Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.3326

c7.3326

(ii) Mahāviṣṇu with a view to creating many different kinds of living things created water first and threw his whole energy into it. That energy grew into a golden mass of an egg and Brahmā was born from that egg. Mahāviṣṇu broke that egg into two, making one half heaven and the other earth. Between the two halves he created the sky. The earth was floating on the waters and he fixed it at ten sides. Then he created Prajāpati, Kāla, Manas, Vāk, Kāma, Krodha and Rati. Then he created thunder, lightning, clouds, rainbows and birds. Then for yajñasiddhi he created from his face Ṛgveda, Yajurveda and Sāmaveda. He did sacrifices with them. From his hands he created the different Bhūtagrāmas and Sanatkumāras. He created Rudra out of Krodha. From his mind were born Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasiṣṭha. He made these seven Brahmarṣis. These seven Brahmarṣis and Rudra began to create the prajās. Then Prajāpati divided his body into two. One half of it became man and the other woman. Brahmā started creation through that woman. (Chapter 18; Agni Purāṇa).