Chapter 10: Divisions of the Creation

 

3.10.1

vidura uvāca

antarhite bhagavati

brahmā loka-pitāmahaḥ

prajāḥ sasarja katidhā

daihikīr mānasīr vibhuḥ

 

viduraḥ uvāca — Śrī Vidura said; antarhite — after the disappearance; bhagavati — of the Personality of Godhead; brahmā — the first created living being; loka-pitāmahaḥ — the grandfather of all planetary inhabitants; prajāḥ — generations; sasarja — created; katidhāḥ — how many; daihikīḥ — from his body; mānasīḥ — from his mind; vibhuḥ — the great.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śrī Vidura said: O great sage, please let me know how Brahmā, the grandfather of the planetary inhabitants, created the bodies of the living entities from his own body and mind after the disappearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

3.10.2

ye ca me bhagavan pṛṣṭās

tvayy arthā bahuvittama

tān vadasvānupūrvyeṇa

chindhi naḥ sarva-saḿśayān

 

ye — all those; ca — also; me — by me; bhagavan — O powerful one; pṛṣṭāḥ — inquired; tvayi — unto you; arthāḥ — purpose; bahu-vit-tama — O greatly learned one; tān — all of them; vadasva — kindly describe; ānupūrvyeṇa — from beginning to end; chindhi — kindly eradicate; naḥ — my; sarva — all; saḿśayān — doubts.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O greatly learned one, kindly eradicate all my doubts, and let me know of all that I have inquired from you from the beginning to the end.

 

3.10.3

sūta uvāca

evaḿ sañcoditas tena

kṣattrā kauṣāravir muniḥ

prītaḥ pratyāha tān praśnān

hṛdi-sthān atha bhārgava

 

sūtaḥ uvāca — Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said; evam — thus; sañcoditaḥ — being enlivened; tena — by him; kṣattrā — by Vidura; kauṣāraviḥ — the son of Kuṣāra; muniḥ — great sage; prītaḥ — being pleased; pratyāha — replied; tān — those; praśnān — questions; hṛdi-sthān — from the core of his heart; atha — thus; bhārgava — O son of Bhṛgu.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Sūta Gosvāmī said: O son of Bhṛgu, the great sage Maitreya Muni, thus hearing from Vidura, felt very much enlivened. Everything was in his heart, and thus he began to reply to the questions one after another.

 

3.10.4

maitreya uvāca

viriñco 'pi tathā cakre

divyaḿ varṣa-śataḿ tapaḥ

ātmany ātmānam āveśya

yathāha bhagavān ajaḥ

 

maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya said; viriñcaḥ — Brahmā; api — also; tathā — in that manner; cakre — performed; divyam — celestial; varṣa-śatam — one hundred years; tapaḥ — penances; ātmani — unto the Lord; ātmānam — his own self; āveśya — engaging; yathā āha — as it was spoken; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; ajaḥ — the unborn.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The greatly learned sage Maitreya said: O Vidura, Brahmā thus engaged himself in penances for one hundred celestial years, as advised by the Personality of Godhead, and applied himself in devotional service to the Lord.

 

3.10.5

tad vilokyābja-sambhūto

vāyunā yad-adhiṣṭhitaḥ

padmam ambhaś ca tat-kāla-

kṛta-vīryeṇa kampitam

 

tat vilokya — looking into that; abja-sambhūtaḥ — whose source of birth was a lotus; vāyunā — by the air; yat — that; adhiṣṭhitaḥ — on which he was situated; padmam — lotus; ambhaḥ — water; ca — also; tat-kāla-kṛta — which was effected by eternal time; vīryeṇa — by its inherent force; kampitam — trembling.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Thereafter Brahmā saw that both the lotus on which he was situated and the water on which the lotus was growing were trembling due to a strong, violent wind.

 

3.10.6

tapasā hy edhamānena

vidyayā cātma-saḿsthayā

vivṛddha-vijñāna-balo

nyapād vāyuḿ sahāmbhasā

 

tapasā — by penance; hi — certainly; edhamānena — increasing; vidyayā — by transcendental knowledge; ca — also; ātma — self; saḿsthayā — situated in the self; vivṛddha — matured; vijñāna — practical knowledge; balaḥ — power; nyapāt — drank; vāyum — the wind; saha ambhasā — along with the water.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Long penance and transcendental knowledge of self-realization had matured Brahmā in practical knowledge, and thus he drank the wind completely, along with the water.

 

3.10.7

tad vilokya viyad-vyāpi

puṣkaraḿ yad-adhiṣṭhitam

anena lokān prāg-līnān

kalpitāsmīty acintayat

 

tat vilokya — looking into that; viyat-vyāpi — extensively widespread; puṣkaram — the lotus; yat — that which; adhiṣṭhitam — he was situated; anena — by this; lokān — all the planets; prāk-līnān — previously merged in dissolution; kalpitā asmi — I shall create; iti — thus; acintayat — he thought.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Thereafter he saw that the lotus on which he was situated was spread throughout the universe, and he contemplated how to create all the planets, which were previously merged in that very same lotus.

 

3.10.8

padma-kośaḿ tadāviśya

bhagavat-karma-coditaḥ

ekaḿ vyabhāńkṣīd urudhā

tridhā bhāvyaḿ dvi-saptadhā

 

padma-kośam — the whorl of the lotus; tadā — then; āviśya — entering into; bhagavat — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; karma — in activities; coditaḥ — being encouraged by; ekam — one; vyabhāńkṣīt — divided into; urudhā — great division; tridhā — three divisions; bhāvyam — capable of further creation; dvi-saptadhā — fourteen divisions.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Thus engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Brahmā entered into the whorl of the lotus, and as it spread all over the universe he divided it into three divisions of worlds and later into fourteen divisions.

 

3.10.9

etāvāñ jīva-lokasya

saḿsthā-bhedaḥ samāhṛtaḥ

dharmasya hy animittasya

vipākaḥ parameṣṭhy asau

 

etāvān — up to this; jīva-lokasya — of the planets inhabited by the living entities; saḿsthā-bhedaḥ — different situations of habitation; samāhṛtaḥ — performed completely; dharmasya — of religion; hi — certainly; animittasya — of causelessness; vipākaḥ — mature stage; parameṣṭhī — the highest personality in the universe; asau — that.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Lord Brahmā is the most exalted personality in the universe because of his causeless devotional service unto the Lord in mature transcendental knowledge. He therefore created all the fourteen planetary divisions for inhabitation by the different types of living entities.

 

3.10.10

vidura uvāca

yathāttha bahu-rūpasya

harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ

kālākhyaḿ lakṣaṇaḿ brahman

yathā varṇaya naḥ prabho

 

viduraḥ uvāca — Vidura said; yathā — as; āttha — you have said; bahu-rūpasya — having varieties of forms; hareḥ — of the Lord; adbhuta — wonderful; karmaṇaḥ — of the actor; kāla — time; ākhyam — of the name; lakṣaṇam — symptoms; brahman — O learned brāhmaṇa; yathā — as it is; varṇaya — please describe; naḥ — unto us; prabho — O lord.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Vidura inquired from Maitreya: O my lord, O greatly learned sage, kindly describe eternal time, which is another form of the Supreme Lord, the wonderful actor. What are the symptoms of that eternal time? Please describe them to us in detail.

 

3.10.11

maitreya uvāca

guṇa-vyatikarākāro

nirviśeṣo 'pratiṣṭhitaḥ

puruṣas tad-upādānam

ātmānaḿ līlayāsṛjat

 

maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya said; guṇa-vyatikara — of the interactions of the modes of material nature; ākāraḥ — source; nirviśeṣaḥ — without diversity; apratiṣṭhitaḥ — unlimited; puruṣaḥ — of the Supreme Person; tat — that; upādānam — instrument; ātmānam — the material creation; līlayā — by pastimes; asṛjat — created.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Maitreya said: Eternal time is the primeval source of the interactions of the three modes of material nature. It is unchangeable and limitless, and it works as the instrument of the Supreme Personality of Godhead for His pastimes in the material creation.

 

3.10.12

viśvaḿ vai brahma-tan-mātraḿ

saḿsthitaḿ viṣṇu-māyayā

īśvareṇa paricchinnaḿ

kālenāvyakta-mūrtinā

 

viśvam — the material phenomenon; vai — certainly; brahma — the Supreme; tat-mātram — the same as; saḿsthitam — situated; viṣṇu-māyayā — by the energy of Viṣṇu; īśvareṇa — by the Personality of Godhead; paricchinnam — separated; kālena — by the eternal time; avyakta — unmanifested; mūrtinā — by such a feature.

 

TRANSLATION

 

This cosmic manifestation is separated from the Supreme Lord as material energy by means of kāla, which is the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Lord. It is situated as the objective manifestation of the Lord under the influence of the same material energy of Viṣṇu.

 

3.10.13

yathedānīḿ tathāgre ca

paścād apy etad īdṛśam

 

yathā — as it is; idānīm — at present; tathā — so it was; agre — in the beginning; ca — and; paścāt — at the end; api — also; etat īdṛśam — it continues to be the same.

 

TRANSLATION

 

This cosmic manifestation is as it is now, it was the same in the past, and it will continue in the same way in the future.

 

3.10.14

sargo nava-vidhas tasya

prākṛto vaikṛtas tu yaḥ

kāla-dravya-guṇair asya

tri-vidhaḥ pratisańkramaḥ

 

sargaḥ — creation; nava-vidhaḥ — of nine different kinds; tasya — its; prākṛtaḥ — material; vaikṛtaḥ — by the modes of material nature; tu — but; yaḥ — that which; kāla — eternal time; dravya — matter; guṇaiḥ — qualities; asya — its; tri-vidhaḥ — three kinds; pratisańkramaḥ — annihilation.

 

TRANSLATION

 

There are nine different kinds of creations besides the one which naturally occurs due to the interactions of the modes. There are three kinds of annihilations due to eternal time, the material elements and the quality of one's work.

 

3.10.15

ādyas tu mahataḥ sargo

guṇa-vaiṣamyam ātmanaḥ

dvitīyas tv ahamo yatra

dravya-jñāna-kriyodayaḥ

 

ādyaḥ — the first; tu — but; mahataḥ — of the total emanation from the Lord; sargaḥ — creation; guṇa-vaiṣamyam — interaction of the material modes; ātmanaḥ — of the Supreme; dvitīyaḥ — the second; tu — but; ahamaḥ — false ego; yatra — wherein; dravya — material ingredients; jñāna — material knowledge; kriyā-udayaḥ — awakening of activities (work).

 

TRANSLATION

 

Of the nine creations, the first one is the creation of the mahat-tattva, or the sum total of the material ingredients, wherein the modes interact due to the presence of the Supreme Lord. In the second, the false ego is generated in which the material ingredients, material knowledge and material activities arise.

 

3.10.16

bhūta-sargas tṛtīyas tu

tan-mātro dravya-śaktimān

caturtha aindriyaḥ sargo

yas tu jñāna-kriyātmakaḥ

 

bhūta-sargaḥ — creation of matter; tṛtīyaḥ — is the third; tu — but; tat-mātraḥ — sense perception; dravya — of the elements; śaktimān — generator; caturthaḥ — the fourth; aindriyaḥ — in the matter of the senses; sargaḥ — creation; yaḥ — that which; tu — but; jñāna — knowledge-acquiring; kriyā — working; ātmakaḥ — basically.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The sense perceptions are created in the third creation, and from these the elements are generated. The fourth creation is the creation of knowledge and of working capacity.

 

3.10.17

vaikāriko deva-sargaḥ

pañcamo yan-mayaḿ manaḥ

ṣaṣṭhas tu tamasaḥ sargo

yas tv abuddhi-kṛtaḥ prabhoḥ

 

vaikārikaḥ — interaction of the mode of goodness; deva — the demigods, or controlling deities; sargaḥ — creation; pañcamaḥ — fifth; yat — that which; mayam — sum total; manaḥ — mind; ṣaṣṭhaḥ — sixth; tu — but; tamasaḥ — of darkness; sargaḥ — creation; yaḥ — that which; tu — expletive; abuddhi-kṛtaḥ — made foolish; prabhoḥ — of the master.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The fifth creation is that of the controlling deities by the interaction of the mode of goodness, of which the mind is the sum total. The sixth creation is the ignorant darkness of the living entity, by which the master acts as a fool.

 

3.10.18

ṣaḍ ime prākṛtāḥ sargā

vaikṛtān api me śṛṇu

rajo-bhājo bhagavato

līleyaḿ hari-medhasaḥ

 

ṣaṭ — six; ime — all these; prākṛtāḥ — of the material energy; sargāḥ — creations; vaikṛtān — secondary creations by Brahmā; api — also; me — from me; śṛṇu — just hear; rajaḥ-bhājaḥ — of the incarnation of the mode of passion (Brahmā); bhagavataḥ — of the greatly powerful; līlā — pastime; iyam — this; hari — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; medhasaḥ — of one who has such a brain.

 

TRANSLATION

 

All the above are natural creations by the external energy of the Lord. Now hear from me about the creations by Brahmā, who is an incarnation of the mode of passion and who, in the matter of creation, has a brain like that of the Personality of Godhead.

 

3.10.19

saptamo mukhya-sargas tu

ṣaḍ-vidhas tasthuṣāḿ ca yaḥ

vanaspaty-oṣadhi-latā-

tvaksārā vīrudho drumāḥ

 

saptamaḥ — the seventh; mukhya — principle; sargaḥ — creation; tu — indeed; ṣaṭ-vidhaḥ — six kinds of; tasthuṣām — of those who do not move; ca — also; yaḥ — those; vanaspati — fruit trees without flowers; oṣadhi — trees and plants existing until the fruit is ripe; latā — creepers; tvaksārāḥ — pipe plants; vīrudhaḥ — creepers without support; drumāḥ — trees with flowers and fruits.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The seventh creation is that of the immovable entities, which are of six kinds: the fruit trees without flowers, trees and plants which exist until the fruit is ripe, creepers, pipe plants, creepers which have no support, and trees with flowers and fruits.

 

3.10.20

utsrotasas tamaḥ-prāyā

antaḥ-sparśā viśeṣiṇaḥ

 

utsrotasaḥ — they seek their subsistence upwards; tamaḥ-prāyāḥ — almost unconscious; antaḥ-sparśāḥ — slightly feeling within; viśeṣiṇaḥ — with varieties of manifestation.

 

TRANSLATION

 

All the immovable trees and plants seek their subsistence upwards. They are almost unconscious but have feelings of pain within. They are manifested in variegatedness.

 

3.10.21

tiraścām aṣṭamaḥ sargaḥ

so 'ṣṭāviḿśad-vidho mataḥ

avido bhūri-tamaso

ghrāṇa-jñā hṛdy avedinaḥ

 

tiraścām — species of lower animals; aṣṭamaḥ — the eighth; sargaḥ — creation; saḥ — they are; aṣṭāviḿśat — twenty-eight; vidhaḥ — varieties; mataḥ — considered; avidaḥ — without knowledge of tomorrow; bhūri — extensively; tamasaḥ — ignorant; ghrāṇa-jñāḥ — can know desirables by smell; hṛdi avedinaḥ — can remember very little in the heart.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The eighth creation is that of the lower species of life, and they are of different varieties, numbering twenty-eight. They are all extensively foolish and ignorant. They know their desirables by smell, but are unable to remember anything within the heart.

 

3.10.22

gaur ajo mahiṣaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sūkaro gavayo ruruḥ

dvi-śaphāḥ paśavaś ceme

avir uṣṭraś ca sattama

 

gauḥ — the cow; ajaḥ — the goat; mahiṣaḥ — the buffalo; kṛṣṇaḥ — a kind of stag; sūkaraḥ — hog; gavayaḥ — a species of animal; ruruḥ — deer; dvi-śaphāḥ — having two hooves; paśavaḥ — animals; ca — also; ime — all these; aviḥ — lamb; uṣṭraḥ — camel; ca — and; sattama — O purest.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O purest Vidura, of the lower animals the cow, goat, buffalo, kṛṣṇa stag, hog, gavaya animal, deer, lamb and camel all have two hooves.

 

3.10.23

kharo 'śvo 'śvataro gauraḥ

śarabhaś camarī tathā

ete caika-śaphāḥ kṣattaḥ

śṛṇu pañca-nakhān paśūn

 

kharaḥ — ass; aśvaḥ — horse; aśvataraḥ — mule; gauraḥ — white deer; śarabhaḥ — bison; camarī — wild cow; tathā — thus; ete — all these; ca — and; eka — only one; śaphāḥ — hoof; kṣattaḥ — O Vidura; śṛṇu — just hear now; pañca — five; nakhān — nails; paśūn — animals.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The horse, mule, ass, gaura, śarabha bison and wild cow all have only one hoof. Now you may hear from me about the animals who have five nails.

 

3.10.24

śvā sṛgālo vṛko vyāghro

mārjāraḥ śaśa-śallakau

siḿhaḥ kapir gajaḥ kūrmo

godhā ca makarādayaḥ

 

śvā — dog; sṛgālaḥ — jackal; vṛkaḥ — fox; vyāghraḥ — tiger; mārjāraḥ — cat; śaśa — rabbit; śallakau — sajāru (with thorns on the body); siḿhaḥ — lion; kapiḥ — monkey; gajaḥ — elephant; kūrmaḥ — tortoise; godhā — gosāpa (snake with four legs); ca — also; makara-ādayaḥ — the alligator and others.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The dog, jackal, tiger, fox, cat, rabbit, sajāru, lion, monkey, elephant, tortoise, alligator, gosāpa, etc., all have five nails in their claws. They are known as pañca-nakhas, or animals having five nails.

 

3.10.25

kańka-gṛdhra-baka-śyena-

bhāsa-bhallūka-barhiṇaḥ

haḿsa-sārasa-cakrāhva-

kākolūkādayaḥ khagāḥ

 

kańka — heron; gṛdhra — vulture; baka — crane; śyena — hawk; bhāsa — the bhāsa; bhallūka — the bhallūka; barhiṇaḥ — the peacock; haḿsa — swan; sārasa — the sārasa; cakrāhva — the cakravāka; kāka — crow; ulūka — owl; ādayaḥ — and others; khagāḥ — the birds.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The heron, vulture, crane, hawk, bhāsa, bhallūka, peacock, swan, sārasa, cakravāka, crow, owl and others are the birds.

 

3.10.26

arvāk-srotas tu navamaḥ

kṣattar eka-vidho nṛṇām

rajo 'dhikāḥ karma-parā

duḥkhe ca sukha-māninaḥ

 

arvāk — downwards; srotaḥ — passage of food; tu — but; navamaḥ — the ninth; kṣattaḥ — O Vidura; eka-vidhaḥ — one species; nṛṇām — of human beings; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; adhikāḥ — very prominent; karma-parāḥ — interested in working; duḥkhe — in misery; ca — but; sukha — happiness; māninaḥ — thinking.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The creation of the human beings, who are of one species only and who stock their eatables in the belly, is the ninth in the rotation. In the human race, the mode of passion is very prominent. Humans are always busy in the midst of miserable life, but they think themselves happy in all respects.

 

3.10.27

vaikṛtās traya evaite

deva-sargaś ca sattama

vaikārikas tu yaḥ proktaḥ

kaumāras tūbhayātmakaḥ

 

vaikṛtāḥ — creations of Brahmā; trayaḥ — three kinds; eva — certainly; ete — all these; deva-sargaḥ — appearance of the demigods; ca — also; sattama — O good Vidura; vaikārikaḥ — creation of demigods by nature; tu — but; yaḥ — which; proktaḥ — described before; kaumāraḥ — the four Kumāras; tu — but; ubhaya-ātmakaḥ — both ways (namely vaikṛta and prākṛta).

 

TRANSLATION

 

O good Vidura, these last three creations and the creation of demigods (the tenth creation) are vaikṛta creations, which are different from the previously described prākṛta (natural) creations. The appearance of the Kumāras is both.

 

3.10.28-29

deva-sargaś cāṣṭa-vidho

vibudhāḥ pitaro 'surāḥ

gandharvāpsarasaḥ siddhā

yakṣa-rakṣāḿsi cāraṇāḥ

 

bhūta-preta-piśācāś ca

vidyādhrāḥ kinnarādayaḥ

daśaite vidurākhyātāḥ

sargās te viśva-sṛk-kṛtāḥ

 

deva-sargaḥ — creation of the demigods; ca — also; aṣṭa-vidhaḥ — eight kinds; vibudhāḥ — the demigods; pitaraḥ — the forefathers; asurāḥ — the demons; gandharva — the expert artisans in the higher planets; apsarasaḥ — the angels; siddhāḥ — persons who are perfect in mystic powers; yakṣa — the superprotectors; rakṣāḿsi — giants; cāraṇāḥ — the celestial singers;

 

bhūta — jinn; preta — evil spirits; piśācāḥ — attendant spirits; ca — also; vidyādhrāḥ — the celestial denizens named Vidyādharas; kinnara — superhuman beings; ādayaḥ — and others; daśa ete — all these ten (creations); vidura — O Vidura; ākhyātāḥ — described; sargāḥ — creations; te — unto you; viśva-sṛk — the creator of the universe (Brahmā); kṛtāḥ — done by him.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The creation of the demigods is of eight varieties: (1) the demigods, (2) the forefathers, (3) the asuras, or demons, (4) the Gandharvas and Apsarās, or angels, (5) the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas, (6) the Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Vidyādharas, (7) the Bhūtas, Pretas and Piśācas, and (8) the superhuman beings, celestial singers, etc. All are created by Brahmā, the creator of the universe.

 

3.10.30

ataḥ paraḿ pravakṣyāmi

vaḿśān manvantarāṇi ca

evaḿ rajaḥ-plutaḥ sraṣṭā

kalpādiṣv ātmabhūr hariḥ

sṛjaty amogha-sańkalpa

ātmaivātmānam ātmanā

 

ataḥ — here; param — after; pravakṣyāmi — I shall explain; vaḿśān — descendants; manvantarāṇi — different advents of Manus; ca — and; evam — thus; rajaḥ-plutaḥ — infused with the mode of passion; sraṣṭā — the creator; kalpa-ādiṣu — in different millenniums; ātma-bhūḥ — self-advent; hariḥ — the Personality of Godhead; sṛjati — creates; amogha — unfailing; sańkalpaḥ — determination; ātmā eva — He Himself; ātmānam — Himself; ātmanā — by His own energy.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Now I shall describe the descendants of the Manus. The creator, Brahmā, as the incarnation of the passion mode of the Personality of Godhead, creates the universal affairs with unfailing desires in every millennium by the force of the Lord's energy.