12.176
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
bharadvāja uvāca॥
[भरद्वाज (bharadvāja) - Bharadvāja; (name of a sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said; spoke;]
(Bharadvāja said;)
Bharadvāja said.
प्रजाविसर्गं विविधं कथं स सृजते प्रभुः। मेरुमध्ये स्थितो ब्रह्मा तद्ब्रूहि द्विजसत्तम ॥१२-१७६-१॥
prajāvisargaṃ vividhaṃ kathaṃ sa sṛjate prabhuḥ। merumadhye sthito brahmā tadbrūhi dvijasattama ॥12-176-1॥
[प्रजा-विसर्गम् (prajā-visargam) - creation of beings; विविधम् (vividham) - various; कथम् (katham) - how; सः (saḥ) - he; सृजते (sṛjate) - creates; प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the Lord; मेरु-मध्ये (meru-madhye) - in the midst of Meru; स्थितः (sthitaḥ) - situated; ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā; तत् (tat) - that; ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell; द्विज-सत्तम (dvija-sattama) - O best of the twice-born;]
(How does he, the Lord, create the various creations of beings? Brahmā, situated in the midst of Meru—tell that, O best of the twice-born.)
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॥
bhṛguruvāca॥
[भृगुः (bhṛguḥ) - Bhṛgu (name of a sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Bhṛgu said;)
Bhṛgu said.
प्रजाविसर्गं विविधं मानसो मनसासृजत्। सन्धुक्षणार्थं भूतानां सृष्टं प्रथमतो जलम् ॥१२-१७६-२॥
prajāvisargaṃ vividhaṃ mānaso manasāsṛjat। sandhukṣaṇārthaṃ bhūtānāṃ sṛṣṭaṃ prathamato jalam ॥12-176-2॥
[प्रजा-विसर्गम् (prajā-visargam) - progeny-emission; विविधम् (vividham) - various; मानसः (mānasaḥ) - of the mind; मनसा (manasā) - by the mind; असृजत् (asṛjat) - created; सन्धुक्षण-अर्थम् (sandhukṣaṇa-artham) - for the purpose of sustaining; भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings; सृष्टम् (sṛṣṭam) - created; प्रथमतः (prathamataḥ) - at first; जलम् (jalam) - water;]
(The various emission of progeny, the mind created by the mind. For the purpose of sustaining beings, water was created at first.)
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॥
yatprāṇāḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ vardhante yena ca prajāḥ। parityaktāśca naśyanti tenedaṃ sarvamāvṛtam ॥12-176-3॥
[यत् (yat) - by which; प्राणाः (prāṇāḥ) - vital energies; सर्वभूतानाम् (sarvabhūtānām) - of all beings; वर्धन्ते (vardhante) - increase; येन (yena) - by whom; च (ca) - and; प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - creatures; परित्यक्ताः (parityaktāḥ) - abandoned; च (ca) - and; नश्यन्ति (naśyanti) - perish; तेन (tena) - by him; इदम् (idam) - this; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; आवृतम् (āvṛtam) - enveloped;]
(By which vital energies of all beings increase, and by whom creatures are abandoned and perish, by him this all is enveloped.)
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॥
pṛthivī parvatā meghā mūrtimantaś ca ye pare। sarvaṃ tad vāruṇaṃ jñeyam āpas taḥ stambhire punaḥ॥12-176-4॥
[पृथिवी (pṛthivī) - earth; पर्वता (parvatā) - mountains; मेघा (meghā) - clouds; मूर्तिमन्तः (mūrtimantaḥ) - having form; च (ca) - and; ये (ye) - who; परे (pare) - transcendent; सर्वं (sarvaṃ) - all; तत् (tat) - that; वारुणं (vāruṇam) - of Varuṇa; ज्ञेयम् (jñeyam) - to be known; आपः (āpaḥ) - waters; ताः (tāḥ) - they; स्तम्भिरे (stambhire) - supported; पुनः (punaḥ) - again;]
(Earth, mountains, clouds, and those who have form and are transcendent—all that is to be known as of Varuṇa; the waters, they supported (all) again.)
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 uvāca॥
[भरद्वाज (bharadvāja) - Bharadvāja; (name of a sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said; spoke;]
(Bharadvāja said;)
Bharadvāja said.
कथं सलिलमुत्पन्नं कथं चैवाग्निमारुतौ। कथं च मेदिनी सृष्टेत्यत्र मे संशयो महान् ॥१२-१७६-५॥
kathaṁ salilam utpannaṁ kathaṁ caiva agni-mārutau। kathaṁ ca medinī sṛṣṭi etatra me saṁśayaḥ mahān ॥12-176-5॥
[कथं (kathaṁ) - how; सलिलम् (salilam) - water; उत्पन्नम् (utpannam) - arisen; कथं (kathaṁ) - how; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; अग्नि (agni) - fire; मारुतौ (mārutau) - and wind; कथं (kathaṁ) - how; च (ca) - and; मेदिनी (medinī) - earth; सृष्टि (sṛṣṭi) - creation; एत्र (etatra) - here; मे (me) - my; संशयः (saṁśayaḥ) - doubt; महान् (mahān) - great;]
(How has water arisen, how indeed (have) fire and wind (arisen)? How and the earth (its) creation? Here my doubt (is) great.)
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॥
bhṛguruvāca॥
[भृगुः (bhṛguḥ) - Bhṛgu; (name of a sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said; spoke;]
(Bhṛgu said;)
Bhṛgu said.
ब्रह्मकल्पे पुरा ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मर्षीणां समागमे। लोकसम्भवसंदेहः समुत्पन्नो महात्मनाम् ॥१२-१७६-६॥
brahmakalpe purā brahmanbrahmarṣīṇāṃ samāgame। lokasambhavasandehaḥ samutpanno mahātmanām ॥12-176-6॥
[ब्रह्मकल्पे (brahmakalpe) - in the age of Brahma; पुरा (purā) - formerly; ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahman; ब्रह्मर्षीणां (brahmarṣīṇām) - of the Brahmarṣis; समागमे (samāgame) - in the assembly; लोकसम्भवसंदेहः (lokasambhavasandehaḥ) - doubt regarding the origin of the worlds; समुत्पन्नः (samutpannaḥ) - arisen; महात्मनाम् (mahātmanām) - among the great souls;]
(In the age of Brahma, formerly, O Brahman, in the assembly of the Brahmarṣis, a doubt regarding the origin of the worlds arose among the great souls.)
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॥
te' tiṣṭhan dhyānam ālambya maunam āsthāya niścalāḥ। tyaktāhārāḥ pavanapā divyaṃ varṣaśataṃ dvijāḥ ॥12-176-7॥
[ते (te) - they; अतिष्ठन् (atiṣṭhan) - remained; ध्यानम् (dhyānam) - meditation; आलम्ब्य (ālambya) - having resorted to; मौनम् (maunam) - silence; आस्थाय (āsthāya) - having adopted; निश्चलाः (niścalāḥ) - motionless; त्यक्ताहाराः (tyaktāhārāḥ) - having abandoned food; पवनपा (pavanapā) - subsisting on air; दिव्यम् (divyam) - divine; वर्षशतम् (varṣaśatam) - hundred years; द्विजाः (dvijāḥ) - twice-born (Brahmins);]
(They remained, having resorted to meditation, having adopted silence, motionless, having abandoned food, subsisting on air, for a divine hundred years, the twice-born.)
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॥
teṣāṃ dharmamayī vāṇī sarveṣāṃ śrotram āgamat। divyā sarasvatī tatra sambabhūva nabhastalāt ॥12-176-8॥
[तेषां (teṣām) - of them; धर्ममयी (dharmamayī) - consisting of dharma; वाणी (vāṇī) - speech; सर्वेषां (sarveṣām) - of all; श्रोत्रम् (śrotram) - ear; आगमत् (āgamat) - reached; दिव्या (divyā) - divine; सरस्वती (sarasvatī) - Sarasvatī; तत्र (tatra) - there; सम्भभूव (sambabhūva) - arose; नभस्तलात् (nabhastalāt) - from the sky;]
(Their speech consisting of dharma reached the ears of all. The divine Sarasvatī arose there from the sky.)
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॥
purā stimitaniḥśabdam ākāśam acalopamam। naṣṭacandrārkapavanaṃ prasuptam iva sambabhau ॥12-176-9॥
[पुरा (purā) - formerly; स्तिमित (stimita) - motionless; निःशब्दम् (niḥśabdam) - soundless; आकाशम् (ākāśam) - sky; अचलोपमम् (acalopamam) - like a mountain; नष्ट (naṣṭa) - lost; चन्द्र (candra) - moon; अर्क (arka) - sun; पवनम् (pavanam) - wind; प्रसुप्तम् (prasuptam) - as if asleep; इव (iva) - as if; सम्बभौ (sambabhau) - appeared;]
(Formerly, the sky, motionless and soundless, like a mountain, with the moon, sun, and wind lost, appeared as if asleep.)
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॥
tataḥ salilamutpannaṃ tamasīvāparaṃ tamaḥ। tasmācca salilotpīḍādudatiṣṭhata mārutaḥ ॥12-176-10॥
[ततः (tataḥ) - then; सलिलम् (salilam) - water; उत्पन्नं (utpannaṃ) - arisen; तमसीव (tamasīva) - like darkness; अपरं (aparaṃ) - another; तमः (tamaḥ) - darkness; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - from that; च (ca) - and; सलिलोत्पीडात् (salilotpīḍāt) - from the pressure of water; उदतिष्ठत् (udatiṣṭhata) - arose; मारुतः (mārutaḥ) - wind;]
(Then water arose, another darkness like darkness; and from that, from the pressure of water, wind arose.)
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॥
yathā bhājanam-acchidraṃ niḥśabdam-iva lakṣyate। tac ca ambhasā pūryamāṇaṃ saśabdaṃ kurute'nilaḥ ॥12-176-11॥
[यथा (yathā) - just as; भाजनम् (bhājanam) - vessel; अच्छिद्रं (acchidram) - without hole; निःशब्दम् (niḥśabdam) - soundless; इव (iva) - like; लक्ष्यते (lakṣyate) - is perceived; तत् (tat) - that; च (ca) - and; अम्भसा (ambhasā) - with water; पूर्यमाणम् (pūryamāṇam) - being filled; सशब्दम् (saśabdam) - with sound; कुरुते (kurute) - makes; अनिलः (anilaḥ) - wind;]
(Just as a vessel without a hole is perceived as soundless; but when being filled with water, the wind makes it with sound.)
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॥
tathā salilasaṁruddhe nabhaso’nte nirantare। bhittvārṇavatalaṁ vāyuḥ samutpatati ghoṣavān ॥12-176-12॥
[तथा (tathā) - thus; सलिल (salila) - water; संरुद्धे (saṁruddhe) - obstructed; नभसः (nabhasaḥ) - of the sky; अन्ते (ante) - at the end; निरन्तरे (nirantare) - uninterrupted; भित्त्वा (bhittvā) - having pierced; अर्णवतलम् (arṇavatalaṁ) - the surface of the ocean; वायुः (vāyuḥ) - wind; समुत्पतति (samutpatati) - rises up; घोषवान् (ghoṣavān) - with sound;]
(Thus, when the sky is obstructed by water, at the uninterrupted end, having pierced the surface of the ocean, the wind rises up with sound.)
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॥
sa eṣa carate vāyur aṛṇavotpīḍasambhavaḥ। ākāśasthānam āsādya praśāntiṃ nādhigacchati ॥12-176-13॥
[स (sa) - he; एष (eṣa) - this; चरते (carate) - moves; वायुः (vāyuḥ) - wind; अर्णवोत्पीडसम्भवः (aṛṇavotpīḍasambhavaḥ) - arising from the pressure of the ocean; आकाशस्थानम् (ākāśasthānam) - the place in the sky; आसाद्य (āsādya) - having reached; प्रशान्तिम् (praśāntim) - calmness; न (na) - not; अधिगच्छति (adhigacchati) - attains;]
(He, this wind, arising from the pressure of the ocean, moves; having reached the place in the sky, does not attain calmness.)
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॥
tasmin vāyv-ambu-saṅgharṣe dīpta-tejā mahā-balaḥ। prādurbhavaty ūrdhva-śikhaḥ kṛtvā vitimiraṃ nabhaḥ ॥12-176-14॥
[तस्मिन् (tasmin) - in that; वाय्व्-अम्बु-सङ्घर्षे (vāyu-ambu-saṅgharṣe) - wind-water-collision; दीप्त-तेजा (dīpta-tejā) - blazing-radiance; महाबलः (mahā-balaḥ) - great-strength; प्रादुर्भवति (prādurbhavati) - appears; ऊर्ध्व-शिखः (ūrdhva-śikhaḥ) - upward-flame; कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having made; वितिमिरं (vitimiraṃ) - free-from-darkness; नभः (nabhaḥ) - sky;]
(In that wind-water-collision, blazing in radiance, of great strength, appears an upward flame, having made the sky free from darkness.)
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॥
agniḥ pavanasamyuktaḥ khātsamutpatate jalam। so'gnirmārutasaṃyogādghanatvamupapadyate ॥12-176-15॥
[अग्निः (agniḥ) - fire; पवन (pavana) - wind; संयुक्तः (saṃyuktaḥ) - joined; खात् (khāt) - from the sky; समुत्पतते (samutpatate) - arises; जलम् (jalam) - water; सः (saḥ) - that; अग्निः (agniḥ) - fire; मारुत (māruta) - wind; संयोगात् (saṃyogāt) - from union; घनत्वम् (ghanatvam) - solidity; उपपद्यते (upapadyate) - is attained;]
(Fire joined with wind arises from the sky as water. That fire, from union with wind, attains solidity.)
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॥
tasyākāśe nipatitaḥ snehastiṣṭhati yo'paraḥ। sa saṅghātatvamāpanno bhūmitvamupagacchati ॥12-176-16॥
[तस्य (tasya) - of that; आकाशे (ākāśe) - in the sky; निपतितः (nipatitaḥ) - fallen; स्नेहः (snehaḥ) - oil; तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains; यः (yaḥ) - which; अपरः (aparaḥ) - other; सः (saḥ) - he; सङ्घातत्वम् (saṅghātatvam) - state of aggregation; आपन्नः (āpannaḥ) - attained; भूमित्वम् (bhūmitvam) - state of earth; उपगच्छति (upagacchati) - approaches;]
(Of that, in the sky, fallen oil remains, which is other. He, having attained the state of aggregation, approaches the state of earth.)
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॥
rasānāṃ sarvagandhānāṃ snehānāṃ prāṇināṃ tathā। bhūmiryoniriha jñeyā yasyāṃ sarvaṃ prasūyate ॥12-176-17॥
[रसानाम् (rasānām) - of juices; सर्वगन्धानाम् (sarvagandhānām) - of all fragrances; स्नेहानाम् (snehānām) - of oils; प्राणिनाम् (prāṇinām) - of living beings; तथा (tathā) - also; भूमिः (bhūmiḥ) - earth; योनि: (yoniḥ) - source; इह (iha) - here; ज्ञेया (jñeyā) - is to be known; यस्याम् (yasyām) - in which; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; प्रसूयते (prasūyate) - is produced;]
(Of juices, of all fragrances, of oils, of living beings also; earth is to be known here as the source in which all is produced.)
Earth is to be understood here as the source in which all juices, all fragrances, all oils, and all living beings are produced.
