश्यपाय त्रयोदश । कालस्य नयने युक्ताः सप्तविंशतिमिन्दवे ॥ १,१५.
Dakṣa first created by mind, then produced women; he gave ten to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa, and twenty-seven to Soma, who are associated with the regulation of time.
तासु देवास्तथा दैत्या नागा गावस्तथा खगाः । गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैव दानवाद्याश्च जज्ञिरे ॥ १,१५.
From them were born the gods, the demons, the serpents, the cows, the birds, the gandharvas, the apsaras, and also the danavas and others.
ततः प्रभृति मैत्रेय प्रजा मैथुनसम्भवाः । संकल्पाद्दर्शनात्स्पर्शात्पूर्वेषामभवन् प्रजाः । तपोविशेषैः सिद्धानां तदात्यन्ततपस्विनाम् ॥ १,१५.
From that time onward, O Maitreya, offspring have arisen from sexual union; previously, progeny were born from intention, sight, and touch, due to the extraordinary austerities of those accomplished ascetics.
श्रीमैत्रेय उवाच अङ्गुष्ठाद्दक्षिणाद्दक्षः पूर्वं जातो मया श्रुतः । कथं प्राचेतसो भूयः समुत्पन्नो महामुने ॥ १,१५.
Maitreya said: I have heard that Daksha was first born from the right thumb; how then, O great sage, was the son of Prachetas born again?
एष मे संशयो ब्रह्मन्सुमहान्हृदि वर्तते । यद्दैहित्रश्च सोमस्य पुनः श्वशुरतां गतः ॥ १,१५.
This doubt, O Brahman, is very great and dwells in my heart: how did Daksha, the son of Soma, again become the father-in-law?
श्रीराशर उवाच उत्पत्तिश्च निरोधश्च नित्यो भूतेषु सर्वाद । ऋषयोत्र न सुह्यन्ति ये चान्ये दिव्यचक्षुषः ॥ १,१५.
Parashara said: Creation and dissolution are eternal among all beings; neither the sages nor others with divine vision are confused about this.
युगेयुगे भवन्त्येते दक्षाद्या मुनिसत्तम । पुनश्चैवं निरुद्ध्यन्ते विद्वांस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥ १,१५.
In every age, O best of sages, these Daksha and others arise and are again dissolved; the wise are not bewildered by this.
कानिष्ठ्यं ज्यैष्ठ्यमप्येषां पूर्वं नाभूद्द्द्विजोत्तम । तप एव गरीयोभूत्प्रभा वश्चैव कारणम् ॥ १,१५.
Previously, O best of twice-born, there was neither youngest nor eldest among them; austerity alone was esteemed, and brilliance was the cause.
मैत्रेय उवाच देवानां दानवानां च गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम् । उत्पत्तिं विस्तरेणेह मम ब्रह्मन्प्रकीर्तय ॥ १,१५.
Maitreya said: O Brahman, describe to me in detail the origin of the gods, the demons, the gandharvas, the serpents, and the rakshasas.
श्रीपराशर उवाच प्रजाः सृजेति व्यादिष्टः पूर्वं दक्षः स्वयंभुवा । यथा ससर्ज भूतानि तथा शृणु महामुने ॥ १,१५.
Parashara said: Daksha was formerly instructed by Svayambhu to create beings; listen, O great sage, to how he created living creatures.
मानसान्येव भूतानि पूर्वं दक्षोऽसृजत्तदा । देवानृषीन्सगन्धर्वानसुरान्पन्नगांस्तथा ॥ १,१५.
Daksha first created beings by mind alone: gods, sages, gandharvas, asuras, and serpents.
यदास्य सृजमानस्य न व्यवर्धन्त ताः प्रजाः । ततः संचिन्त्य स पुनः सृष्टिहेतोः प्रजापतिः ॥ १,१५.
When those beings he was creating did not multiply, then, reflecting for the sake of creation, the lord of creatures considered again.
मैथुनेनैव धर्मेण सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः । असक्नीमावहत्कन्यां वीरणस्य प्रजापतेः । सुतां सुतपसा युक्तां महतीं लोकधारिणीम् ॥ १,१५.
Desiring to create various beings through lawful union, he took Asikni, the daughter of Virana, a prajapati, endowed with great austerity and sustaining the worlds.
अथ पुत्रसहस्राणै वैरुण्यां पञ्च वीर्यवान् । असिक्न्यां जनयामास सर्गहेतोः प्रजापतिः ॥ १,१५.
Then, for the purpose of creation, the lord of creatures begot a thousand powerful sons in Asikni.
तान्दृष्ट्वा नारदो विप्र संविवर्धयिषून्प्रजाः । संगम्य प्रियसंवादो देवर्षिरिदमब्रवीत् ॥ १,१५.
Seeing them, O sage, Narada, wishing to increase the progeny, approached them and spoke these agreeable words.
हे हर्यश्वा महावीर्याः प्रजा यूयं करिष्यथ । ईदृशो दृश्यते यत्नो भवतां श्रूयतामीदम् ॥ १,१५.
O Haryashvas, mighty in strength, you will produce offspring; such effort is seen in you—listen to this.
बालिश बत यूयं वै नास्या जानीत वै भुवः । अन्तरूर्ध्वमधश्चैव कथं सृक्ष्यथ वै प्रजाः ॥ १,१५.
Alas, you are indeed childish; you do not know the nature of the earth. How will you create offspring without knowing what lies within, above, and below?
ऊर्ध्वं तिर्यगधश्चैव यदाप्रतिहता गतिः । तदा कस्माद्भुवो नान्तं सर्वे द्रक्ष्यथ बालिशाः ॥ १,१५.
When movement is unobstructed upward, across, and downward, then, O childish ones, why do you not see the end of the earth?
ते तु तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रयाताः सर्वतो दिशम् । अद्यापि नो निवर्तन्ते समुद्रेभ्य इवापगाः ॥ १,१५.
Hearing those words, they departed in all directions; even now they do not return, like rivers flowing to the ocean.
हर्य श्वेष्वथ नष्टोषु दक्षः प्राचेतसः पुनः । वैरुण्यामथ पुत्राणां सहस्रमसृजत्प्रभुः ॥ १,१५.
When the white horses were lost, Daksha, son of Prachetas, once again, by Vairuni, produced a thousand sons, O mighty one.
विवर्धयिषवस्ते तु शबलाश्वाः प्रजाः पुनः । पूर्वोक्तं वचनं ब्रह्मन्नारदेनैव नोदिताः ॥ १,१५.
Desiring to increase the population, those sons with mottled horses were born again; but, O Brahman, they did not heed the previously spoken words of Narada.
अन्योन्यमूचुस्ते सर्वे सम्यगाह महामुनिः । भ्रतॄणां पदवी चैव गन्तव्या नात्र संशयः ॥ १,१५.
All of them spoke to each other, and the great sage explained clearly: 'The path of the brothers must indeed be followed; there is no doubt about this.'
ज्ञात्वा प्रमाणं पृथ्व्याश्च प्रजाःसृज्यामहे ततः ॥ १,१५.
'Having understood the measure of the earth, let us then create offspring,' they said.
तेपि तेनैव मार्गेण प्रयाताः सर्वतोमुखम् । अद्यापि न निवर्तन्ते समुद्रेभ्य इवापगाः । ततः प्रभृति वै भ्राता भ्रातुरन्वेषणे द्विज । प्रयातो नश्यति तथा तन्न कार्यं विजानता ॥ १,१५.
They too proceeded along that same path, facing in all directions; even today, they do not return, like rivers flowing to the ocean. From that time onward, O twice-born, a brother who goes in search of another brother perishes in the same way; thus, one who knows this should not do so.
तां श्चापि नष्टान् विज्ञाय पुत्रान् दक्षः प्रजापतिः । क्रोधं चक्रे महाभागो नारदं स शशाप च ॥ १,१५.
Recognizing that his sons were lost, Daksha, the lord of creatures, became angry and cursed Narada.
सर्गकामस्ततो विद्वान्स मैत्रेय प्रजापतिः । षष्टिं तक्षोऽसृजत्कन्या वैरुण्यामिति नः श्रुतम् ॥ १,१५.
Desiring creation, the wise lord of creatures, O Maitreya, then produced sixty daughters by Vairuni, as we have heard.
ददौ स दश धर्माय कश्यपाय त्रयोदश । सप्तविंशति सोमाय चतस्त्रोऽरिष्टनेमिने ॥ १,१५.
He gave ten to Dharma, thirteen to Kashyapa, twenty-seven to Soma, and four to Arishtanemi.