Bhagavatapurana 3.12

English (machine translation) 3.12

Language: English

3.12.1

Maitreya said:
Thus has been described to you, O Vidura, the greatness called Time belonging to the Supreme Self;
now hear from me how Brahmā, holding the Vedas in his womb, brought forth creation.

3.12.2

At first the creator generated darkness consisting of five forms:
utter darkness, deep gloom, great delusion, delusion, and obscurity.

3.12.3

Seeing this miserable creation, he did not hold himself in high regard;
he then brought forth another [creation] with a mind purified by meditation upon the Lord.

3.12.4

The self-born [Brahmā] then created Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana,
and the sage Sanat-kumāra, who were free from action and had sublimated their seed.

3.12.5

The self-born spoke to those sons: “Bring forth offspring, my sons!”
Devoted to the dharma of liberation and intent on Vāsudeva, they did not desire to do so.

3.12.6

Disregarded in this manner by his sons, who rejected his command,
he attempted to restrain the unbearable anger that arose within him.

3.12.7

Though being restrained by his intellect, that wrath of the progenitor
was instantly born from the space between his eyebrows as a blue-and-red boy.

3.12.8

He, the eldest of the gods, the lord Bhava, wept indeed:
“Assign names to me, O creator, and dwellings, O teacher of the universe!”

3.12.9

Thus fulfilling his request, the lotus-born Lord
addressed him with gentle words: “Do not weep; I shall grant that to you.

3.12.10

Because you wept like an anxious child, O best of the gods,
creatures shall therefore call you by the name Rudra.

3.12.11

The heart, the senses, the breath of life, the ether, the wind, fire, water, the earth,
the sun, the moon, and austerity—these dwellings have already been made for you.

3.12.12

Manyu, Manu, Mahinasa, Mahān, Śiva, Ṛtadhvaja,
Ugraretas, Bhava, Kāla, Vāmadeva, and Dhṛtavrata [are your names].

3.12.13

Dhī, Dhṛti, Rasalomā, Niyut, Sarpis, Ilā, Ambikā,
Irāvatī, Svadhā, Dīkṣā, and Rudrāṇī—these are your wives, O Rudra.

3.12.14

Accept these names and dwellings together with your wives;
with these, bring forth numerous offspring, since you are a lord of creatures.”

3.12.15

Thus commanded by his father, the blue-and-red lord
created offspring equal to himself in power, form, and nature.

3.12.16

Seeing the innumerable multitudes of Rudras born of Rudra
devouring the universe on all sides, the progenitor grew apprehensive:

3.12.17

“Enough with creating offspring such as these, O foremost of gods,
who are burning the directions along with me with their fierce eyes!

3.12.18

Engage in austerity; may all be well with you, bringing happiness to all living beings;
only through austerity will you create this universe as before.

3.12.19

Only through austerity does a person easily attain the supreme light,
the Lord, Adhokṣaja, who dwells within the cave of the hearts of all living beings.”

3.12.20

Maitreya said:
Thus instructed by the self-born [Brahmā], he circumambulated the master of speech,
and saying “So be it,” took his leave and entered the forest to perform austerity.

3.12.21

Then, as he meditated upon creation, ten sons were born
to him who was endowed with the Lord's power, to propagate the worlds:

3.12.22

Marīci, Atri and Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu,
Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha, Dakṣa, and the tenth among them, Nārada.

3.12.23

Nārada was born from Svayambhū's lap, and Dakṣa from his thumb;
Vasiṣṭha was born from his life-breath, Bhṛgu from his skin, and Kratu from his hand;

3.12.24

Pulaha was born from his navel, and the sage Pulastya from his ears;
Aṅgiras from his mouth, Atri from his eyes, and Marīci came from his mind.

3.12.25

Dharma was born from his right breast, where Nārāyaṇa himself resides;
and adharma from his back, from which comes death that terrifies the world.

3.12.26

From his heart arose desire, from his brows anger, and greed from his lower lip;
from his mouth arose speech, from his phallus the oceans, and from his anus Nirṛti, the abode of sin.

3.12.27

From his shadow Kardama was born, the lord and husband of Devahūti.
Thus from the mind and the body of the creator of all, this universe was born.

3.12.28

Seeing his daughter Vāc, slender-waisted and captivating his mind,
Svayambhū, filled with desire, longed for her who was without desire, O Kṣattṛ—so we have heard.

3.12.29

Seeing their father intent upon adharma, his sons,
the sages headed by Marīci, spoke out to admonish him out of trust:

3.12.30

“This was not done by those before you, nor will others do it hereafter—
that you, the master, unable to restrain your lust, should approach your own daughter.

3.12.31

Even for the most glorious, O teacher of the world, this is not honorable;
for it is by following their conduct that the world attains welfare.

3.12.32

Reverence to that Lord who by his own light
revealed this [universe] existing within himself! He ought to protect dharma.”

Seeing his sons, the lords of creatures, thus speaking before him,
the lord of the lords of creatures felt ashamed and then cast off that body;
the directions seized that dreadful [body], which they know as fog and darkness.

3.12.34

Once, as the creator meditated, “How shall I create
the worlds assembled as before?”, the Vedas came forth from his four mouths:

3.12.35

The ritual duties of the four kinds of priests, along with the maxims of the Upavedas,
the four quarters of dharma, and likewise the modes of life for the orders.

3.12.36

Vidura said:
He, the lord of the creators of the universe, produced the Vedas and the rest from his mouths;
tell me, O you whose wealth is austerity, what the god produced by which [mouth].

3.12.37

Maitreya said:
With his mouths beginning with the eastern, he produced the Vedas named Ṛg, Yajus, Sāman, and Atharvan in order,
as well as instruction, sacrifice, the stuti and stoma, and expiation.

3.12.38

In order, with his mouths beginning with the eastern, he also produced
Āyurveda, Dhanurveda, Gāndharvaveda, and Sthāpatyaveda from himself.

3.12.39

The omniscient Lord created the fifth Veda—
the histories and Purāṇas—from all his mouths together.

3.12.40

From his eastern mouth [arose] the Ṣoḍaśin and the Uktha; then the Purīṣin and Agniṣṭut;
and the Āptoryāma and Atirātra, the Vājapeya along with the Gosava.

3.12.41

Knowledge, charity, austerity, and truth—these are the feet of dharma;
and he created the orders of life together with their livelihoods in proper order:

3.12.42

Sāvitra, Prājāpatya, Brāhma, and Bṛhat;
and for the householder: agriculture, accumulation, ungathered gleaning, and picked ears of grain;

3.12.43

In the forest: the Vaikhānasa, Vālakhilya, Audumbara, and Phenapa;
in renunciation: first the Kuṭīcaka, Bahvoda, Haṃsa, and Niṣkriya.

3.12.44

Logic, the triple Veda, commerce, and likewise statecraft;
so too arose the sacred utterances, and from his heart [arose] the praṇava.

3.12.45

From the hairs of the all-pervading lord of creatures arose the Uṣṇih, and the Gāyatrī from his skin;
the Triṣṭubh from his flesh, the Anuṣṭubh from his sinews, the Jagatī from his bones,

3.12.46

From his marrow the Paṅkti arose, and the Bṛhatī was from his breath.
The contact consonants were his life, and the vowels are said to be his body.

3.12.47

The sibilants are called his senses, and the semivowels his own strength;
and by the play of the lord of creatures arose the seven musical notes.

3.12.48

Higher than that [Brahman] who is the soul of the sonic Brahman, whose nature is the manifest and unmanifest,
Brahman shines forth, all-pervading, strengthened by diverse powers.

3.12.49

Then, assuming another [form], he set his mind on creation.
Yet, seeing that the creation by the sages, though they were of abundant potency, was not spreading,

3.12.50

He considered it further in his heart, O descendant of Kuru:
“Ah, how strange this is, that though I am always occupied [with creating],

3.12.51

The creatures indeed do not increase! Fate must surely be an obstacle here.”
While he was thus engaged, looking upon fate,

3.12.52

The body of Ka became divided into two, which is called a body;
and from those two divided forms, a couple was produced.

3.12.53

The male among them became the sovereign Svāyambhuva Manu,
and the woman was named Śatarūpā, the queen of this great soul.

3.12.54

Then, by the law of pairing, creatures indeed multiplied;
and he also begot five children upon Śatarūpā:

3.12.55

Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, and three daughters, O Bhārata:
Ākūti, Devahūti, and Prasūti, O best of men.

3.12.56

He gave Ākūti to Ruci, and the middle one to Kardama;
and he gave Prasūti to Dakṣa, from whom the world was filled.

Translations (1)

The Srimad Bhagavatam — S. Subba Rau 1928, English

Linked texts (1)

Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit