History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.117

v7.c95.117

The Viṣṇupurāṇa in Chapters 2, 4, 5, 7 of the first *aṁśa* deals with several kinds of creation. Chapter 2 starts with Viṣṇu and asserts that Pradhāna and Puruṣa are his forms and in verses 34-50 proclaims the details of the Sāṅkhya system and verse 54 refers to the production of the egg by Mahat and other tattvas. Chap. 3 deals with the question how *brahman*, which is free from guṇas, inconceivable, pure and untainted, is the author of creation, the reply being that there are natural powers (Śaktis) in all things that are inconceivable and so *brahman* has the power of creating the universe. Chap. 5 deals with nine kinds of creations viz. of Mahat, Tanmātrās. bhūtas, (elements), Vaikārika (i. e. Aindriyaka), Mukhya (i. e. of immovable objects), of lower animals, of ūrdhvaretas (i. e. divine beings), of human beings, of Kumāras (i. e. Sanatkumāra and others).