Critical Edition
भरद्वाज उवाच प्रजाविसर्गं विविधं कथं स सृजते प्रभुः मेरुमध्ये स्थितो ब्रह्मा तद्ब्रूहि द्विजसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: Bharadwaja said-Tell me, O best of Brahmans, how the powerful Brahman, living within Meru, created these various kinds of objects.
Supplementary Passages:
12.176.1 D7 ins. after 1: T G1-3.6 M1.5-7 subst. for 1: *485 मेरुमध्ये स्थितो ब्रह्मा कथं स ससृजे प्रजाः एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व याथातथ्येन पृच्छतः
भृगुरुवाच प्रजाविसर्गं विविधं मानसो मनसासृजत् संधुक्षणार्थं भूतानां सृष्टं प्रथमतो जलम्
M. N. Dutt: Bhrigu said The great Manasa (in his form of Brahman) created the various objects by his Will. For the protection of all creatures, he first created water.
यत्प्राणाः सर्वभूतानां वर्धन्ते येन च प्रजाः परित्यक्ताश्च नश्यन्ति तेनेदं सर्वमावृतम्
M. N. Dutt: Water is the life of all creatures, and it helps their growth. If there be no water, all creatures would die. The cntire universe is pervaded by water.
पृथिवी पर्वता मेघा मूर्तिमन्तश्च ये परे सर्वं तद्वारुणं ज्ञेयमापस्तस्तम्भिरे पुनः
M. N. Dutt: Earth, mountains, clouds, and all things which have form, are all as transformations of water. They have all been produced by water being solidified.
भरद्वाज उवाच कथं सलिलमुत्पन्नं कथं चैवाग्निमारुतौ कथं च मेदिनी सृष्टेत्यत्र मे संशयो महान्
M. N. Dutt: Bharadwaja said, How did water originate? How fire and Wind? How also was the Earth created? I have great doubts about it.
भृगुरुवाच ब्रह्मकल्पे पुरा ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मर्षीणां समागमे लोकसंभवसंदेहः समुत्पन्नो महात्मनाम्
M. N. Dutt: O twice-born one, in very ancient times called the Brahma-Kalpa, great Rishis, when they assembled together, felt this very doubt about the creation of the universe.
तेऽतिष्ठन्ध्यानमालम्ब्य मौनमास्थाय निश्चलाः त्यक्ताहाराः पवनपा दिव्यं वर्षशतं द्विजाः
M. N. Dutt: Governing speech, they remained immovable, engaged in contemplation. Having abstained from food, they lived upon air alone, and remained thus for a thousand divine years.
तेषां धर्ममयी वाणी सर्वेषां श्रोत्रमागमत् दिव्या सरस्वती तत्र संबभूव नभस्तलात्
M. N. Dutt: At the end of that time, certain words as sacred as those of the Vedas simultaneously reached the ears of all. Indeed, this celestial voice was heard in the sky to say—
पुरा स्तिमितनिःशब्दमाकाशमचलोपमम् नष्टचन्द्रार्कपवनं प्रसुप्तमिव संबभौ
M. N. Dutt: Formerly there was only infinite Space, motionless and immovable. Without sun, moon, stars, and wind, it seemed to be asleep.
ततः सलिलमुत्पन्नं तमसीवापरं तमः तस्माच्च सलिलोत्पीडादुदतिष्ठत मारुतः
M. N. Dutt: Then water originated like something darker within darkness. Then from the pressure of water sprang wing.
यथा भाजनमच्छिद्रं निःशब्दमिव लक्ष्यते तच्चाम्भसा पूर्यमाणं सशब्दं कुरुतेऽनिलः
AI Translation: Just as a pot without a hole appears to be silent, but when filled with water, it makes a sound due to the wind.
तथा सलिलसंरुद्धे नभसोऽन्ते निरन्तरे भित्त्वार्णवतलं वायुः समुत्पतति घोषवान्
AI Translation: And when the sky is completely covered with water, the wind, having pierced the bottom of the ocean, rises up with a loud noise.
स एष चरते वायुरर्णवोत्पीडसंभवः आकाशस्थानमासाद्य प्रशान्तिं नाधिगच्छति
M. N. Dutt: Generated by the pressure of the ocean of water, that wind still passes on. Occupying empty space, its motion is never stoppcd.
तस्मिन्वाय्वम्बुसंघर्षे दीप्ततेजा महाबलः प्रादुर्भवत्यूर्ध्वशिखः कृत्वा वितिमिरं नभः
M. N. Dutt: Then on account of the friction of wind and water, fire endued with great power and burning energy, came into being, with flames directed upwards. That fire dissipated the darkness that had covered Space.
अग्निः पवनसंयुक्तः खात्समुत्पतते जलम् सोऽग्निर्मारुतसंयोगाद्घनत्वमुपपद्यते
M. N. Dutt: Helped by the wind, fore combined Space and Water. In fact, combining with the wind, fire became solidified.
तस्याकाशे निपतितः स्नेहस्तिष्ठति योऽपरः स संघातत्वमापन्नो भूमित्वमुपगच्छति
M. N. Dutt: While dropping from the sky, the liquid portion of fire being solidified again became what is known as the Earth.
रसानां सर्वगन्धानां स्नेहानां प्राणिनां तथा भूमिर्योनिरिह ज्ञेया यस्यां सर्वं प्रसूयते
M. N. Dutt: The Earth or land, in which everything is born, is the root of all sorts of taste, of all sorts of scent, of all sorts of liquids, and of all kinds of animals,