12.176
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
प्रजाविसर्गं विविधं कथं स सृजते प्रभुः। मेरुमध्ये स्थितो ब्रह्मा तद्ब्रूहि द्विजसत्तम ॥१२-१७६-१॥
O best of the twice-born, tell me how Brahmā, who is situated in the midst of Meru, creates the various kinds of beings.
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
प्रजाविसर्गं विविधं मानसो मनसासृजत्। सन्धुक्षणार्थं भूतानां सृष्टं प्रथमतो जलम् ॥१२-१७६-२॥
The mind created various kinds of progeny-emission by its own power. For the sustenance of beings, water was created first.
यत्प्राणाः सर्वभूतानां वर्धन्ते येन च प्रजाः। परित्यक्ताश्च नश्यन्ति तेनेदं सर्वमावृतम् ॥१२-१७६-३॥
That by which the vital energies of all beings grow, and by whom, when abandoned, creatures perish—by him, this entire universe is pervaded.
पृथिवी पर्वता मेघा मूर्तिमन्तश्च ये परे। सर्वं तद्वारुणं ज्ञेयमापस्तस्तम्भिरे पुनः ॥१२-१७६-४॥
The earth, mountains, clouds, and all embodied and transcendent beings—know all this as belonging to Varuṇa; the waters upheld everything once again.
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
कथं सलिलमुत्पन्नं कथं चैवाग्निमारुतौ। कथं च मेदिनी सृष्टेत्यत्र मे संशयो महान् ॥१२-१७६-५॥
How did water arise? How indeed did fire and wind come into being? How was the earth created? I have a great doubt about this.
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
ब्रह्मकल्पे पुरा ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मर्षीणां समागमे। लोकसम्भवसंदेहः समुत्पन्नो महात्मनाम् ॥१२-१७६-६॥
O Brahman, long ago in the age of Brahma, when the Brahmarṣis had assembled, a doubt about the origin of the worlds arose among those great souls.
तेऽतिष्ठन्ध्यानमालम्ब्य मौनमास्थाय निश्चलाः। त्यक्ताहाराः पवनपा दिव्यं वर्षशतं द्विजाः ॥१२-१७६-७॥
The twice-born sages remained motionless, absorbed in meditation and silence, having given up food and subsisting on air, for a divine hundred years.
तेषां धर्ममयी वाणी सर्वेषां श्रोत्रमागमत्। दिव्या सरस्वती तत्र सम्बभूव नभस्तलात् ॥१२-१७६-८॥
Their speech, filled with righteousness, reached everyone's ears. There, the divine Sarasvatī manifested from the sky.
पुरा स्तिमितनिःशब्दमाकाशमचलोपमम्। नष्टचन्द्रार्कपवनं प्रसुप्तमिव सम्बभौ ॥१२-१७६-९॥
Long ago, the sky appeared utterly still and silent, like a mountain, with the moon, sun, and wind vanished, as if everything was asleep.
ततः सलिलमुत्पन्नं तमसीवापरं तमः। तस्माच्च सलिलोत्पीडादुदतिष्ठत मारुतः ॥१२-१७६-१०॥
Then water came into being, and another darkness like the previous one appeared; from that, due to the pressure of the water, the wind arose.
यथा भाजनमच्छिद्रं निःशब्दमिव लक्ष्यते। तच्चाम्भसा पूर्यमाणं सशब्दं कुरुतेऽनिलः ॥१२-१७६-११॥
Just as a vessel without a hole is silent, but when the wind fills it with water, it produces sound.
तथा सलिलसंरुद्धे नभसोऽन्ते निरन्तरे। भित्त्वार्णवतलं वायुः समुत्पतति घोषवान् ॥१२-१७६-१२॥
In the same way, when the sky is continuously blocked by water, at the farthest end, the wind, breaking through the surface of the ocean, rises up with a roar.
स एष चरते वायुरर्णवोत्पीडसम्भवः। आकाशस्थानमासाद्य प्रशान्तिं नाधिगच्छति ॥१२-१७६-१३॥
This wind, born from the pressure of the ocean, moves about; even after reaching the sky, it does not find peace.
तस्मिन्वाय्वम्बुसङ्घर्षे दीप्ततेजा महाबलः। प्रादुर्भवत्यूर्ध्वशिखः कृत्वा वितिमिरं नभः ॥१२-१७६-१४॥
In that collision of wind and water, a blazing and powerful flame appears, rising upward and making the sky free from darkness.
अग्निः पवनसंयुक्तः खात्समुत्पतते जलम्। सोऽग्निर्मारुतसंयोगाद्घनत्वमुपपद्यते ॥१२-१७६-१५॥
When fire, united with wind, rises from the sky, it becomes water. That fire, through its union with wind, attains the state of solidity.
तस्याकाशे निपतितः स्नेहस्तिष्ठति योऽपरः। स सङ्घातत्वमापन्नो भूमित्वमुपगच्छति ॥१२-१७६-१६॥
When oil that has fallen in the sky remains separate, it is different; but when it attains the state of aggregation, it becomes like earth.
रसानां सर्वगन्धानां स्नेहानां प्राणिनां तथा। भूमिर्योनिरिह ज्ञेया यस्यां सर्वं प्रसूयते ॥१२-१७६-१७॥
Earth is to be understood here as the source in which all juices, all fragrances, all oils, and all living beings are produced.
