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.
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.