Manava Dharmashastra 1.8

1.8

sa pūrvanirdiṣṭaviśeṣaṇaiḥ “hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samavartatāgre” (ṛgveda 10|
121|1) ityādibhirmantrairlabdhahiraṇyagarbhābhidhānaḥ | prajāḥ vividhā nānārūpāḥ sisṛkṣuḥ sraṣṭumicchan apaḥ udakam ādau prathamaṃ sasarja utpāditavān | śarīrāt svāt-yattena gṛhītaṃ śarīram | advaitadarśane pradhānameva tasyedaṃ śarīraṃ, tadicchānuvartitvāt, svataḥ śarīranirmāṇahetutvācca | sarvalokānāṃ śarīraṃ kiṃ bhautoṭena vyāpāreṇa kuddālakhananādinā sasarja | netyāha | kathaṃ tarhi | abhidhyāya | ‘āpa utpadyantām’ evamicchāmātreṇa | atretthaṃ codyate—‘‘pṛthivyādīnāṃ tadānīmabhāvādapāṃ sṛṣṭānāṃ ka ādhāraḥ |” anyebhya idamucyate | sraṣṭurapi parameśvarasya gṛhītaśarīrasya ka ādhāra ityapi vācyam | atha vilakṣaṇaiśvaryātiśayayogādanyaiva sā kartṛśaktirasaṃcodyā, prakṛtadharmasāmānyenetyevameṣvapi draṣṭavyam | tāsuvīryaṃ śukramavāsṛjat nyaṣiñcat |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘He’—who,—by virtue of the qualities described in the preceding verse, and also by virtue of such Vedic texts as ‘In the beginning there appeared Hiraṇyagarbha &c.’ (Ṛgveda 10.121.1)—acquired the title of ‘Hiraṇyagarbha.’

‘Several kinds of created things’—things possessed of various forms.

‘Desiring to create,’—wishing to bring into existence.

‘In the beginning,’ first of all—‘produced,’ called into being—‘water’ ‘out of his own body,’ i.e., the body assumed by himself (on manifestation). Or, according to the Ádvaita Philosophy, ‘Primordial Matter’ is the ‘body’ of Hiraṇyagarbha here spoken of; it is ‘his own’ in the sense that it follows his wish, and is the cause of the production of all bodies.

The next question that arises is—“When he created the body of all living beings, did he do so by means of some physical act, such as digging with the spade and so forth (as the potter does in the making of the Jar)?”

The answer is no.—“How then?”—‘By mere willing’—by the mere act of wishing ‘let water be produced.’

The following further question is raised—“Since the Earth and other things were non-existent at the time, what was the receptacle or standing ground of the water that was produced?”

The question is addressed to the winds! [ lit., it is as good as addressed to others!]. It might just as well bo asked—what is the receptacle or standing ground for the Supreme Lord himself when he has assumed a body. If it be explained that so far as the powers of the creator himself are concerned, no questions arise, for the simple reason that he is possessed of unique powers,—then the same may be said in regard to water and the other products also, which may be regarded as having similar unique powers.

In that, water, he threw, scattered, the seed, the semen. (8)