Vishnu Purana

स एव क्षोभको ब्रह्मन् क्षोभ्यश्र्च पुरुषोत्तमः । स संकोचविकासाभ्यां प्रधानत्वेऽपिच स्थितः

He alone, O Brāhmaṇa, is both the agitator and the one to be agitated, the Supreme Person; by contraction and expansion, he abides also as Pradhāna.

विकासाणुस्वरूपैश्च ब्रह्मरूपादिभिस्तथा । व्यक्तस्वरूपश्च तथा विष्णुः सर्वेश्वरेश्वरः

By forms of expansion and subtlety, such as the form of Brahman and others, Viṣṇu, the Lord of all lords, also becomes manifest.

गुणसाम्यात्ततस्तस्मात्क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितान्मुने । गुणव्यत्र्जनसम्भूतिः सर्गकाले द्विजोत्तम

Then, O sage, from the equilibrium of the qualities, presided over by the knower of the field, arises the differentiation of the qualities at the time of creation, O best of the twice-born.

प्रधानतत्त्वमुद्भतं महान्तं तत्समावृणोत् । सात्विको राजसश्चैव तामसश्च त्रिधा महान्

The principle of Pradhāna gave rise to Mahat (the great principle), which enveloped it; Mahat is threefold—sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika.

प्रधानतत्वेन समं त्वचा बीजमिवावृतम् । वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चैव तामस्वः

Mahat, existing equally with Pradhāna and enveloped like a seed, is threefold: Vaikārika (of sattva), Taijasa (of rajas), and Bhūtādi (of tamas).

त्रिविधोऽयमहंकारो महत्तत्त्वादजायत । भूतेन्द्रियाणां हेतुस्स त्रिगुणत्वान्महामुने । यथा प्रधानेन महान्महता स तथावृतः

From Mahat arose this threefold Ahaṃkāra (ego), which is the cause of the elements and the senses, O great sage, due to its three qualities; just as Mahat is enveloped by Pradhāna, so too is Ahaṃkāra enveloped by Mahat.

भूतादिस्तु विकुर्वाणः शब्दतन्मात्रकं ततः । ससर्ज शब्दतन्मात्रादाकाशं शब्दलक्षणम्

Then Bhūtādi, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle element of sound; from that subtle sound, space (ākāśa), characterized by sound, was created.

शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं भूतादिः स समावृणोत् । आकाशस्तु विकुर्वाणः स्पर्शमात्रं ससर्ज ह

Bhūtādi enveloped both the subtle sound and space; then space, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle element of touch.

बलवानभवद्वायुस्तस्य स्पर्शो गुणो मतः । आकाशं शब्दमात्रं तु स्पर्शमात्रं समावृणोत्

From that, powerful Vāyu (air) arose, whose quality is said to be touch; space, which possesses only sound, was enveloped by the subtle element of touch.

ततो वायुर्विकुर्णाणो रूपमात्रं ससर्ज ह । ज्योतिरुत्पद्यते वायोस्तद्रूपगुणमुच्यते

Then Vāyu, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle element of form; from Vāyu arose light, which is said to possess the quality of form.

स्पर्शमात्रं तु वै वायू रूपमात्रं समावृणोत् । ज्योतिश्चापि विकृर्वाणं रसमात्रं ससर्ज ह

Vāyu, which possesses only touch, was enveloped by the subtle element of form; and light, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle element of taste.

सम्भवन्ति ततोऽम्भांसि रसाधाराणि तानि च र। रसमात्राणि चाम्भांसि रूपमात्रं समावृणोत्

From that arose the waters, which became the receptacles of taste; and the waters, consisting only of taste, were enveloped by mere form.

विकुर्वाणानि चाम्भांसि गन्धमात्रं ससर्जिरे । संघातो जायते तस्मात्तस्य गन्धो गुणो मतः

The waters, undergoing transformation, produced only scent; from their aggregation, scent was considered their attribute.

तस्मिंस्तस्मिंस्तु तन्मात्रं तेन तन्मात्रता स्मृता

In each, the corresponding subtle element is present; thus, their subtlety is recognized.

तन्मात्राण्यविशेषाणि अविशेषास्ततो हि ते

The subtle elements are undifferentiated; from this lack of distinction, they are so called.

न शान्ता नापि घोरास्ते न मूढाश्चाविशेषिणः । भूततन्मात्रसर्गोऽयमहकांरात्तु तामसात्

They are neither tranquil nor fierce, nor are they deluded; these undifferentiated subtle elements arise from ignorance and darkness.

तैजसानीन्द्रीयाण्याहूर्देवा वैकारिका दश । एकादशं मनश्चात्र देवा वैकारिकाः स्मृताः

The gods called Vaikarika are said to be the ten sense organs born of the luminous principle; the eleventh, the mind, is also counted among the Vaikarika gods.

त्वक् चक्षुर्नासिका जिह्वा श्रोत्रमत्र च पत्र्चमम् । शब्दादीनामवाप्त्यर्थं बुद्धीयुक्तानि वै द्विज

Skin, eye, nose, tongue, and ear are the five here, O twice-born; endowed with intellect, they are for the acquisition of sound and other objects.

पायूपस्थौ करौ पादौ वाक् च मैत्रेय पत्र्चमी । विसर्गशिल्पगत्युक्ति कर्म तेषां च कथ्यते

Anus, genitals, hands, feet, and speech, O Maitreya, are the five; their functions are excretion, creation, movement, expression, and action.

आकाशवायुतेजांसि सलिलं पृथिवी तथा । शब्दादिभिर्गुणैर्ब्रह्मन्संयुक्तान्युत्तरोत्तरैः

Space, air, fire, water, and earth, O Brahman, are united with their respective qualities, each succeeding element possessing the qualities of the previous ones.

शान्ता घोराश्च मूढाश्च विशेषास्तेन ते स्मृताः

Tranquil, fierce, and deluded are the distinctions; thus, they are remembered as such.

नानावीर्याः पृथग्भूतास्ततस्ते संहतिं विना । नाशक्रुवन्प्रजाः स्त्रष्टुमसमागम्य कृत्स्त्रशः

Being diverse in potency and separate in nature, without union, they could not create beings, nor accomplish creation.

समेत्यान्योन्यसंयोगं परस्परसमाश्रयाः । एकसंघातलक्ष्याश्च सम्प्राप्यैक्यमशेषतः

Coming together in mutual combination, relying upon one another, they attained complete unity, characterized by a single aggregate.

पुरुषाधिष्ठितताच्च प्रधानानुग्रहेण च महदाद्या विशेषान्ता ह्माण्डमुत्पादयन्ति ते

Through the presence of the Purusha and the favor of Pradhana, the Mahat and other differentiated principles produce the cosmic egg.

तत्क्रमेण विवृद्धं सज्जलबुदबुदवत्समम् । भूतेभ्योऽण्डं महाबुद्धें महत्तदुदकेशयम् । प्राकृतं ब्रह्मरूपयस्य विष्णोः स्थानमनुत्तमम्

In due course, it grew, resembling a water bubble; from the elements arose the great cosmic egg, resting in the great waters, the supreme abode of Vishnu in his Brahma form.

तत्राव्यक्तस्वरूपोऽसौ व्यक्तरूपो जगत्पतिः । विष्णुर्ब्रह्मस्वरूपेण स्वयमेव व्यवस्थितः

There, the unmanifest form exists, and the manifest form, the lord of the world; Vishnu himself abides in the form of Brahma.

मेरुरुल्बमभूत्तस्य जरायुश्च महीधराः । गर्भोदकं समुद्राश्च तस्यासन्सुमहात्मनः

Meru became its placenta, the mountains its membrane; the oceans were the amniotic fluid of that great soul.

साद्रिद्वीपसमुद्राश्च सज्योतिर्लोकसंग्रहः । तस्मिन्नण्डेऽभवद्विप्र सदेवासुरमानुषः

With its mountains, islands, oceans, and luminous worlds, O sage, within that egg arose gods, demons, and humans.

वारिवह्‌न्यनिलाकाशैस्ततो भूतादिना बहिः । वृतं दशगुणैरण्डं भूतादिर्महता तथा

Surrounded outside by water, fire, air, and space, and by the elements in tenfold measure, the cosmic egg is enveloped by the great elements.