Section VII
Parāçara said—“Then came forth unto him the mind-sprung beings, embodying causes and consequences arising from his own person. And out of the body of that intelligent one came out the souls. And thus were generated all those mobile and immobile objects beginning with the deities and concluding with the immovable,—which are established in the three several spheres, 122 —and of which I have told thee before. And when these beings of that intelligent one did not multiply, then he created other mind-begotten sons, resembling himself,— viz. Bhrigu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Angiras, Marichi, Daksha, Atri, and the mind-sprung Vasishtha. The Purāna saith that these nine resemble Brahmā himself. Those who formerly had been created by Vedas, being bereft of love and hate, and possessed of the highest knowledge, did not take to the world, or produce offspring. And these being indifferent to the increase of people, a mighty wrath took possession of Brahmā, capable of consuming the three worlds. And, O anchoret, the entire triune universe was then illuminated with the flame flowing from the ire of Brahmā. And then from his furrowed forehead inflamed with wrath sprang Rudra, resembling the mid-day Sun; having a body, half-female,—terrific; and of a prodigious person. And saying unto him,—‘Divide thou thyself.’—Brahmā then vanished. Thus directed, he divided himself into a male and a female. And then he divided the male into one and ten parts; and the Lord God also divided the female into Saumya, 123 Asaumya, 124 Santa, 125 Asānta, 126 Sita, 127 Asita, 128 and many other parts resembling himself. Then the Lord appointed the Self-create Manu, formerly sprung from Brahmā’s self, and resembling himself, to rule creatures. And that lord, the divine Self-create Manu, took to wife the female Satarupā, 129 purged of all sin through asceticism. And to that person Satarupā bore Priyavrata and Uttānapada; and two daughters, named Prasuti and Akuti,—endowed, O thou cognisant of righteousness, with the perfections of beauty, and nobility. And the Lord of creatures of old conferred Prasuti on Daksha, and Akuti on Rucha. And unto this wedded couple were born, O exceedingly righteous one, Yajna and Dakshina; and these were then united in marriage. And ten sons were borne to Yajna 130 by Dakshina. 131 At the time of the Self-create Manu, these went by the designations of Deva and Yāma. And on Prasuti, Daksha begat four and twenty daughters,—whose names do thou hear, Sraddhā, 132 Lakshmi, 133 Dhriti, 134 Tushti 135 Pushti, 136 Medha, 137 Kriya 138 Buddhi, 139 Lajja, 140 Vapu, 141 Santi, Siddhi, 142 and Kriti. 143 These thirteen daughters of Daksha were wedded by the Lord Dharma. 144 The daughters remaining after these elder ones, were eleven, furnished with fair eyes,—Khyati, 145 Sati, 146 Sambhuti, 147 Smriti, 148 Priti 149 Kshamā, 150 Sannati, 151 Anasuyā, 152 Urjjā, 153 Swahā, 154 and Swadhā. Bhrigu, Bhava, Marichi, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Atri, Vasishtha, Vanhi, and the pitris, espoused respectively the daughters, Khyāti and the rest, O foremost of ascetics. And then Sradhā brought forth Kāma; 155 and Chalā, 156 Darpa; 157 and Dhriti, Niyama 158 as her son; and Tushti, 159 Santosha, 160 and Pushti, 161 Lobha 162 And Medha 163 brought forth Srutam; 164 and Kriya, 165 Dandam, 166 Naya, 167 and Vinaya; 168 and Buddhi, 169 Bodha; 170 and Lajja, Vinayaj and Vapu, 171 Vyavasaya 172 as her son; and Santi brought forth Kshamā; and Siddhi, Sukha; 173 and Kirti, Yaças. 174 These are the offspring of Dharma. Nanda bore unto Kama, Harsha 175 —grandson unto Dharma. Hinsā 176 was the wife of Adharma; 177 and from her were born Anrita, 178 and a daughter—Nikriti. 179 And from these came forth Bhaya 180 and Naraka; 181 and two daughters—Maya 182 and Vedana. 183 And Maya and Bhaya gave birth to Mrityu 184 —that allayer of the three kinds of heat, 185 And Vedana bore unto Rauraba, a son named Duhkha. 186 And from Mrityu sprang Vyadhi 187 Jwara, 188 Soka, 189 Trishnā, 190 and Krodha. 191 These ultimately lead to misery; and all have marks of unrighteousness. They have no wives, being all of vital fluid drawn up. 192 And, O son of the Prime ascetic, these are the terrific forms of Vishnu; and they ever bring on the universal dissolution. And, O exalted one, Daksha, Marichi, Bhrigu, and others—lords of creatures—are always the causes of the creation of the universe. And the Manus and their sons and kings possessed of wealth and prowess, and ever abiding by the way of righteousness,—and heroic,—are the causes of the maintenance of the cosmos”.
123 Mildness
124 Insolence
125 Meek.
126 Wild.
127 White.
128 Dark.
130 Sacrifice.
132 Veneration
134 Patience.
135 Satisfaction.
136 Nourishment.
137 Intelligence.
138 Act.
139 Intellect.
140 Bashfulness.
141 Body.
142 Success.
143 Fame.
144 Righteousness.
145 Renown.
146 Chaste.
147 Birth.
148 Memory.
149 Gratification.
150 Forgiveness.
151 Reverence.
152 Good-natured.
153 Energy.
155 Sexual desire.
156 Lakshmi.
157 Pride.
158 Restraint.
159 Satisfaction.
160 Contentment.
161 Nourishment.
162 Greed.
163 Intellect.
164 Knowledge.
165 Action.
166 Punishment.
167 Justice.
168 Humility.
169 Intellect.
170 Apprehension.
171 Body.
172 Exertion.
173 Felicity.
174 Fame.
175 Cheerfulness.
176 Malice.
177 Unrighteousness.
178 Falsehood
179 Wickedness.
180 Fear.
181 Hell.
182 Illusion.
183 Pain.
184 Death.
186 Misery.
187 Disease.
188 Decrepitude.
189 Grief.
190 Thirst.
191 Anger.
Maitreya said,—“O Brahmana, thou hast alluded to constant creation, constant sustenance and constant dissolution. Do thou describe unto me the characteristics of them”.
(Thereat) Parāçara said,—“That one of incomprehensible soul,—the reverend destroyer of Madhu—the Lord assuming respective shapes, effecteth the creation, maintenance, and destruction (of the Universe). The dissolution (of beings) is of four kinds, viz., O twice-born one, Naimittika, Prākritika Atyantika, and Nitya. When, on the expiry of his Day, Brahmā—the lord of the Universe—lieth down, takes place the dissolution called Naimittika. When the mundane egg dissolveth itself away in Primæval Nature, takes place the Prākrita dissolution. The fusion of the Yogis into the Supreme Soul through knowledge, is the Atyantika dissolution. And the constant dissolution of things taking place day and night, goeth by the name of Nitya. The creation which comes of Primæval matter, is known as Prakriti; that which takes place at the end of a minor dissolution, is known as Damandini; and, O foremost of anchorets, the constant daily creation of beings, is called Nitya by the wise versed in the import of the Puranas. Thus that origin of all beings, Vishnu, remaining in the bodies of all things, bringeth about creation, maintenance and destruction. O Maitreya, the energies of Vishnu relative to creation, sustenance, and destruction, remaining in the bodies of all beings, are ever coursing on day and night. O Brahmana, he that, compounded of these mighty powers, overruleth the three principles, attaineth the Supreme state (of Vishnu), and hath not to come back to this scene”.
Notes
122 viz. the upper, middle, and nether regions.
129 Having an hundred forms.
131 Gift in sacrifice to Brahmanas.
133 The goddess of wealth.
154 This and the last are words uttered while one is offering oblations.
185 Tapa—lit. heat—here means the three kinds of pain,—natural, supernatural and that coming from spirits. The word tapa for pain refers to the physical phenomenon accompanying all pain—namely, heat in the part affected. And physical pain in any part of the body is invariably found to be accompanied with heat at that locality.—T
192 The reader will readily perceive that all this is allegorical, although the allegory is by no means on all fours. The entire fabric, it may truly be said, of Hinduism is upreared upon an allegorical foundation; but the allegory having been missed, it has degenerated itself into a system of degrading superstition.—T.