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.
अव्यक्तेनावृतो ब्रह्मांस्तैः सर्वोः सहितो महान् । एभिरावरणैरण्डं सप्तभिः प्राकृतैर्वृतम् । नारिकेलफलस्यान्तर्बीजं बाह्मदलैरिव
Brahmā, together with the great one and all, is enveloped by the unmanifest, and this cosmic egg is covered by these seven natural sheaths, just as the inner seed of a coconut is surrounded by its layers.
जुषन रजो गुणं तत्र स्वयं विश्वेश्वरो हरिः । ब्रह्मा भूत्वास्य जगतो विसृष्टौ सम्प्रवर्त्तते
There, Lord Hari, the sovereign of the universe, delighting in the quality of rajas, becomes Brahmā himself and sets forth the creation of the world.
सृष्टं च पात्यनुयुगं यावत्कल्पविकल्पना । सत्त्वभृद्भगवान्विष्णुरप्रमेयपराक्रमः
And having created, he preserves it through each age, for as long as the cycles of creation last; the blessed Viṣṇu, bearer of sattva, whose power is immeasurable.
तमोद्रेकी चा कल्पान्ते रुद्ररूपी जनार्दनः । मैत्रेयाखिलभूतानि भक्षयत्यतिदारुणः
At the end of the cycle, when darkness prevails, Janārdana takes the form of Rudra; O Maitreya, he devours all beings in a most terrible manner.
भक्षयित्वा च भूतानि जगत्येकार्णवीकृते । नागपर्यंकशयने शेते च परमेश्वरः
And having devoured all beings, when the world becomes a single ocean, the supreme Lord lies upon the serpent couch.
प्रबुद्धश्च पुनः सृष्टिं करोति ब्रह्मरूपधृक्
And when he awakens, he again creates, assuming the form of Brahmā.