Part 1 — 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".

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".