The Account of Creation

Verse 1 (skanda.1.122.1)

नंदिकेश्वर उवाच । अरुणाचलमाहात्म्यं विस्तरात्परिपृच्छता । मार्कंडेय त्वया मन्ये मयि न्यस्तो महान्भरः

naṁdikeśvara uvāca aruṇācalamāhātmyaṁ vistarātparipṛcchatā mārkaṁḍeya tvayā manye mayi nyasto mahānbharaḥ

Nandikeshvara said: O Markandeya, by asking at such length about the greatness of Arunachala, you have, I think, placed upon me a very heavy burden.

Verse 2 (skanda.1.122.2)

स्थाने कुतूहलाक्षिप्तं मनस्तव महामते । यः शोणाद्रीशचरितं न वेत्ति स नरः पशुः

sthāne kutūhalākṣiptaṁ manastava mahāmate yaḥ śoṇādrīśacaritaṁ na vetti sa naraḥ paśuḥ

O sage of great wisdom, it is fitting that your mind should be seized by curiosity; for the man who does not know the story of Shonadrisha is no better than a beast.

Verse 3 (skanda.1.122.3)

कथं वा शक्यते वक्तुं जानानरपि कार्त्स्न्यतः । शोणाचलजुषः शंभोर्माहात्म्यं महितोदयम्

kathaṁ vā śakyate vaktuṁ jānānarapi kārtsnyataḥ śoṇācalajuṣaḥ śaṁbhormāhātmyaṁ mahitodayam

How indeed could even one who truly knows it fully recount the glorious greatness of Shambhu, who dwells at Shonachala?

Verse 4 (skanda.1.122.4)

कथं वा श्रुतमप्येतदाश्चर्यरसभावितैः । अशेषमवधार्येत प्रज्ञावत्प्रवरैरपि

kathaṁ vā śrutamapyetadāścaryarasabhāvitaiḥ aśeṣamavadhāryeta prajñāvatpravarairapi

And being suffused with the flavour of wonder, how could this be fully grasped in its entirety even by those most eminent in wisdom, once merely heard?

Verse 5 (skanda.1.122.5)

इदानीं स्मर चित्रं तु चरित्रं स्मरवैरिणः । परामृतानुभूत्येव सत्यं नृत्यति मे मनः

idānīṁ smara citraṁ tu caritraṁ smaravairiṇaḥ parāmṛtānubhūtyeva satyaṁ nṛtyati me manaḥ

Even so, let me now call to mind this wondrous deed of the Foe of Kama; truly, my mind dances as though tasting the supreme nectar itself.

Verse 6 (skanda.1.122.6)

अद्भुतं शिवचारित्रमास्कंदितमनोहरम् । मम वर्णयितुं कार्त्स्न्यान्नैव शक्नोति शेमुषी

adbhutaṁ śivacāritramāskaṁditamanoharam mama varṇayituṁ kārtsnyānnaiva śaknoti śemuṣī

This wondrous and enchanting story of Shiva is so vast that my understanding is simply unequal to recounting it in its entirety.

Verse 7 (skanda.1.122.7)

तथाप्येष प्रवक्ष्येऽहमंशांशेन यथामति । पुण्यं शोणाद्रिनाथस्य माहात्म्यं श्रूयतां मुने

tathāpyeṣa pravakṣye'hamaṁśāṁśena yathāmati puṇyaṁ śoṇādrināthasya māhātmyaṁ śrūyatāṁ mune

Nevertheless, O sage, I shall relate a mere fraction of it as best I can; hear now the sacred greatness of Shonadrinatha.

Verse 8 (skanda.1.122.8)

पुरादिदेवकल्पादौ निर्विकल्पो महेश्वरः । स्वेच्छया सकलं विश्वं पुनरप्युदभावयत्

purādidevakalpādau nirvikalpo maheśvaraḥ svecchayā sakalaṁ viśvaṁ punarapyudabhāvayat

At the very outset, at the beginning of the primeval age of the first gods, the changeless Maheshvara, by his own will, once again brought forth the entire universe.

Verse 9 (skanda.1.122.9)

उद्भावितं च तद्विश्वं स्रष्टुं पातुं च सर्वदा । अन्विच्छन्नादिदेवोऽसौ ब्रह्मविष्णू विनिर्ममे

udbhāvitaṁ ca tadviśvaṁ sraṣṭuṁ pātuṁ ca sarvadā anvicchannādidevo'sau brahmaviṣṇū vinirmame

Desiring that this manifested universe should always be created and preserved, that primal God then brought forth Brahma and Vishnu.

Verse 10 (skanda.1.122.10)

असृजद्दक्षिणांगेन त्र्यंबकः परमेष्ठिनम् । विष्टरश्रवसं देवो वामांगेन च सृष्टवान्

asṛjaddakṣiṇāṁgena tryaṁbakaḥ parameṣṭhinam viṣṭaraśravasaṁ devo vāmāṁgena ca sṛṣṭavān

The three-eyed Lord created Brahma, the Supreme Grandsire, from his right side, and the god Vishnu, of far-famed glory, from his left.

Verse 11 (skanda.1.122.11)

ब्रह्माणं रजसा विष्णुं सत्त्वेन समयूयुजत् । नियुक्तौ देवदेवेन तौ विरंच्यच्युतावुभौ

brahmāṇaṁ rajasā viṣṇuṁ sattvena samayūyujat niyuktau devadevena tau viraṁcyacyutāvubhau

He endowed Brahma with the quality of rajas and Vishnu with that of sattva; thus were both Virinchi and Achyuta appointed by the God of gods.

Verse 12 (skanda.1.122.12)

ईशाते सर्वजगतां सृष्टिरक्षाविधानयोः । मनसैव मरीच्यादीन्ससर्ज ब्राह्मणान्दश

īśāte sarvajagatāṁ sṛṣṭirakṣāvidhānayoḥ manasaiva marīcyādīnsasarja brāhmaṇāndaśa

Thus the two became competent to preside, respectively, over the creation and preservation of all the worlds. Brahma then, by mind alone, created the ten brahmin sages beginning with Marichi.

Verse 13 (skanda.1.122.13)

दक्षं च दक्षिणांगुष्ठात्सृष्ट्यै प्रावर्तयद्विधिः । मुखेन ब्राह्मणान्दोर्भ्यां क्षत्रियानूरुतो विशः

dakṣaṁ ca dakṣiṇāṁguṣṭhātsṛṣṭyai prāvartayadvidhiḥ mukhena brāhmaṇāndorbhyāṁ kṣatriyānūruto viśaḥ

Brahma then, from his right thumb, brought forth Daksha for the work of creation; from his mouth he created the brahmins, from his arms the kshatriyas, and from his thighs the vaishyas.

Verse 14 (skanda.1.122.14)

शूद्रांश्च पद्भ्यां निरमात्स्वयं च कमलासनः । मरीचितनयाज्जज्ञुः कश्यपादसुरास्सुराः

śūdrāṁśca padbhyāṁ niramātsvayaṁ ca kamalāsanaḥ marīcitanayājjajñuḥ kaśyapādasurāssurāḥ

And the lotus-seated Brahma himself created the shudras from his feet. From Kashyapa, son of Marichi, were born both the asuras and the devas.

Verse 15 (skanda.1.122.15)

मरुतः फणिनो गृध्रा गंधर्वासरसोऽपि च । मनुश्च यस्य संतानो मानवोऽयं प्रवर्त्तते

marutaḥ phaṇino gṛdhrā gaṁdharvāsaraso'pi ca manuśca yasya saṁtāno mānavo'yaṁ pravarttate

From him too were born the Maruts, the serpents, the vultures, the Gandharvas, and the Apsarases; and Manu, from whom this human race descends, was likewise his offspring.

Verse 16 (skanda.1.122.16)

नानाज्ञातित्वमापाद्य नानाकर्मप्रवर्तकाः । अत्रेश्च समभूदार्षं क्षात्रं च द्विविधं कुलम्

nānājñātitvamāpādya nānākarmapravartakāḥ atreśca samabhūdārṣaṁ kṣātraṁ ca dvividhaṁ kulam

They became the founders of many different lineages and many different vocations. From Atri too arose a twofold family — one of seers, and one of kshatriyas.

Verse 17 (skanda.1.122.17)

पुलस्त्यपुलहाभ्यां च जज्ञिरे यक्षराक्षसाः । उतथ्यगीष्पतिमुखा जज्ञिरेंऽगिरिसो मुनेः

pulastyapulahābhyāṁ ca jajñire yakṣarākṣasāḥ utathyagīṣpatimukhā jajñireṁ'giriso muneḥ

From Pulastya and Pulaha were born the Yakshas and Rakshasas; and from the sage Angiras were born Utathya, Brihaspati, and others.

Verse 18 (skanda.1.122.18)

भृगोरग्निः समुदभूच्च्यवनाद्यास्तथर्षयः । वसिष्ठप्रमुखेभ्यश्च संबभूबुर्महर्षयः । यत्पुत्रपौत्रैर्भुवनमिदमापूर्यतेऽखिलम्

bhṛgoragniḥ samudabhūccyavanādyāstatharṣayaḥ vasiṣṭhapramukhebhyaśca saṁbabhūburmaharṣayaḥ yatputrapautrairbhuvanamidamāpūryate'khilam

From Bhrigu sprang Agni and the sages beginning with Chyavana; from Vasishtha and others too arose many great seers, and by their sons and grandsons this entire world has become filled.

Verse 19 (skanda.1.122.19)

एवं ब्रह्माऽऽत्मजैः स्वीयैरिदमापूरयज्जगत् । कालेन वैभवेनापि विसस्मार महेश्वरम्

evaṁ brahmā''tmajaiḥ svīyairidamāpūrayajjagat kālena vaibhavenāpi visasmāra maheśvaram

Thus Brahma filled this world with his own offspring; but in time, intoxicated by his own grandeur, he forgot Maheshvara.

Verse 20 (skanda.1.122.20)

अच्युतोऽपि भृगोः पुत्रीमुद्वाह्य कमलालयाम् । मत्स्यादिरूपो जगति भवन्नास्मरदीश्वरम्

acyuto'pi bhṛgoḥ putrīmudvāhya kamalālayām matsyādirūpo jagati bhavannāsmaradīśvaram

Achyuta too, having wedded Kamala, the daughter of Bhrigu, and taking on the forms of the Fish and other incarnations in the world, ceased to remember the Supreme Lord.

Verse 21 (skanda.1.122.21)

सृष्टिस्थितिभ्यां द्रुहिणाब्जनाभौ स्वाधीनतां नूनमुपागताभ्याम् । अतीव गर्वं दधतुर्न कस्य मदोऽधिकारेण भवेन्नरस्य

sṛṣṭisthitibhyāṁ druhiṇābjanābhau svādhīnatāṁ nūnamupāgatābhyām atīva garvaṁ dadhaturna kasya mado'dhikāreṇa bhavennarasya

Having thus attained independence in the offices of creation and preservation, Brahma and Vishnu both grew exceedingly proud; indeed, whom does authority not intoxicate?