अथर्ववेदो राजेन्द्र मुखाच्चाप्युत्तरान्नृप । ऋषिश्चापि तथा राजञ्छौनको लोकपूजितः
From the face of the king the Atharva Veda also issued forth; from the face of the king the northern Veda arose; and a rishi too was born from that face — thus the king’s spine was venerated by the people.
यत्तन्मुखं महाबाहो पञ्चमं लोकविश्रुतम् । अष्टादशपुराणानि सेतिहासानि भारत
That face, mighty-armed, was renowned as the fifth among the world‑famed scriptures; from it the eighteen Puranas and the histories of Bharata came into being.
निर्गतानि ततस्तस्मान्मुखात्कुरुकुलोद्वह । तथान्याः स्मृतयश्चापि यमाद्या लोकपूजिताः
From that face also streamed forth the Kurukula and similar lineages; likewise other remembered texts and the ordinances beginning with Yama, all honored by the world, were produced.
ततः स भगवान्देवो द्विधा देहमकारयत् । द्विधा कृत्वात्मनो देहमर्धेन पुरुषोऽभवत्
Then that Lord fashioned his body in twofold fashion; by dividing himself he became a man through one half of his being.
अर्धेन नारी तस्यां च विराजमसृजत्प्रभुः । तपस्तप्त्वासृजद्यं तु स स्वयं पुरुषो विराट्
From the other half he fashioned a woman who shone within that half; having been made by the heat of tapas, he himself was the great cosmic person.
स चकार तपो राजन्सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः । पतीन्प्रजानामसृजन्महर्षीनादितो दश
That sovereign, having performed austerity, created many kinds of offspring: husbands and subjects he produced, and ten great seers were born from him at the outset.
नारदं च भृगुं तात कं प्रचेतसमेव हि । पुलहं क्रतुं पुलस्त्यं च अत्रिमङ्गिरसं तथा
Among them were Narada and Bhrigu, and Tataka as well, indeed Prajapati; Pulaha, Kratu, and Pulastya; Atriman and Angiras were also counted there.
मरीचिं चापि राजेन्द्र योऽसावाद्यः प्रजापतिः । एतांश्चान्यांश्च राजेन्द्र असृजद् भूरितेजसः
Marichi too, O Bharata, was one of these progenitors; these and other creatures the mighty‑splendid sovereign brought forth.
अथ देवानृषीन्दैत्यान्सोऽसृजत्कुरुनन्दन । यक्षरक्षः पिशाचांश्च गन्धर्वाप्सरसोऽसुरान्
Then that king created gods, sages and demons, and beings such as yakshas, rakshasas and pisachas, along with gandharvas, apsaras and asuras.
मनुष्याणां पितॄणां च सर्पाणां चैव भारत । नागानां च महाबाहो ससर्ज विविधान्गणान्
He also fashioned humans and ancestors, serpents and, O mighty-armed Bharata, the various groups of nagas — thus he created diverse hosts.
क्षणरुचोऽशनिगणान्रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि च । धूमकेतूंस्तथा चोल्का निर्याताञ्ज्योतिषां गणान्
The sun then generated quick-moving flaming beings, bow-bearing warriors, smoke-bannered ones and also carriers of light—assemblies of luminous beings.
मनुष्यान्किन्नरान्मत्स्यान्वराहांश्च विहङ्गमान् । गजानश्वानथ पशून्मृगान्व्यालांश्च भारत
There were humans, kinnara-like folk, fishes, boars and winged birds; also elephants, horses and other beasts, deer and serpents in Bharat.
कृमिकीटपतङ्गांश्च यूकालिक्षकमत्कुणान् । सर्वं च दंशमशकं स्थावरं च पृथग्विधम्
There appeared worms, insects and flying creatures, burrowers and climbers; all biting, stinging animals and diverse immobile creatures of many kinds.
एवं स भास्करो देवः ससर्ज भुवनत्रयम् । येषां तु यादृशं कर्म भूतानामिह कीर्तितम्
Thus the god Bhaskara created the three worlds; I will describe what sorts of actions brought about these various beings here.
कथयिष्यामि तत्सर्वं क्रमयोगं च जन्मनि । गजा व्याला मृगास्तात पशवश्च पृथग्विधाः
I will recount all that, in order and linked to birth: here are the elephants, serpents, deer and hence the other distinct kinds of beasts.
पिशाचा मानुषास्तात रक्षांसि च जरायुजाः । द्विजास्तु अण्डजाः सर्पा नक्रा मत्स्याः सकच्छपाः
There were bhutas and pishachas, then humans and rakshasas born of pairs; the twice-born were egg-born, serpents, crocodiles, fishes and tortoises.
एवंविधानि यानीह स्थलजान्यौदकानि च । स्वेदजं दंशमशकं यूकालिक्षकमत्कुणाः
Thus were the terrestrial, born of earth, and aquatic beings; also those produced by sweat, biting and stinging creatures, burrowers and climbers.
ऊष्मणा चोपजायन्ते यच्चान्यत्किञ्चिदीदृशम् । उद्भिज्जाः स्थावराः सर्वे बीजकाण्डप्ररोहिणः
From heat too arose whatever else is such: all the plants fixed in place, springing from seed, shoots and roots.
ओषध्यः फलपाकान्ता नानाविधफलोपगाः । अपुष्पाः फलवन्तो ये ते वनस्पतयः स्मृताः
Herbs, those ripening into fruits, varieties bearing many kinds of fruit and those without flowers yet fruiting—these are remembered as the plants of the forest.
पुष्पिणः फलिनश्चैव वृक्षास्तूभयतः स्मृताः । गुच्छगुल्मं तु विविधं तथैव तृणजातयः
Trees both flowering and fruiting are thus recognised; likewise clustered shrubs of various sorts and the families of grasses.
बीजकाण्डरुहाण्येव प्रताना वल्ल्य एव च । तमसा बहुरूपेण वेष्टिताः कर्महेतुना
Seeds and tuberous roots are like the foremost sprouts, and the curling shoots are indeed their twining tendrils; many forms are enveloped in darkness, serving as causes for action.
अन्तःसंज्ञा भवन्त्येते सुखदुःखसमन्विताः । एतावत्यस्तु गतयः प्रोद्भूताः कुरुनन्दन
These become inner notions, accompanied by joy and sorrow; such are the manifold destinies that arose, O descendant of Kuru.
तस्माद्देवाद्दीप्तिमन्तो भास्कराच्य महात्मनः । घोरेऽस्मिंस्तात संसारे नित्यं सततयायिनि
Therefore the gods, luminous like the great sun, dwell in that dread world; they continually shine through the ever-flowing cycle of this existence.
एवं सर्वं स सृष्ट्वेदं राजँल्लोकगुरुं परम् । तिरोभूतः स भूतात्मा कालं कालेन पीडयन्
Thus he created this entire world and became the supreme teacher of people; he entered into beings as the inner self, tormenting time by means of time.
यदा स देवो जागर्ति तदेदं चेष्टते जगत् । यदा स्वपिति शान्तात्मा तदा सर्वं निमीलति
When that god is awake the world performs its activity; when the peaceful self sleeps, then all things withdraw and are closed.
तस्मिन्स्वपिति राजेन्द्र जन्तवः कर्मबन्धनाः । स्वकर्मभ्यो निवर्तन्ते मनश्च ग्लानिमृच्छति
In the sleep of that sovereign beings are bound by actions; their deeds cease and the mind falls into a state of languor.
युगपत्तु प्रलीयन्ते यदा तस्मिन्महात्मनि । तदायं सर्वभूतात्मा सुखं स्वपिति भारत
Simultaneously all dissolve when that great soul is dissolved; then the soul of all beings rests in blissful sleep, O Bharata.
तमो यदा समाश्रित्य चिरं तिष्ठति सेन्द्रियः । न नवं कुरुते कर्म तदोत्क्रामति मूर्तितः
When the senses long remain rooted in darkness they no longer enact new deeds; the embodied one does not take on new actions.
यदाहंमात्रिको भूत्वा बीजं स्थास्नु चरिष्णु च । समाविशति संसृष्टस्तदा मूतिं विमुञ्चति
If I, assuming only a seed-form, stay as the seed and wander, then when the created world enters into me I release liberation.
एवं स जाग्रत्स्वप्नाभ्यामिदं सर्वं जगत्प्रभुः । संजीवयति चाजस्रं प्रमापयति चाव्ययः
Thus, by waking and sleeping, the Lord of the world both quickens all things repeatedly and, unfailing, withdraws them away.