Bhrigu Tells Bharadvaja How the World Was Created

Verse 1 (12.180.1)

कुतः सृष्टमिदं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । प्रलये च किमभ्येति तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

kutaḥ sṛṣṭamidaṃ sarvaṃ jagatsthāvarajaṅgamam | pralaye ca kimabhyeti tanme brūhi pitāmaha

From what was all this world, moving and unmoving, brought forth? And into what does it pass at the time of dissolution? Tell me this, O grandsire.

Verse 2 (12.180.2)

ससागरः सगगनः सशैलः सबलाहकः । सभूमिः साग्निपवनो लोकोऽयं केन निर्मितः ॥

sasāgaraḥ sagaganaḥ saśailaḥ sabalāhakaḥ | sabhūmiḥ sāgnipavano loko'yaṃ kena nirmitaḥ

By whom was this world made, with its oceans and its sky, its mountains and its clouds, its earth, its fire and its wind?

Verse 3 (12.180.3)

कथं सृष्टानि भूतानि कथं वर्णविभक्तयः । शौचाशौचं कथं तेषां धर्माधर्मावथो कथम् ॥

kathaṃ sṛṣṭāni bhūtāni kathaṃ varṇavibhaktayaḥ | śaucāśaucaṃ kathaṃ teṣāṃ dharmādharmāvatho katham

How were beings created? How did the divisions of the castes arise? How are purity and impurity, and how are righteousness and unrighteousness, to be understood among them?

Note on the text: Corrected शोचाशौचं → शौचाशौचं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads śaucāśaucaṃ).

Verse 4 (12.180.4)

कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः । अस्माल्लोकादमुं लोकं सर्वं शंसतु नो भवान् ॥

kīdṛśo jīvatāṃ jīvaḥ kva vā gacchanti ye mṛtāḥ | asmāllokādamuṃ lokaṃ sarvaṃ śaṃsatu no bhavān

What is the life of the living? Where do the dead go? Tell us all of it, from this world to the next.

Verse 5 (12.180.5)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । भृगुणाऽभिहितं श्रेष्ठं भरद्वाजाय पृच्छते ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | bhṛguṇā'bhihitaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ bharadvājāya pṛcchate

On this point they recall an ancient tale, the excellent teaching that Bhrigu gave to Bharadvaja when he asked.

Verse 6 (12.180.6)

कैलासशिखरे दृष्ट्वा दीप्यमानमिवौजसा । भृगुं महर्षिमासीनं भरद्वाजोऽन्वपृच्छत ॥

kailāsaśikhare dṛṣṭvā dīpyamānamivaujasā | bhṛguṃ maharṣimāsīnaṃ bharadvājo'nvapṛcchata

On the summit of Kailasa, Bharadvaja saw the great seer Bhrigu seated, shining as if with his own radiance, and questioned him.

Verse 7 (12.180.7)

ससागरः सगगनः सशैलः सवलाहकः । सभूमिः साग्निपवनो लोकोऽयं केन निर्मितः ॥

sasāgaraḥ sagaganaḥ saśailaḥ savalāhakaḥ | sabhūmiḥ sāgnipavano loko'yaṃ kena nirmitaḥ

By whom was this world made, with its oceans and its sky, its mountains and its clouds, its earth, its fire and its wind?

Note on the text: Corrected शशैलः → सशैलः (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads saśailaḥ; compare verse 2).

Verse 8 (12.180.8)

कथं सृष्टानि भूतानि कथं वर्णविभक्तयः । शौचाशौचं कथं तेषां धर्माधर्मावथो कथम् ॥

kathaṃ sṛṣṭāni bhūtāni kathaṃ varṇavibhaktayaḥ | śaucāśaucaṃ kathaṃ teṣāṃ dharmādharmāvatho katham

How were beings created? How did the divisions of the castes arise? How are purity and impurity, and how are righteousness and unrighteousness, to be understood among them?

Verse 9 (12.180.9)

कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः । परलोकमिमं चापि सर्वं शंसितृमर्हसि ॥

kīdṛśo jīvatāṃ jīvaḥ kva vā gacchanti ye mṛtāḥ | paralokamimaṃ cāpi sarvaṃ śaṃsitṛmarhasi

What is the life of the living? Where do the dead go? You ought to tell me all about the next world and this one as well.

Verse 10 (12.180.10)

एवं स भगवान्पृष्टो भरद्वाजेन संशयम् । ब्रह्मर्षिर्ब्रह्मसंकाशः सर्वं तस्मै ततोऽब्रवीत् ॥

evaṃ sa bhagavānpṛṣṭo bharadvājena saṃśayam | brahmarṣirbrahmasaṃkāśaḥ sarvaṃ tasmai tato'bravīt

Questioned in this way by Bharadvaja about his doubt, the worshipful brahmin seer, radiant as Brahma himself, then told him everything.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्मर्पिर् → ब्रह्मर्षिर् (misprint in Wikisource; र्प for र्ष; the critical edition has maharṣir here).

Verse 11 (12.180.11)

नारायणो जगन्मूर्तिरन्तरात्मा सनातनः । कूटस्थोऽक्षर अव्यक्तो निर्लेपो व्यापकः प्रभुः ॥

nārāyaṇo jaganmūrtirantarātmā sanātanaḥ | kūṭastho'kṣara avyakto nirlepo vyāpakaḥ prabhuḥ

Narayana is the embodiment of the world and its inner self, the eternal one; unchanging, imperishable, unmanifest, untouched by anything, all-pervading, the Lord.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick that opens the passage (wiki mark). Lines 1-2 are the critical edition's star passage 12.175.10d*0483_01-02 (nārāyaṇo jaganmūrtir antarātmā sanātanaḥ / kūṭastho 'kṣara avyakto nirlepo vyāpakaḥ prabhuḥ), printed in the apparatus after 12.175.10 with the heading bhṛgur uvāca; the CE does not include it in its constituted text, so the alignment found no match.

Verse 12 (12.180.12)

प्रकृतेः परतो नित्यमिन्द्रियैरप्यगोचरः । स सिसृक्षुः सहस्रांशादसृजत्पुरुषं प्रभुः ॥

prakṛteḥ parato nityamindriyairapyagocaraḥ | sa sisṛkṣuḥ sahasrāṃśādasṛjatpuruṣaṃ prabhuḥ

Beyond nature, ever beyond the reach of the senses, desiring to create, that Lord brought forth the Person from the thousand-rayed one.

Note on the text: Corrected गोतरः → गोचरः (misprint in Wikisource; त for च; the critical edition star passage reads agocaraḥ). Removed the stray doubled daṇḍa and quote mark (।।') that close the backtick-opened passage. Lines 1-2 are the critical edition's star passage 12.175.10d*0483_03-04 (prakṛteḥ parato nityam indriyair apy agocaraḥ / sa sisṛkṣuḥ sahasrāṃśād asṛjat puruṣaṃ prabhuḥ); not in the CE's constituted text, so the alignment found no match.

Verse 13 (12.180.13)

मानसो नाम यः पूर्वो विश्रुतो वै महर्षिभिः । अनादिनिधनो देवस्तथाऽभेद्योऽजरामरः ॥

mānaso nāma yaḥ pūrvo viśruto vai maharṣibhiḥ | anādinidhano devastathā'bhedyo'jarāmaraḥ

He who was first, renowned among the great seers by the name Manasa, the god without beginning or end, unbreakable, free of age and death,

Note on the text: Corrected तथाऽभेद्योऽदजरामरः → तथाऽभेद्योऽजरामरः (misprint in Wikisource; stray द; the critical edition reads tathābhedyo 'jarāmaraḥ).

Verse 14 (12.180.14)

अव्यक्त इति विख्यातः शाश्वतोऽथाक्षयोऽव्ययः । यतः सृष्टानि भूतानि तिष्ठन्ति च म्रियन्ति च ॥

avyakta iti vikhyātaḥ śāśvato'thākṣayo'vyayaḥ | yataḥ sṛṣṭāni bhūtāni tiṣṭhanti ca mriyanti ca

known as the Unmanifest, eternal, imperishable and unchanging, from whom the beings that are created come, and in whom they live and die.

Verse 15 (12.180.15)

सोऽसृजत्प्रथमं देवो महान्तं नाम नामतः । महान्ससर्जाहंकारं स चापि भगवानथ । आकाशमिति विख्यातं सर्वभूतधरः प्रभुः ॥

so'sṛjatprathamaṃ devo mahāntaṃ nāma nāmataḥ | mahānsasarjāhaṃkāraṃ sa cāpi bhagavānatha | ākāśamiti vikhyātaṃ sarvabhūtadharaḥ prabhuḥ

That god first created the one called Mahat. Mahat created Ahamkara. And he, the Blessed Lord, then created what is known as space, the lord who bears all beings.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.175.13a; line 2 is the CE star line 12.175.13b*0484_01 (mahān sasarjāhaṃkāraṃ sa cāpi bhagavān atha); line 3 = CE 12.175.13c. The alignment found no match because of the added line.

Verse 16 (12.180.16)

आकाशादभवद्वारि सलिलादग्निमारुतौ । अग्निमारुतसंयोगात्ततः समभवन्मही ॥

ākāśādabhavadvāri salilādagnimārutau | agnimārutasaṃyogāttataḥ samabhavanmahī

From space came water; from water, fire and wind; from the union of fire and wind the earth then came to be.

Verse 17 (12.180.17)

ततस्तेजोमयं दिव्यं पद्मं सृष्टं स्वयंभुवा । तस्मात्पद्मात्समभवद्ब्रह्मा वेदमयो निधिः ॥

tatastejomayaṃ divyaṃ padmaṃ sṛṣṭaṃ svayaṃbhuvā | tasmātpadmātsamabhavadbrahmā vedamayo nidhiḥ

Then the Self-born created a divine lotus, made of radiance; from that lotus arose Brahma, made of the Vedas, a treasure-house of them.

Note on the text: Corrected ततस्ते गेमयं → ततस्तेजोमयं (misprint in Wikisource; गे for जो, with a stray word break; the critical edition reads tatas tejomayaṃ).

Verse 18 (12.180.18)

अहंकार इति ख्यातः सर्वभूतात्मभूतकृत् । ब्रह्मा वै स महातेजा य एते पञ्चधातवः ॥

ahaṃkāra iti khyātaḥ sarvabhūtātmabhūtakṛt | brahmā vai sa mahātejā ya ete pañcadhātavaḥ

He is called Ahamkara, the maker of the selves of all beings. He is that Brahma of great radiance, who is these five elements.

Verse 19 (12.180.19)

शैलास्तस्यास्थिसंज्ञास्तु मेदो मांसं च मेदिनी । समुद्रास्तस्य रुधिरमाकाशमुदरं तथा ॥

śailāstasyāsthisaṃjñāstu medo māṃsaṃ ca medinī | samudrāstasya rudhiramākāśamudaraṃ tathā

The mountains are called his bones, the earth his fat and flesh; the oceans are his blood, and space his belly.

Verse 20 (12.180.20)

पवनश्चैव निःश्वासस्तेजोऽग्निर्निम्नगाः सिराः । दिवाकरश्च सोमश्च नयने तस्य विश्रुते ॥

pavanaścaiva niḥśvāsastejo'gnirnimnagāḥ sirāḥ | divākaraśca somaśca nayane tasya viśrute

The wind is his breath, fire his heat, the rivers his veins; the sun and the moon are known as his eyes.

Verse 21 (12.180.21)

नभश्चोर्ध्वं शिरस्तस्य क्षितिः पादौ भुजौ दिशः । दुर्विज्ञेयो ह्यनन्तात्मा सिद्धैरपि न संशयः ॥

nabhaścordhvaṃ śirastasya kṣitiḥ pādau bhujau diśaḥ | durvijñeyo hyanantātmā siddhairapi na saṃśayaḥ

The sky is his head, the earth his feet, the quarters his arms. He is the Endless Self, hard to know even for the perfected beings, without doubt.

Verse 22 (12.180.22)

स एष भगवान्विष्णुरनन्त इति विश्रुतः । सर्वभूतात्मभूतस्थो दुर्विज्ञेयोऽकृतात्मभिः ॥

sa eṣa bhagavānviṣṇurananta iti viśrutaḥ | sarvabhūtātmabhūtastho durvijñeyo'kṛtātmabhiḥ

He is the Blessed Vishnu, renowned as Ananta, dwelling as the self of all beings, hard to know for those whose souls are unripe.

Note on the text: Corrected दुर्विज्ञेयोऽकृतात्माभः → दुर्विज्ञेयोऽकृतात्मभिः (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads akṛtātmabhiḥ).

Verse 23 (12.180.23)

अहंकारस्य यः स्रष्टा सर्वभूतोद्भवाय वै । यतः समभवद्विश्वं पृष्टोऽहं यदिह त्वया ॥

ahaṃkārasya yaḥ sraṣṭā sarvabhūtodbhavāya vai | yataḥ samabhavadviśvaṃ pṛṣṭo'haṃ yadiha tvayā

He is the creator of Ahamkara, for the birth of all beings; and he is that from which the universe came, about which you have questioned me here.

Verse 24 (12.180.24)

गगनस्य दिशां चैव भूतलस्यानिलस्य च । कान्यत्र परिमाणानि संशयं छिन्धि मेऽर्थितः ॥

gaganasya diśāṃ caiva bhūtalasyānilasya ca | kānyatra parimāṇāni saṃśayaṃ chindhi me'rthitaḥ

What are the measures of the sky, of the quarters, of the ground beneath, and of the wind? Cut my doubt as I ask.

Verse 25 (12.180.25)

अनन्तमेतदाकाशं सिद्धचारणसेवितम् । रम्यं नानाश्रयाकीर्णं यस्यान्तो नाधिगम्यते ॥

anantametadākāśaṃ siddhacāraṇasevitam | ramyaṃ nānāśrayākīrṇaṃ yasyānto nādhigamyate

This space is endless, frequented by Siddhas and Charanas, lovely, crowded with many dwelling-places; its end cannot be reached.

Verse 26 (12.180.26)

ऊर्ध्वं गतेरधस्तात्तु चन्द्रादित्यौ न दृश्यतः । तत्र देवाः स्वयं दीप्ताः सूर्यभासोऽग्निवर्चसः ॥

ūrdhvaṃ gateradhastāttu candrādityau na dṛśyataḥ | tatra devāḥ svayaṃ dīptāḥ sūryabhāso'gnivarcasaḥ

Above their course, as well as below it, the moon and the sun are not seen. There live gods who shine of themselves, with the brilliance of the sun and the radiance of fire.

Verse 27 (12.180.27)

ते चाप्यन्तं न पश्यन्ति नभसः प्रथितौजसः । दुर्गमत्वादनन्तत्वादिति वै विद्धि मानद ॥

te cāpyantaṃ na paśyanti nabhasaḥ prathitaujasaḥ | durgamatvādanantatvāditi vai viddhi mānada

Even they, widely renowned for their power, do not see the end of space, because it is hard to reach and endless. Know this, O giver of honour.

Verse 28 (12.180.28)

उपर्युपरि तैर्देवैः प्रज्वलद्भिः स्वयंप्रभैः । निरुद्धमेतदाकाशमप्रमेयं सुरैरपि ॥

uparyupari tairdevaiḥ prajvaladbhiḥ svayaṃprabhaiḥ | niruddhametadākāśamaprameyaṃ surairapi

Hemmed in above and above again by those gods, blazing and self-luminous, this space is immeasurable even to the gods.

Verse 29 (12.180.29)

पृथिव्यन्ते समुद्रास्तु समुद्रान्ते तमः स्मृतम् । तमसोऽन्ते जलं प्राहुर्जलस्यान्तेऽग्निरेव च ॥

pṛthivyante samudrāstu samudrānte tamaḥ smṛtam | tamaso'nte jalaṃ prāhurjalasyānte'gnireva ca

At the end of the earth are the oceans; at the end of the oceans, it is said, is darkness; at the end of the darkness they say is water, and at the end of the water, fire.

Note on the text: Corrected तप्नसोऽन्ते → तमसोऽन्ते (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads tamaso 'nte).

Verse 30 (12.180.30)

रसातलान्ते सलिलं जलान्ते पन्नगाधिपाः । तदन्ते पुनराकाशमाकाशान्ते पुनर्जलम् ॥

rasātalānte salilaṃ jalānte pannagādhipāḥ | tadante punarākāśamākāśānte punarjalam

At the end of the nether world is water; at the end of the water are the lords of the serpents; beyond them is space again, and at the end of space, water once more.

Verse 31 (12.180.31)

एवमन्तं हि नभसः प्रमाणं सलिलस्य च । अग्निमारुतयोश्चैव दुर्ज्ञेयं दैवतैरपि ॥

evamantaṃ hi nabhasaḥ pramāṇaṃ salilasya ca | agnimārutayoścaiva durjñeyaṃ daivatairapi

Thus the end of space and the measure of water, of fire and of wind are hard to know, even for the gods.

Verse 32 (12.180.32)

अग्निमारुततोयानां वर्णाः क्षितितलस्य च । आकाशसदृशा ह्येते भिद्यन्तेऽतत्वदर्शनात् ॥

agnimārutatoyānāṃ varṇāḥ kṣititalasya ca | ākāśasadṛśā hyete bhidyante'tatvadarśanāt

The colours of fire, wind and water and of the surface of the earth are all alike space; they appear divided only to one who does not see the truth.

Verse 33 (12.180.33)

पठन्ति चैव मुनयः शास्त्रेषु विविधेषु च । त्रैलोक्यसागरे चैव प्रमाणं विहितं यथा ॥

paṭhanti caiva munayaḥ śāstreṣu vividheṣu ca | trailokyasāgare caiva pramāṇaṃ vihitaṃ yathā

Sages in various scriptures also recite how a measure has been laid down for the three worlds and for the ocean.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.175.31a, 31c (the CE has a third line, 31e, which Wikisource carries as the first line of the next verse).

Verse 34 (12.180.34)

अदृश्यत्वादगम्यत्वात्कः प्रमाणमुदाहरेत् । सिद्धानां देवतानां च यदा परिमिता गतिः । तदा गौणमनन्तस्य नामानन्तेति विश्रुतम् ॥

adṛśyatvādagamyatvātkaḥ pramāṇamudāharet | siddhānāṃ devatānāṃ ca yadā parimitā gatiḥ | tadā gauṇamanantasya nāmānanteti viśrutam

But who could state a measure for what cannot be seen or reached? When the course even of the Siddhas and the gods is limited, then the name of the Endless One, 'Ananta', is known only in a figurative sense.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.175.31e (adṛśyāya tv agamyāya kaḥ pramāṇam udāharet; Wikisource अदृश्यत्वादगम्यत्वात् is a variant, which the page's note cites as the other reading); lines 2-3 = CE 12.175.32a, 32c. The alignment found no match.

Verse 35 (12.180.35)

नामधेयानुरूपस्य मानसस्य महात्मनः । यदा तु दिव्यं यद्रूपं ह्रसते वर्धते पुनः । कोऽन्यस्तद्वेदितुं शक्तो योऽपि स्यात्तद्विधोऽपरः ॥

nāmadheyānurūpasya mānasasya mahātmanaḥ | yadā tu divyaṃ yadrūpaṃ hrasate vardhate punaḥ | ko'nyastadvedituṃ śakto yo'pi syāttadvidho'paraḥ

For the great Self, the Mental One, in keeping with his name: when his divine form shrinks and grows again, who else could know it, even one who was his equal?

Note on the text: Corrected यदा तु र्दिव्यं → यदा तु दिव्यं (misprint in Wikisource; stray र्; the critical edition reads yadā tu divyaṃ). Corrected योपि → योऽपि (missing avagraha in Wikisource; the critical edition reads yo 'pi). Line 1 = CE 12.175.32e; lines 2-3 = CE 12.175.33a, 33c (यद्रूपं against CE tadrūpaṃ is a variant, kept). The alignment found no match.

Verse 36 (12.180.36)

ततः पुष्करतः सृष्टः सर्वज्ञो मूर्तिमान्प्रभुः । ब्रह्मा धर्ममयः पूर्वः प्रजापतिरनुत्तमः ॥

tataḥ puṣkarataḥ sṛṣṭaḥ sarvajño mūrtimānprabhuḥ | brahmā dharmamayaḥ pūrvaḥ prajāpatiranuttamaḥ

Then, from the lotus, was born Brahma, the omniscient lord, who took form: the first Prajapati, made of dharma, the unsurpassed.

Verse 37 (12.180.37)

पुष्कराद्यदि संभूतो ज्येष्ठं भवति पुष्करम् । ब्रह्माणं पूर्वजं चाह भवान्संदेह एव मे ॥

puṣkarādyadi saṃbhūto jyeṣṭhaṃ bhavati puṣkaram | brahmāṇaṃ pūrvajaṃ cāha bhavānsaṃdeha eva me

If he was born from the lotus, the lotus must be the elder; yet you call Brahma the first-born. This is my doubt.

Verse 38 (12.180.38)

मानसस्येह या मूर्तिर्ब्रह्मत्वं समुपागता । तस्यासनविधानार्थं पृथिवी पद्ममुच्यते ॥

mānasasyeha yā mūrtirbrahmatvaṃ samupāgatā | tasyāsanavidhānārthaṃ pṛthivī padmamucyate

The form of the Mental One that attained Brahmahood: to provide a seat for it, the earth is called the lotus.

Verse 39 (12.180.39)

कर्णिकां तस्य पद्मस्य मेरुर्गगनमुच्छ्रितः । तस्य मध्ये स्थितो लोकान्सृजते जगतः प्रभुः । मानसांश्च तथा देवान्भूतानि विविधानि च ॥

karṇikāṃ tasya padmasya merurgaganamucchritaḥ | tasya madhye sthito lokānsṛjate jagataḥ prabhuḥ | mānasāṃśca tathā devānbhūtāni vividhāni ca

Mount Meru, rising to the sky, is the calyx of that lotus. Standing in its centre, the lord of the world creates the worlds, and the mind-born gods and the many kinds of beings.

Note on the text: Corrected मेरुर्गगमुच्छ्रितः → मेरुर्गगनमुच्छ्रितः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped न; the critical edition reads gaganam ucchritaḥ). Lines 1-2 = CE 12.175.37a, 37c; line 3 (मानसांश्च तथा देवान्भूतानि विविधानि च) is not in the critical edition (vulgate only).