Vishnu Purana — Selections (Books I & VI)HinduismAccepted ScriptureSanskritShareVishnu Purana 1.5M. N. Dutt after H. H. Wilson (1894) - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableM. N. Dutt after H. H. Wilson (1894)LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Vishnu Purana 1.1Vishnu Purana 1.2Vishnu Purana 1.3Vishnu Purana 1.4Vishnu Purana 1.5Vishnu Purana 1.6Vishnu Purana 1.7Vishnu Purana 1.8Vishnu Purana 1.9Vishnu Purana 1.10Vishnu Purana 1.11Vishnu Purana 1.12Vishnu Purana 1.13Vishnu Purana 1.14Vishnu Purana 1.15Vishnu Purana 1.16Vishnu Purana 1.17Vishnu Purana 1.18Vishnu Purana 1.19Vishnu Purana 1.20Vishnu Purana 1.21Vishnu Purana 1.22Vishnu Purana 6.1Vishnu Purana 6.2Vishnu Purana 6.3Vishnu Purana 6.4Vishnu Purana 6.5Vishnu Purana 6.6Vishnu Purana 6.7Vishnu Purana 6.8›Book I, Section 5Vishnu Purana 1.5ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapterMaitreya said:—"O twice-born one, tell thou me truly how the Deity created celestials, and saints, and Pitris, Dānavas, and men, and beasts, and trees, and those inhabiting land and water and air; as well as concerning (the respective) qualities and characters and natures (of the creatures) dwelling in Earth,—which Brahmā had created at the commencement of creation". Thereat Parāçara said—"O Maitreya, listen thou heedfully! I shall tell thee how the Lord God created all,—deities and the rest. As he was contemplating creation as in former Kalpas, through lack of vigilance was generated Illusion, formed of Foulness.—Five are the kinds of Illusion which spring from this high-souled one, viz., tamas, moha, mahamoha, tamisra and andhatamisra. And as (Brahmā) contemplated, were created five kinds of things, trees, &c., having no sense, undeveloped internally as well as externally, and of pent-up selves. As these, trees etc. were the first objects of creation, they are designated the principal creation. But finding these incapable of answering the end, he thought of again creating other things. And as he was revolving creation, sprang up the Tiryyaksrotas. Those that live in Tiryyaksrotas. They are beasts, &c,—composed mainly of foulness, and devoid of liberal curiosity. Leading unrestrained lives, these, albeit devoid of knowledge, deem themselves as possessing the same. Proud, and considering vastly of themselves, they are subject to eight and twenty kinds of ills. And although developed internally, they cannot express themselves to each other. And finding even these as insufficient for his purpose, (Brahmā) bethought him of other ways; and there came into being the third class of objects, named Urddhasrotas to whom the principle of goodness predominates. They have great capacity for pleasure and happiness; and being developed alike externally and internally and, in consequence, more fitted to express themselves on both sides, have been designated Urddhasrotas. This third creation, that of the deities—is called Tushtatman. And great was the pleasure of Brahmā on the consummation of this creation. But, deeming these main creations as not fulfilling his purpose, he revolved within himself another excellent creation, capable of bringing about his end. As that one of true resolve was thus meditating, there came forth from avyakta the arvvyāksrotas competent to accomplish his purpose. And as these eat by swallowing down, they are called arvvyāksrotas. The are bountifully developed; and, albeit possessing a share of foulness, have passion in a larger measure. And it is for this that in them unhappiness preponderates, and that they act continually. They are developed internally and externally,—they are human beings fulfilling the purpose (of the Creator). Thus, O foremost of ascetics, have I narrated unto thee the genesis of the six orders of creation. Brahmā first created Mahata, next he created Tanmātras, which reckon as the second class, and are comprehended under the designation of Bhutasarga. The third creation is Vaikārika, and is known as aindriya. Thus hath been the creation of Buddhi and the others, which is called Prākrita. And the main creation counts as the fourth, and includes the immobile objects. By the name of Tiryyaksrotas is meant, beasts, &c. And the sixth creation is Urddhasrotas, which is known as Devasarga. And the seventh is Arvvāksrotas which is man. The eighth is the creation of Anugrahas composed of goodness and passion. Five are the Vaikrita acts of creation; and three are Prākrita.—And they together constitute Prākrita and Vaikrita. And the ninth is known as Kaumāra. Thus have I described unto thee the nine acts of creation of the Lord of creatures. The Prākrita and the Vaikrita are the radical causes of the world. What wouldst thou further hear of the Lord of the universe, engaged in creation?" Maitreya said—"O ascetics, thou hast narrated unto me in brief the origin of gods &c. But, O best of the foremost anchorets, I wish to hear this at length". Parāçara said,—"O Brāhmana, on Brahmā being engaged in creation, from his mind issued the four orders of beings commencing with celestials and concluding with the immobile,—and although these are destroyed at the time of universal dissolution, they are never bereft of the mental tendencies they acquire in existence, consequent on their acts; or of the good or bad fortune resulting respectively from their fair or foul actions. Then desirous of creating deities, Asuras, ancestors and men, all going under the name of ambha, Brahmā began to contemplate. And as the lord of beings concentrated his soul, passion overspread him; and first from forth his hips came out Asuras. And then (Brahmā) renounced his person surcharged with darkness; and, O Maitreya, on being renounced by him, Foulness was converted into Night. And having assumed another body, he (again) became desirous of creating, and from the face of the pleased Brahmā, came forth, O twice-born one, celestials surcharged with the virtue of goodness. And that body also having been resigned, the quality of righteousness was turned into Day. And therefore it is that Asuras are powerful by night and deities by day. And he then assumed a person, fraught with goodness; and, he being honored as a sire, out of him sprang the ancestors. And having created the ancestors, the Lord renounced that form also. And on being renounced, the same became Twilight, remaining between day and night. And then he assumed a person filled with the principle of passion; and, O foremost of the twice-born ones, thereat sprang men fierce, with passion entering into their composition. And the lord of creatures speedily resigned that form also,—And it became Moonlight, which is termed prāksandhydā. And therefore it is, O Maitreya, man and the Pitris, become powerful in Moonlight and Twilight. Moonlight, Night, Day, and Twilight,—these four, are the bodies of Brahmā, endowed with the three principles. And then he assumed another body filled with the principle of passion, and thereat sprung Hunger from Brahmā, and from Hunger, wrath. Then the reverend one in the dark created beings frightful and bearded, and always exercised with hunger. And (as soon as these) were created, they rushed at the Lord. And of those that cried,—‘Ho! don't do this,—save him,'—are Rakshas; and others that said,—‘We shall eat him up,'—are Yakshas, from Yakshana eating. Seeing them mischievous, the hair of the Deity fell off,—and having fallen off from his head, it again rose to his head. And from their movement (sarpana), the hair became sarpas, —and from their having fallen off, they are known as ahis. Then the creator of the universe, waxing wroth, generated some beings of wrathful souls. Twenty-hued, they are beings subsisting on flesh. And then came forth from him Gandharvas, whose office is music. O regenerate one, as these came into being, drinking in strains (of music), they are called Gandharvas, All these beings created the reverend Brahmā, directed by inherent force resident in these (respectively). Then he at his pleasure created another order of beings—fowls of the air. And he created sheep from his breast, and goats from his mouth. And the lord of creatures created kine from his womb and flanks. And he created from his feet horses, elephants, sarabhas, gavayas, deer, camels, mules, nyankus, and other species. And from his down sprang medicinal herbs furnished with fruits and roots. And, O twice-born one, at the commencement of the Tretā-Yuga and on the eve of the Kalpa, Brahmā, having created the beasts and the drugs, then set them apart respectively for sacrifice. Fair complexioned males, sheep, horses, mules, and asses, were called Grāmyā animals. And know also those that are wild. (These are) beasts of prey, the cloven-hoofed, elephants, monkeys, and, fifthly, birds, and, sixthly, aquatic animals, and, seventhly, reptiles. Then from his first mouth he generated the Gāyatri, the Richas, the Trivatstoma the Rathantara, and the Agnishtoma among sacrifices. Then from his southern mouth he created the Yajus, the Trishutva metre, the fifteenth Stoma, the Vrihat Sāman, and the Uktha. And from his western mouth, he created the Sāmas and the Fagati metre, the seventeenth Stoma, the Vairupa and the Atirātra. And from his northern mouth he brought forth the twenty-first Stoma, the Atharva Veda, the Aptoryāma, the Anishtubha metre, and the Vairāyya Sāma. Thus from his person came forth noble and ignoble. And having created gods, Asuras, Pitris, and men, that lord of beings, the great-sire, at the commencement of the Kalpa, created Yakshas, Piçāchas, Gandharvas, and numbers of Apsaras; and that lord, the reverend Brahmā, the first Cause, created Naras, Kinnaras, Rākshasas, birds, beasts, deer, serpents, and mobile and immobile objects lasting or other-wise. And in successive creations, verily each creature is born into those acts which it used to perform in its former existence. Some are cruel and some kind, some mild and some harsh, some virtuous and some vicious, some truthful and some false,—in consequence of their inheriting their respective natures as developed in previous births; and it is also for this that each affects a particular course of conduct (in preference to others). The Deity is the lord of all objects of enjoyment, of all creatures, and all bodies; and it is the Deity who hath personally divided and differentiated them. And at the beginning from the Vedic Vocabulary he assigned names unto creatures, celestials and other, as well as unto sacrifices; and also fixed forms and shapes thereof. And from the auditory Veda, he assigned appellations unto the sages,—and appointed them to their respective functions. And as the signs of the seasons successively manifest themselves, the characteristics, of the Yugas are seen in due order. And instinct with energy arising from a desire of creation, He, actuated by the creative impulse, thus again and again bringeth about creation at the commencement of Kalpas". ‹Previous chapterVishnu Purana 1.4Next chapterVishnu Purana 1.6›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain