Listen, O wise ones, to the wondrous story of creation as revealed in the sacred tradition. In the beginning, both primordial matter (Prakriti) and the Person (Purusha) endured together, their natures similar and undifferentiated. But when the balance of their qualities—sattva, rajas, and tamas—became disturbed and unequal, then, O sages, creation began to unfold. When these qualities return to perfect equilibrium, dissolution follows, and both creation and dissolution arise from the will of Maheśvara, the Great Lord. By his divine play, the Lord of gods brings forth various kinds of creation. In brief, from that primordial matter, countless beings come into existence, all under its sway; innumerable cycles of time (kalpas) pass, and countless Pitāmahas (grandfathers, or Brahmās) arise as well. So too are there countless Haris (forms of Viṣṇu), but Maheśvara remains ever one. All the natural evolutions, beginning with primordial matter, proceed through his divine play. His activity is threefold, manifesting through the three qualities, yet he himself, the transcendent one, is beyond beginning, middle, or end. Beyond even Pitāmaha, there is another whose day lasts for two parārdhas (vast spans of time). All that is created during his day is destroyed at his night. At that time, the worlds of Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, and Svar, and all those above, are dissolved. In that night, when all moving and unmoving things are lost, Brahmā alone remains, afloat in the one great ocean. Immersed in the waters of deep sleep, he is known as Nārāyaṇa. But when the night ends, Brahmā awakens, and seeing the universe—once filled with moving and unmoving beings—now void, he resolves to create once more. The eternal one, best among knowers of Brahman, takes up the earth, which had been submerged in the waters. Assuming the form of a mighty boar, he lifts and establishes the earth as it was before. The Lord then recreates the rivers, streams, and oceans in their proper places. He carefully shapes the earth, smoothing away depressions and elevations, and places upon it all the mountains that had been scorched by the ancient fire. He restores the four worlds, beginning with Bhū, just as they were before. And again, the Blessed One resolves to create anew. At that moment, delusion arises in the great-souled Brahmā. From him, the twice-born, endowed with prior intelligence, emerge, even though Brahmā’s own birth is unmanifest. From the self-born arise five forms of ignorance: darkness, delusion, great delusion, Tāmisra, and Andha. This creation, shrouded in ignorance, is known as the primary creation—yet it is remembered as ineffective, and so attributed to the Lord of creatures. Brahmā then considers another creation. The principal trees come forth, and as the great sage meditates, his throat manifests in three ways. First, from him arises the crosswise-flowing creation; next is the upward-flowing creation, remembered as sattvic and pure. Then comes the downward-flowing creation, the gracious creation, and again the elemental creation. From the great Brahmā, the first is called Mahat, the second is also elemental. The third creation is known as the sensory, the fourth as the primary. The fifth is the creation of animals, and the sixth is the divine. The seventh is the human creation, O brahmins; the eighth is gracious, and the ninth is youthful. Thus are the natural and modified creations set forth. At the outset, Brahmā creates Sananda, Sanaka, and Sanātana, the foremost sages, who attain the highest state through actionlessness. By the science of yoga, he creates Marīci, Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Dakṣa, Atri, and Vasiṣṭha. These nine, the sons of Brahma, are knowers of Brahman and foremost among brahmins, remembered as speakers of Brahman and akin to Brahma himself. From Brahmā also arise Resolve, Dharma, Adharma, and the presence of Dharma—twelve progenies in all, from the one whose birth is unmanifest. Sanātana first creates Ṛbhu and Sanatkumāra, both divine and born with upward-flowing energy, foremost among speakers of Brahman. All these sons of Brahma, equal to their father, all-knowing and creators in their own right, take wives as ordained. Listen, O best of sages, to the origin of progeny: The Lord creates Śatarūpā, the queen, and Virāj. From Svāyambhuva, Śatarūpā, not born from a womb, obtains two virtuous sons and two daughters. The elder son is Priyavrata, the younger is Uttānapāda; the elder daughter is Ākūti, and the younger is Prasūti. At that time, Prajāpati Ruci marries Ākūti, while the venerable Dakṣa, supporter of worlds and a yogin, marries Prasūti. Ākūti gives birth to Yajña, together with Dakṣiṇā, and Dakṣiṇā in turn bears twelve divine daughters. Prasūti, through Dakṣa, gives birth to twenty-four daughters: Śraddhā, Lakṣmī, Dhṛti, Puṣṭi, Tuṣṭi, Medhā, Kriyā, Buddhi, Lajjā, Vapuḥ, Śānti, Siddhi, Kīrti, Mahātapā, Khyāti, Śānti, Sambhūti, Smṛti, Prīti, Kṣamā, Saṃnati, Anasūyā, Ūrjā, Svāhā, Surāraṇi, and the greatly fortunate Svadhā—all given in due order. The thirteen noble daughters, from Śraddhā to Kīrti, become the wives of Dharma, the Prajāpati, who is most difficult to attain. Bhṛgu, the wise, marries Khyāti; Marīci marries Sambhūti; the sage Aṅgirā marries Smṛti. Pulastya, of pure soul, marries Prīti; Pulaha marries Kṣamā; Kratu marries Saṃnati; and Atri marries Anasūyā. The venerable Vasiṣṭha, lotus-eyed and most excellent, marries Ūrjā; Vibhāvasu marries Svāhā, and the Pitṛs marry Svadhā. Satī, created as a daughter born of the mind and originating from Śiva, becomes the wife of Rudra, the sustainer of worlds, through Dakṣa. At the very dawn of creation, seeing Ardhanārīśvara, the golden egg-born Brahmā commands, “Divide!” and when she is born, thus does creation proceed, just as it was ordained in the beginning.