परमार्थस्त्वमेवैको नान्योस्ति जगतः पते । तवैष महिमा येन व्याप्तमेतच्चराचरम्
You alone are the highest reality, O Lord of the universe; there is no other. By your greatness, this entire world, moving and unmoving, is pervaded.
यदेतदृश्यते मूर्त्तमेतज्ज्ञानात्मनस्तव । भ्रान्तिज्ञानेन पश्यन्ति जगद्रू पमयोगिनः
Whatever is seen here as form is, in truth, your own self of knowledge; but those whose knowledge is deluded perceive the world as separate, O Yogis.
ज्ञानस्वरूपमखिलं जगदेतदबुद्धयः । अर्थस्वरूपं पश्यन्तो भ्राम्यन्ते मोहसंप्लवे
Those without understanding see this entire world as material, but, perceiving it as mere objects, they wander lost in the flood of delusion.
ये तु ज्ञानविदः शुद्धचेतसस्तेऽखिलं जगत् । ज्ञानात्मकं प्रपश्यन्ति त्वद्रू पं परमेश्वर
But those who know knowledge, whose minds are pure, see the entire world as composed of knowledge, perceiving your form, O Supreme Lord.
प्रसीद सर्व सर्वात्मन्भवाय जगतामिमाम् । उद्धरोर्वीममेयात्मञ्छन्नो देह्यब्जलोचन
Be gracious, O all-pervading Soul of all, for the sake of these worlds; uplift the earth, O lotus-eyed one, who are concealed in this form.
सत्त्वोद्रि क्तोऽसि भगवन् गोविंद पृथिवीमिमाम् । समुद्धर भवायेश शन्नो देह्यब्जलोचन
O blessed Govinda, you are filled with Sattva; O Lord of beings, uplift this earth for our sake; grant us your favor, O lotus-eyed one.
सर्गप्रवृत्तिर्भवतो जगतामुपकारिणी । भवत्वेषा नमस्तेऽस्तु शन्नो देह्यब्जलोचन
May this activity of creation, which benefits the worlds, proceed from you; salutations to you—grant us your favor, O lotus-eyed one.
श्रीपराशर उवाच। एवं संस्तूयमानस्तु परमात्मा महीधरः । उज्जहार क्षितिं क्षिप्रं न्यस्तवांश्च महाम्भसि
Śrī Parāśara said: Thus praised, the Supreme Soul, the bearer of the earth, swiftly lifted up the earth and placed it upon the great waters.
तस्योपरि जलौघस्य महती नौरिव स्थिता । विततत्त्वात्तु देहस्य न मही याति संप्लवम्
Upon him, amidst the flood of waters, the earth stood like a great ship; because of the expanse of his body, the earth did not sink.
ततः क्षितिं समां कृत्वा पृथिव्यां सोचिनोद्गिरीन् । यथाविभागं भगवाननादिः परमेश्वरः
Then, having made the earth level, the primeval Lord, the beginningless Supreme Lord, arranged the mountains upon the earth according to their divisions.
प्राक्यसर्गदग्धानखिलान्पर्वतान्पृथिवीतले । अमोघेन प्रभावेण ससर्जामोघवाञ्छितः
He created upon the earth all the mountains that had been destroyed in the previous creation, by his unfailing power, desiring nothing in vain.
भूविभागं ततः कृत्वा सप्तद्वीपान्यथातथम् । भूराद्यांश्चतुरो लोकान्पूर्ववत्समकल्पयत्
Then, having divided the earth, he formed the seven continents as before, and established the four worlds, beginning with Bhū, just as previously.
ब्रह्मरूपधरो देवस्ततोऽसौ रजसा वृतः । चकार सृष्टिं भगवांश्चतुर्वक्त्रधरो हरिः
Then the god, assuming the form of Brahmā and enveloped in rajas, the blessed Hari with four faces, performed the act of creation.
निमित्तमात्रमेवाऽसौ सृज्यानां सर्गकर्मणि । प्रधानकारणीभूता यतो वै सृज्यशक्तयः
He is only the instrumental cause in the work of creation; for the powers of creation themselves become the primary causes.
निमित्तमात्रं मुक्त्वैवं नान्यत्किंचिदपेक्षते । नीयते तपतां श्रेष्ठ स्वशक्त्या वस्तु वस्तुताम्
Apart from being the mere instrument, he requires nothing else; O best of ascetics, by his own power, each thing attains its own reality.
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.
तमोमोहो महामोहस्तामिस्रो ह्यन्धसंज्ञितः । अविद्या पंचपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः ॥५ पञ्चधाऽवस्थितः सर्गो ध्यायतो प्रतिबोधवान् । बहिरन्तोऽप्रकाशश्च संवृतात्मा नगात्मकः ॥६ मुख्या नगा यतः प्रोक्ता मुख्यसर्गस्ततस्त्वयम्
That great delusion is darkness-born, called tamas-moha and simply moha of blindness; this ignorance, fivefold in form, arose within the great‑souled one. Created in fivefold fashion, it stands; when contemplated it awakens the unawakened; it is inward and outward yet lacks light, a self‑enclosing, cityless self.
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.