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.
सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकरणीं ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मिकाम् । स संज्ञां याति भगवानेक एव जनार्दनः
The blessed Janārdana alone is called by the names of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva, as he performs creation, preservation, and destruction.
स्त्रष्टा सृजति चात्मानं विष्णुः पाल्यंच पाति च । उपसंह्रियते चान्ते संहर्ता च स्वयं प्रभुः
He himself, as the creator, brings forth himself; as Viṣṇu, he preserves what is to be protected; and at the end, he withdraws all, being himself the destroyer and the Lord.
पृथिव्यापस्तथा तेजो वायुराकाश एव च ।. सर्वोन्द्रियान्तः करणं पुरुषाख्यं हि यज्जगत्
Earth, water, fire, air, and space, along with all the senses and the inner faculties—this world, known as the Puruṣa, is indeed composed of these.
स एव सर्वभूतात्मा विश्वरूपो यतोऽव्ययः । सर्गादिकं तु तस्यैव भूतस्थमुपकारकम्
He alone is the inner self of all beings, the imperishable one of universal form; and creation and the rest exist within him, serving their purpose.
स एव सृज्यः स च सर्गकर्ता स एव पात्यत्ति च पाल्यते च । ब्रह्माद्यवस्थाभिरशेषमूर्ति र्विष्णुर्वरिष्ठो वरदो वरेण्यः
He alone is the created, the creator of creation, the preserver and the preserved, and the one who devours; Viṣṇu, the supreme, the bestower of boons, the most excellent, with all forms including those of Brahmā and others.
श्रीमैत्रेय उवाच निर्गुणस्याप्रमेयस्य शुद्धस्याप्यमलात्मनः । कथं सर्गादिकर्तृत्वं ब्रह्मणोऽभ्युपगम्यते
Śrī Maitreya said: How is the authorship of creation and the rest attributed to Brahman, who is without qualities, immeasurable, pure, and of spotless nature?
श्रीपराशर उवाच शक्तयः सर्वभावानामचिन्त्यज्ञानगोचराः । यतोऽतो ब्रह्मणस्तास्तु सर्गाद्या भावशक्तयः । भवन्ति तपतां श्रेष्ठ पावकस्य यथोष्णता
Śrī Parāśara said: The powers of all beings are beyond thought and knowledge; thus, the creative and other powers of Brahman arise from him, O best of the ascetics, just as heat arises from fire.
तन्निबोध यथा सर्गे भगवान्सम्प्रवर्त्तते । नारायणाख्यो भगवान्ब्रह्म लोकपितामहः
Now listen to how the blessed Lord, known as Nārāyaṇa, the grandsire of the worlds, proceeds in creation.
उप्तन्नः प्रोच्यते विद्वन्नित्यमेवोपचारतः
O wise one, he is always said to be born, but only figuratively.
निजेन तस्य मानेन आयुर्वर्षशतं स्मृतम् । तत्पराख्यं तदर्द्ध च परार्द्धमभिधीयते
According to his own measure, his lifespan is said to be a hundred years; that is called a parā, and half of that is known as a parārdha.
कालस्वरूपं विष्णोश्च यन्मयोक्तं तवानघ । तेन तस्य निबोध त्वं परिमाणोपपादनम्
What I have described to you, O sinless one, as the form of time belonging to Viṣṇu—by that, understand now the calculation of his measure.
अन्येषां चैव जन्तूनां चराणामचराश्च ये । भूभूभृत्सागरादीनामशेषाणां च सत्तम
And likewise, O best of beings, for all other creatures, both moving and unmoving, including the earth, mountains, oceans, and all else.
काष्ठा पत्र्चदशाख्याता निमेषा मुनिसत्तम । काष्ठा पत्र्चदशाख्याता निमेषा मनिसत्तम । काष्ठा त्रिंशत्कला त्रिंशत्कला मौहूर्तिको विधिः
O best of sages, a 'kāṣṭhā', known as fifteen 'nimeṣas', is established; thirty 'kāṣṭhās' make one 'kalā', and thirty 'kalās' constitute a 'muhūrta', according to rule.
तावत्संख्यैरहोरात्रं मुहूर्तैर्मानुषं स्मृतम् । अहोरात्राणि तावानित मासः पक्षद्वयात्मकः
With that number of 'muhūrtas', a day and night is reckoned as human; such days and nights, in that measure, make a month, which consists of two fortnights.