Reading section 4

one half of Brahmās life is spent. On the expiration thereof passeth away a Mahākalpa—which is called Pādma. O twice-born one, this is the Kalpa distinguished as Vatrahā belonging to the second Parāddha, which is present".

SECTION IV.

Maitreya said:—"O mighty ascetic, relate unto me how the reverend Brahmā whose name is Nārāyana, created all beings at the commencement of the Kalpa". (Thereat) Parāçara said,—"Hear as to how that god, the lord of Prajāpati,[49] the reverend Brahmā instinct with Nārāyana, created beings. On the expiration of the past Kalpa, that Master, Brahmā, surcharged with the energy of righteousness, awaking from his slumbers, saw the universe—void of all. And the supreme, incomprehensible Nārāyana—the lord of the greatest—as the worshipful Brahmā, became engaged in creation. This sloka is used with reference to the divine Nārāyana, the creator of the universe, in the form of Brahmā. Apa is named nāra, having been created by Nara;[50] and in days of yore, (water) having been the abode of him, he hath hence been called Nārāyana.—And on the universe becoming one ocean, the creator of all beings, the Lord resting on water, inferring that the Earth was thus placed, set his heart on delivering her. And as he, on former occasions, had assumed the forms of a fish, a Tortoise, etc., he now assumed the form of a Boar. And for sustaining the entire universe, the lord of creatures, impregnated with the Veda and sacrifices, of serene soul and the soul of all,—the Supreme spirit—stay of soul, and the prop of the Earth,—hymned by the Siddhas inhabiting the region of Jana,—Sauaka and others,—then entered water.—And seeing him enter the nether regions, that exalted one, the Earth, bowing low in humility and reverence, began to praise him. And the Earth said,—'I bow unto thee, who art all being; I bow unto thee, holding the conch and the mace. Do thou rescue me from here, now, as, thou hadst formerly done. I had formerly been delivered by thee. O Janārddana, I as well as other things, such as the sky, etc., are permeated by thee. Reverence unto thee, O prime spirit, O male soul, I bow unto thee. I bow unto thee, who art pradhāna and vaykta, and who art Time. Thou, wearing the forms of Brahmā, Vishnu and Rudra, art the creator of all beings, and thou art the maintainer as well as the destroyer thereof. Having destroyed everything, thou, O Govinda,[51] on the universe having become one Ocean,—contemplated by the pious, reposest (on the serpent-couch). None knoweth the high mystery encompassing thee; and the deities do but adore that form in which thou incarnatest thyself. O supreme Brahmā, adoring thee, those desirous of emancipation, attain the same. Who, not worshipping Vasudeva, obtaineth liberation? Thy entire form comprehends ail that may be secured by the mind, all that may be perceived by sight and the other senses, all that may be discriminated by thought. And I am supported, and created, and maintained by thee. And for this it is that people call me Mādhavi.[52] Victory to thee, O thou that art all knowledge! Victory to thee, who art gross and undeteriorating! Victory to thee, O thou that art infinite! Victory to thee, thou that art the Nascent! Victory to thee, thou that art Manifest. Thou, O lord! O prime of prime souls! O soul of the Universe! Victory to thee, O master of sacrifice, thou, who art sinless! Thou art Sacrifice, and Vaskatkāra[53] and thou, Omkarāa[54] and thou, Fire. Thou art the Vedas, and thou the branches thereof, and thou Hari,[55] art the person presiding; over sacrifice. Thou art the Sun, etc., and the planets and stars, and thou the entire universe. And O foremost god, thou art all that is formless and that is formed, and that is hard

and, O best of male beings, all that I have mentioned and also all that I have left un mentioned. I bow down unto thee. I bow unto thee again and again.'"

Parāçara said:—Thus eulogised by Earth, that graceful one, the holder thereof, began to roar in Sāma[56] accents. Then heaving up the Earth with his razors from the deep, the mighty Boar, having eyes resembling blown lotuses,—and himself like unto lotus-leaves,—rose up like a gigantic dark-blue mountain. And as he emerged, the troubled water dashed by the wind forced out from his mouth, surging up, splashed the highly resplendent and sinless ascetics, Sananda and others, dwellers of the regions of Jana. And on the nether regions being broken up by the hoof-impacts (of the boar), the water began to run down with roars; and the Siddhas constantly inhabiting the regions of Jana, were moved about by the air of his breath. And the ascetics, placed in the tactual pores of the mighty bore as he rose up holding the Earth in his abdominal cavity and kept shaking his Veda-impregnated person,—experienced the highest bliss. And yogis dwelling in the regions of Jana, Sananda and others, with delighted hearts, and with heads bent in humility, hymned the holder of the Earth, remaining moveless, with his eyes expanded,—saying,—"Victory unto thee, O foremost God of gods,—O Keçava,[57] O wielder of the conch, mace, sword and discus! The cause of creation, destruction and sustentation, save thee, supreme state there is none whatever. The Vedas are thy feet, and the yupa,[58] thy larger tooth, and Sacrifice, thy smaller; the place of the (sacrificial fire) is thy mouth, and the fire itself thy tongue; and darva is thy down. O Lord, thou art the person presiding over Sacrifice. O mighty soul, day and night are thy eyes; and that refuge of all—the state of Brahmā, himself—is thy head; the entire complement of Suktas[59] composeth thy matted locks; and thy tongue is the sacrificial offerings, O god. O thou having the (sacrificial) ladle for thy face! O thou who hast the solemn accents of Sāma for thy voice, O thou that hast the front-part of the sacrificial ground, for thy body! O thou who hast all the sacrifices for thy joints! O god, thou hast for thy ears the morality of the Smritis as well as the Srutis.[60] Be thou propitiated! O undeteriorating one, O thou that hast the Universe for thy form, we know thee as having covered the Earth with thy paces, and that thou art the cause and stay thereof. Thou art the foremost Lord of the cosmos. Be thou gracious! Thou art the master of the mobile and the immobile. Raised on thy razor-ends, all this Earth, O Lord, seemeth like a lotus-leaf besmeared with mud on the tusk of an elephant that hath plunged into a pool of lotuses. O thou of unparalleled power, all the space between heaven and earth hath been covered with thy body. O thou, the universe hath been enveloped with whose splendour, O Lord, prove thou of profit to the universe. Thou art the sole highest reality,—there is none other, sovereign of the universe. And this glory in which the mobile and the immobile are enfolded,—is thine. O thou that art knowledge, unspiritual people, through ignorance, look upon this form of thine displayed in the world. Foolish persons, regarding this entire universe impregnated with knowledge, as real, fall into a sea of delusion. But O supreme lord, those that are versed in knowledge and are of pure spirit, look on this entire universe as thy form replete with knowledge. O Sarva, O soul of all! Be thou gracious! For the good of this world do thou, O thou of immeasurable soul, raise the Earth up. O lotus-eyed one, confer on

us what is good. Thou, O reverend one, art surcharged with the virtue of goodness. O Govinda, for the benefit (of all), O lord, raise up this Earth. O lotus-eyed one, confer on us what is good. Mayst thou incline thy mind to creation fraught with profit to the universe! We bow unto thee. O lotus-eyed one, confer on us what is good".

Parāçara said,—"Thus hymned by the divinities, that supreme soul, the holder of Earth, at once lifted her up, and set her on the mighty sea. And, resting on the sea like a giant bark, Earth did not sink in consequence of the flatness of her frame. Then leveling the Earth, the worshipful supreme Lord without beginning, placed mountains on her in proper order. And by his infallible power, that one of truthful purposes created on the Earth all the mountains that had been burnt on the occasion of the burning of the foregone creation. And then; properly dividing the land containing seven islands, he, as formerly, created the four regions, viz., Bhuva and the rest. And then, possessed with the principle of passion, the reverend Deity, Hari, wearing the form of Brahmā and assuming four faces, set about creation, But in the matter of creation, he was an instrument merely; as the force resident in the things created, was the principal Cause. Being ripe for development, (objects at the time of creation) desiderate nothing more. O foremost of those practising austerities, objects attain their objectivity by virtue of their inherent force".[61]

SECTION V.

Maitreya said:—"O twice-born one, tell thou me truly how the Deity created celestials, and saints, and Pitris,[62] Dānavas, and men, and beasts, and trees, and those inhabiting land and water and air; as well as concerning (the respective) qualities and characters and natures (of the creatures) dwelling in Earth,—which Brahmā had created at the commencement of creation".

Thereat Parāçara said—"O Maitreya, listen thou heedfully! I shall tell thee how the Lord God created all,—deities and the rest. As he was contemplating creation as in former Kalpas, through lack of vigilance was generated Illusion, formed of Foulness.—Five are the kinds of Illusion which spring from this high-souled one, viz., tamas, moha, mahamoha, tamisra and andhatamisra.[63] And as (Brahmā) contemplated, were created five kinds of things, trees, &c., having no sense, undeveloped internally as well as externally, and of pent-up selves. As these, trees etc. were the first objects of creation, they are designated the principal creation. But finding these incapable of answering the end, he thought of again creating other things. And as he was revolving creation, sprang up the Tiryyaksrotas.[64] Those that live in Tiryyaksrotas. They are beasts, &c,—composed mainly of foulness, and devoid of liberal curiosity. Leading unrestrained lives, these, albeit devoid of knowledge, deem themselves as possessing the same. Proud, and considering vastly of themselves, they are subject to eight and twenty kinds of ills.[65] And although developed internally, they cannot express themselves to each other. And finding even these as insufficient for his purpose, (Brahmā) bethought him of other ways; and there came into being the third class of objects, named Urddhasrotas[66] to whom the principle of goodness predominates. They have great capacity for pleasure and happiness; and being developed alike externally and internally and, in consequence, more fitted to express themselves on both sides, have been designated Urddhasrotas. This third creation, that of the deities—is called Tushtatman.[67] And great was the pleasure of Brahmā on the consummation of this creation. But, deeming these main creations as not fulfilling his purpose, he revolved within himself another excellent creation, capable of bringing about his end. As that one of true resolve was thus meditating, there came forth from avyakta the arvvyāksrotas competent to accomplish his purpose. And as these eat by swallowing down, they are called arvvyāksrotas. The are bountifully developed; and, albeit possessing a share of foulness, have passion in a larger measure. And it is for this that in them unhappiness preponderates, and that they act continually.[68] They are developed internally and externally,—they are human beings fulfilling the purpose (of the Creator). Thus, O foremost of ascetics, have I narrated unto thee the genesis of the six orders of creation. Brahmā first created Mahata, next he created Tanmātras, which reckon as the second class, and are comprehended under the designation of Bhutasarga.[69] The third creation is Vaikārika, and is known as aindriya.[70] Thus hath been the creation of Buddhi and the others, which is called Prākrita.[71] And the main creation counts as the fourth, and includes the immobile objects. By the name of Tiryyaksrotas is meant, beasts, &c. And the sixth creation is Urddhasrotas, which is known as Devasarga.[72] And the seventh is Arvvāksrotas which is man. The eighth is the creation of Anugrahas[73] composed of goodness and passion. Five are the Vaikrita[74] acts of creation; and three are Prākrita.—And they together constitute Prākrita and Vaikrita. And the ninth is known as Kaumāra. Thus have I described unto thee the nine acts of creation of the Lord of creatures. The Prākrita and the Vaikrita are the radical causes of the world. What wouldst thou

further hear of the Lord of the universe, engaged in creation?"

Maitreya said—"O ascetics, thou hast narrated unto me in brief the origin of gods &c. But, O best of the foremost anchorets, I wish to hear this at length". Parāçara said,—"O Brāhmana, on Brahmā being engaged in creation, from his mind issued the four orders of beings commencing with celestials and concluding with the immobile,—and although these are destroyed at the time of universal dissolution, they are never bereft of the mental tendencies they acquire in existence, consequent on their acts; or of the good or bad fortune resulting respectively from their fair or foul actions.[75] Then desirous of creating deities, Asuras, ancestors and men, all going under the name of ambha, Brahmā began to contemplate. And as the lord of beings concentrated his soul, passion overspread him; and first from forth his hips came out Asuras. And then (Brahmā) renounced his person surcharged with darkness; and, O Maitreya, on being renounced by him, Foulness was converted into Night.[76] And having assumed another body, he (again) became desirous of creating, and from the face of the pleased Brahmā, came forth, O twice-born one, celestials surcharged with the virtue of goodness. And that body also having been resigned, the quality of righteousness was turned into Day. And therefore it is that Asuras are powerful by night and deities by day. And he then assumed a person, fraught with goodness; and, he being honored as a sire, out of him sprang the ancestors. And having created the ancestors, the Lord renounced that form also. And on being renounced, the same became Twilight, remaining between day and night. And then he assumed a person filled with the principle of passion; and, O foremost of the twice-born ones, thereat sprang men fierce, with passion entering into their composition. And the lord of creatures speedily resigned that form also,—And it became Moonlight, which is termed prāksandhydā.[77] And therefore it is, O Maitreya, man and the Pitris, become powerful in Moonlight and Twilight. Moonlight, Night, Day, and Twilight,—these four, are the bodies of Brahmā, endowed with the three principles. And then he assumed another body filled with the principle of passion, and thereat sprung Hunger from Brahmā, and from Hunger, wrath. Then the reverend one in the dark created beings frightful and bearded, and always exercised with hunger. And (as soon as these) were created, they rushed at the Lord. And of those that cried,—‘Ho! don't do this,—save him,'—are Rakshas;[78] and others that said,—‘We shall eat him up,'—are Yakshas, from Yakshana[79] eating. Seeing them mischievous, the hair of the Deity fell off,—and having fallen off from his head, it again rose to his head. And from their movement (sarpana), the hair became sarpas,[80] —and from their having fallen off, they are known as ahis.[81] Then the creator of the universe, waxing wroth, generated some beings of wrathful souls. Twenty-hued, they are beings subsisting on flesh. And then came forth from him Gandharvas, whose office is music. O regenerate one, as these came into being, drinking in strains (of music), they are called Gandharvas, All these beings created the reverend Brahmā, directed by inherent force resident in these (respectively). Then he at his pleasure created another order of beings—fowls of the air. And he created sheep from his breast, and goats from his mouth. And the lord of creatures created kine from his womb and flanks. And he created from his feet horses, elephants,

sarabhas,[82] gavayas,[83] deer, camels, mules, nyankus,[84] and other species. And from his down sprang medicinal herbs furnished with fruits and roots. And, O twice-born one, at the commencement of the Tretā-Yuga and on the eve of the Kalpa, Brahmā, having created the beasts and the drugs, then set them apart respectively for sacrifice. Fair complexioned males, sheep, horses, mules, and asses, were called Grāmyā[85] animals. And know also those that are wild. (These are) beasts of prey, the cloven-hoofed, elephants, monkeys, and, fifthly, birds, and, sixthly, aquatic animals, and, seventhly, reptiles. Then from his first mouth he generated the Gāyatri,[86] the Richas,[87] the Trivatstoma[88] the Rathantara,[89] and the Agnishtoma[90] among sacrifices. Then from his southern mouth he created the Yajus,[91] the Trishutva metre, the fifteenth Stoma,[92] the Vrihat Sāman,[93] and the Uktha.[94] And from his western mouth, he created the Sāmas and the Fagati metre, the seventeenth Stoma, the Vairupa[95] and the Atirātra.[96] And from his northern mouth he brought forth the twenty-first Stoma, the Atharva Veda, the Aptoryāma,[97] the Anishtubha metre, and the Vairāyya Sāma. Thus from his person came forth noble and ignoble. And having created gods, Asuras, Pitris, and men, that lord of beings, the great-sire, at the commencement of the Kalpa, created Yakshas, Piçāchas,[98] Gandharvas, and numbers of Apsaras; and that lord, the reverend Brahmā, the first Cause, created Naras,[99] Kinnaras,[100] Rākshasas, birds, beasts, deer, serpents, and mobile and immobile objects lasting or other-wise. And in successive creations, verily each creature is born into those acts which it used to perform in its former existence.[101] Some are cruel and some kind, some mild and some harsh, some virtuous and some vicious, some truthful and some false,—in consequence of their inheriting their respective natures as developed in previous births; and it is also for this that each affects a particular course of conduct (in preference to others).[102] The Deity is the lord of all objects of enjoyment, of all creatures, and all bodies; and it is the Deity who hath personally divided and differentiated them. And at the beginning from the Vedic Vocabulary he assigned names unto creatures, celestials and other, as well as unto sacrifices; and also fixed forms and shapes thereof. And from the auditory Veda, he assigned appellations unto the sages,—and appointed them to their respective functions. And as the signs of the seasons successively manifest themselves, the characteristics, of the Yugas are seen in due order. And instinct with energy arising from a desire of creation, He, actuated by the creative impulse, thus again and again bringeth about creation at the commencement of Kalpas".

SECTION VI.

Maitreya said,—"Thou hast called man by the term Arvvāksrotas. But O Brāhmana, tell me at length how Brahmā created him. And tell me also how he created the orders,—and, O mighty ascetic, of their qualities; and the offices assigned to Vipras and the rest".

Parāçara said,—"O foremost of twice-born ones, Brahmā of true intents was inspired with the desire of creating the kosmos from his mouth, O foremost of twice-born ones, came out creatures surcharged with the principle of goodness; and from the breast of Brahmā creatures surcharged with the principle of passion; and from his thighs came out beings surcharged with both goodness and foulness; and, O best of regenerate ones, from his feet Brahmā created other beings, who were impregnated with the principle of dullness. This is the fore-fold division into orders. And, O excellent Brāhmana, Brāhmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras, came from the feet, the thighs, the chest and the mouth of Brahmā. O exalted one, Brahmā brought into being these four orders capable of satisfactorily performing sacrifices, in order to the successful celebration of them. O thou cognisant of righteousness, the celestials, gratified with sacrifices, in turn gratify creatures,—and therefore sacrifices conduce to welfare. It is men engaged in observing their proper morality, of pure ways, and good, and walking the path of righteousness,—who perform sacrifices. It is by virtue of having been born as human beings that men, O ascetic, can obtain heaven and emancipation; and, O twice-born one, that they can go to the wished-for regions. O foremost of ascetics, men (at the beginning) having been divided into four orders, were reverent and of excellent ways. Then they lived wherever they liked,—without any let. And they were pure in heart,—unpolluted; and cleansed in consequence of their observing all rites. And their minds being pure and the Pure Hari residing in their heart, they perceived that state which goeth after the name of Vishnu, and which is genuine knowledge. Then that portion of Hari which is fraught with Fatality, spread sin (amongst men), causing slight pleasure and an overmeasure of woe. O Maitreya, this, composed of anger, &c, springs from the seed of unrighteousness and begets delusion and covetousness,—and stands in the way of the attainment (of the summum bonum). And men anon could not (any more) completely attain the eight kinds of success, Rasa, Ullāsa, &c. And on sin progressing, and those becoming exceedingly feeble, creatures became subject to physical changes[103] and to all the miseries consequent thereon. Then they constructed forts composed of trees, or rocks, or water; and artificial forts; and cities; and towns. And, O mighty ascetic, they only made houses in those towns, for shelter from cold, the sun, and other (physical discomforts). Having thus provided against cold, etc., men then betook themselves to tasks capable of being performed with the hands, for subsistence. And Vrihi,[104] barley, wheat, small seeds, sessame, prijangu,[105] udāra, kodrava,[106] chināka,[107] māsha,[108] mudga,[109] masura, simbi,[110] kulatkthaka,[111] āraki,[112] oats, and hemp,—these seventeen kinds, O ascetic, were among the rural plants grown. And fourteen sorts are the plants intended to be used in sacrifice, divided into grāmya[113] and āranya[114] Vrihi, barley, māsha, wheat, small seeds, prijangu, sessame, kulaththaka, these eight belong to villages. And Syāmāka,[115] nirāba,[116] jartila,[117] gavedhuka, benuyava, and markataka,[118] (these), O ascetic, (are the plants growing wild in the woods). These fourteen species of plants, grāmya and āranya, are intended for the celebration of sacrifices, and they are very useful for that purpose. All these

plants together with sacrifices are the causes of the increase of population; and it is for this those versed in the highest significance of things celebrate sacrifices. By performing sacrifices day after day, one, O foremost of ascetics, reapeth great good, and hath one's sins, committed, shorn of their rancour. O mighty-minded one, it is those only in whose minds the drop of sin attaineth proportions, that set their face against sacrifices. These, reprobating the ordinance of the Veda and the divinities presiding over sacrifices, endeavour to stand in the way of sacrifices. And wicked wights of evil ways and crooked aims, running the Vedas down, lay the axe at the root of courses leading to progress. Having created men, the Lord, on their means of subsistence according with their respective qualities, having been settled, placed them duly in consonance with dignity; and, O best of those practising righteousness, ordained the codes of duty in respect of the orders; and their modes of life; and the regions attainable by them; concerning all the castes, observing the rules of their respective orders. And the sphere assigned to Brāhmanas observing the rules of their order, is that of the Creator himself. And the sphere assigned to Kshatriyas, not turning away from fight, is that of Indra. And Vaiçyas, following the laws of their order, attain the regions of Marut.[119] And those belonging to the Sudra caste that spend their lives in serving (the other orders), attain the regions of the Gandharvas. Those practising the Brahmacharyya injunctions attain the regions of Marut belonging to the eight and eighty thousand ascetics that have drawn up their vital fluid. And those living in the forest reap the place of the seven sages; householders repair to the regions of the Creator; and mendicants, to the sphere named Brahmā. The sphere of the yogis is Amrita[120] —which is the supreme state of Vishnu himself. Those yogis that contemplate Brahmā with a single soul,—of these is that supreme state which is seen by the celestials. The sun, the moon, and the other planets, going to this region again and again, return therefrom again and again,—but to this day those that contemplate the twelve-lettered (Mantra),[121] do not have to return therefrom. Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Mahāraurava, Raurava, Asipatravana, Ghora, and the waveless Kālasutra,—these are appointed the regions of those that revile the Vedas,—that obstruct sacrifices; and that abandon their own religion".