SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 3

(1) The Supreme Lord said: 'Now I will describe to you the different categories of reality, knowing which anyone can be released from the modes of material nature. (2) What is said to be the spiritual knowledge, that for a person is the ultimate perfection of self-realization, I will explain to you, for that is what cuts the knots in the heart. (3) The Supreme Soul of the Original Person is beginningless, transcendental to the modes of nature in the beyond and is everywhere perceivable as the self-effulgent of the entire creation maintained by Him. (4) That very person, greatest of the great, quite out of His own will accepted as His pastime the subtle material energy that relates to the divine and obtained the investment of the three modes. (5) By the modes nature created the variegated forms of the beings living materially, who, seeing it, at once on the spot were illusioned with the covering of their spiritual knowing. (6) Because of identifying with the material activities that are in fact performed by the modes of nature, does the living entity thus wrongly attribute them to himself. (7) From the misconception of its life in material conditioning is it made dependent, although it of the non-doer, who is the naturally joyful witness, is independent. (8) The learned understand that the body and the senses of respect are subject to the causation of the material of nature; as for the perception of happiness and distress is the spiritual soul above matter responsible.'

(9) Devahûti said: 'Kindly explain me the characteristics of as well the energies as the Supreme Personality, who are both cause of the manifest and unmanifest this creation consists of.

(10) The Supreme Lord said: 'The undifferentiated, that possesses the differentiated material nature which consists of the cause and effect of the combination of the three modes, is called the primary nature [pradhâna]. (11) That primary nature is known to be the basis from which evolved the five gross and five subtle elements, the spiritual of the four internal senses and the ten senses of perception and operation, that thus add up to a number of twenty-four. (12) The five gross elements are to be exact: earth, water, fire, air and ether; there are in My notion as many subtle elements; they are the smell and so on [taste, color, touch and sound]. (13) The ten senses are the organs of the hearing, touching, seeing, tasting and smelling, [for perception] with the mouth, the hands, the legs, the genitals and the excretion organs as the tenth [for acting]. (14) Mind, intelligence, ego and consciousness are then the four aspects of the internal subtle sense one has, seeing the distinct functions in the form of different characteristics. (15) Thus are to the spirit the material qualities enumerated as they factually are arranged by Me [and are called saguna brahman], to which of the element of time is spoken as the twenty-fifth.

(16) The influence of the Original Personality of God is said to be the time factor from which some do fear in being deluded by the ego of contacting the material nature of individual existence. (17) The movement of material nature without its interaction of the modes and its specific qualities, o daughter of Manu, is the time from which we here know Him, the Supreme Lord. (18) He who exists from within, in the form of the original person and from without in the form of time, is He, the Supreme Lord by all His potencies to all [the elements] of life. (19) Of her destiny agitated, does the Supreme Person from His balanced potency impregnate the womb [of mother nature] and does she deliver the sum total of the truth of Brahmâ's effulgent golden reality [hiranmaya]. (20) The universe manifesting and containing within itself this unchangeable root cause, swallowed by its own effulgence the dense darkness in which it was enveloped. (21) The mode of goodness, which is that clear and sober way of understanding the Supreme Lord, is known by the name of Vâsudeva; that consciousness forms the nature of the intellect. (22) Clarity, not being distracted and serenity are thus called the characteristic traits of [Krishna- or natural time-] consciousness that is alike the natural state of pure water.

(23-24) From the complete reality undergoing changes brought about by the Supreme Lord His energies sprang up, endowed with its active power, the material ego transforming in three kinds as being of goodness, passion and ignorance, from which also evolved the mind, the different senses of action and perception and the elements in five. (25) All of that ego consisting of the elements, senses and mind is directly the Supreme Personality of Ananta with His thousands of heads [Vishnu's snake-bed] known by the name of Sankarshana [also known as the Supreme Lord His first plenary expansion]. (26) The ego identified with matter can thus be characterized as being the doer, the instrument and the effect as well as being serene, active and dull. (27) From the goodness of material identification undergoing transformation, evolved the principle of mind of which the thoughts and reflections give rise to desires. (28) That mind is factually known by the name of Aniruddha, the supreme ruler of the senses who is bluish like a lotus in autumn and is only gradually realized by the yogis. (29) From the transformation of the material identification in passion did the principle of intelligence arise, o virtuous lady, to give assistance in ascertaining to the senses the objects coming into view. (30) Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep are thus said to be the characteristics of the intelligence in its different functions.

(31) From the passion of ego do we also have the senses of action and knowledge according respectively the active powers of the vital energy and the effect of experience of the intelligence. (32) From the darkness of the ego and its transformation, was, impelled by the potency of the Supreme Lord, the subtle element of sound manifested, the ethereal of which then formed the sense of hearing being there as the receptivity to its operation. (33) Learned persons know it to define as that which is indicative of an object; they know sound as betraying the presence of a speaker and as that what characterizes the subtle element of the ether. (34) The activities and characteristics of the element of the ether accommodate for the room external and internal, being of all living beings the field of activities of the vital air, the senses and the mind. (35) From the ethereal evolving from the subtle of sound, does under the transforming impulse of time the evolution of the subtle element of touch take place and thus is the air found, the sense organ for it and of that sense the perception. (36) Softness and hardness, cold and heat also, are of this subtle element of touch the distinguished attributes in the sensual experience of the air. (37) By the distinct characteristics of the actions of the air moving and mixing, allows it [the element of touch] the approach [to the objects], carrying the particles and waves of sound that stimulate the senses into proper functioning. (38) From the air realized by the subtle reality of touch, evolved, according destiny, the forms from which arose the perception of the fire in the sense of sight for color and form.

(39) O virtuous one, the characteristics to the sense-reality of the form of an object are its dimension, quality, its certain individuality and the outgoing effulgence. (40) The functions of fire in reality are to illumine, to digest the drinking and eating, drive away the cold and to evaporate and also serve with hunger and thirst. (41) From the substance of form undergoing the transformations from fire became by divine arrangement the sense of taste manifest of which water and the relating tongue were found. (42) Although taste is one, is it divided by transformation to the manifold of other substances thus into the sensation of the astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent [salt] and sour. (43) The typical of water is to be moistening, coagulating, quenching, life-sustaining, refreshing, softening, cooling and to be available in abundance. (44) From the element of taste undergoing the transformations from water, superiorly arranged the measure of odor became manifest finding the earth and the smelling of aromas. (45) The one of odor is, to the proportions of substances, divided in the separate of being mixed, offensive, fragrant, mild, strong, acidic and so on. (46) The characteristic function of the earth is to be the place for manifesting, separated in space, the nature of all existing that of the Supreme Spirit is modeled into forms, places of residence, pots to contain etc. (47) The sense that has the distinctive character of the sky [sound] as its object is called the auditory sense, and that sense which has the distinctive features of the air [touch] as its object of perception is known as the tactile sense. (48) The sense that has the distinct of fire [form] as its object is called sight, the distinctive perception of the characteristics of water is known as taste and the distinctive of earth in perception is called the sense of smell.

(49) The characteristics of the cause are observed in the effect and hence to that order are the distinctive characteristics of all elements observed in earth alone [and in lesser degrees in the former elements]. (50) When these [in the beginning] were unmixed, did all the seven of the primal complete [the five material elements, the total energy - the mahat-tattva - and the false ego] enter from the origin of the creation; in fact from the association with the time, the karma and the three modes of nature. (51) Then by and by [with Him as the time] from these seven principles, roused into activity, an egg-shape united with no consciousness, from which the celebrated Cosmic Being [or the original 'gigantic' person, the virâth purusha] arose. (52) This egg called Vis'esha ['the active'], found order expanding by tenfold to the greater of water and the other elements as they are enveloped in the modes of the primary nature at the surface of the extending planetary systems; this is the [universal] form that the Lord, the Supreme One, took. (53) From the golden [sunshine] of the egg arose, from within the waters that He pervaded and was lying in, the great of the divinity, divided in many cells in control of the light. (54) The first that appeared of Him was a mouth to relate in sound [vânî] after which, with that organ, there is the divinity of [the digestive] fire, then joined by the nostrils with the vital air and the olfactory sense in them. (55) From the olfactory sense was the divine of the wind [Vâyu] realized, the two eyes for the sense of sight brought the divinity of the sun [Sûrya] into awareness and from the auditory sense of the two ears beamed forth the divinity of the directions. (56) Of the celebrated form appeared the skin with its hairgrowth and such whereupon then the herbs of medicine were seen as well as the sexual organs. (57) From that there was the seed [of sexual procreation], appeared the divinity over the waters and manifested an anus itself followed by the capacity to defecate, after which camje [the god of] death causing fear throughout the world. (58) Also two hands manifested with to the power of them the capacity to act to one's leaning [Lord Indra]. From the manifestation of the two feet was seen the progression, to which one became aware of the Lord [Vishnu]. (59 -60) Of the celebrated personal showed the veins themselves and the bloodproduction thereto. After them are the rivers seen. Next a stomach manifested of which hunger and thirst appeared. In their wake was the ocean seen. From the appearance of a heart then came forth the mind. (61) From the mind came to the intelligence then the moon [Candra] into view and from that intelligence one saw the Lord of speech [Brahmâ]. Identification with the material then gave the appearance of Rudra [S'iva], the deity presiding over consciousness.

(62) All these divinities having found their existence were not at all capable of awakening the original person of celebration and thus they penetrated the source they generated from in order to awaken Him one after the other. (63) The divinity of the digestive fire settled for the mouth, but failed to give rise to the Celebrated One. The divine of the wind settled for the olfactory of the nostrils but then could not give rise to the Original One. (64) The divine of the light for His two eyes could not give rise to the Authentic One, and with the divine of orienting by the sense of hearing with His two ears then the Great of the Person wasn't brought to life either. (65) The godly of the skin, with its growth and blessing of herbs, could not raise the Celebrated Person and the divinity of water could, with the procreation by the organs of reproduction, then not rouse the Great Person either. (66) With the capacity to defecate could the god of death by His anus not spur the Cosmic One and not even the two hands of Lord Indra with their power of control could find a way to awaken the Master of Rule then. (67) Vishnu with the power of progress was with His two feet not capable of stirring the Great Complete into action indeed and the divine of the riverflow to His vessels with the blood and power of circulation did not move the Celebrated Person even then. (68) The ocean following along with hunger and thirst could to His abdomen not raise the Great Person and the heart with the mind to the divinity of the moon then failed to awaken the One and Only also. (69) Also Brahmâ entered His heart with intelligence but did not raise the Celebrated person, and neither could the complete of the purusha be awakened by Lord S'iva with the ego to His heart. (70) But when the divinity ruling the consciousness, with reason entered the heart as the knower of the field, just then did the Cosmic Being arise from the causal waters. (71) It is like with a man asleep whose vital air, working and knowing senses, his mind and his consideration, by their own power cannot arouse without Him. (72) Therefore should the one of practice with the yoga, with the help of spiritual knowledge, detachment and devotion, carefully consider the thought of Him, the Supersoul, present within himself.'

The Supreme Lord said: 'Now I will describe to you the different categories of reality, knowing which anyone can be released from the modes of material nature.

The Personality of Godhead, Kapila, continued: My dear mother, now I shall describe unto you the different categories of the Absolute Truth, knowing which any person can be released from the influence of the modes of material nature. (Vedabase)

Text 2:

What is said to be the spiritual knowledge, that for a person is the ultimate perfection of self-realization, I will explain to you, for that is what cuts the knots in the heart.

Knowledge is the ultimate perfection of self-realization. I shall explain that knowledge unto you by which the knots of attachment to the material world are cut. (Vedabase)

Text 3:

The Supreme Soul of the Original Person is beginningless, transcendental to the modes of nature in the beyond and is everywhere perceivable as the self-effulgent of the entire creation maintained by Him.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Soul, and He has no beginning. He is transcendental to the material modes of nature and beyond the existence of this material world. He is perceivable everywhere because He is self-effulgent, and by His self-effulgent luster the entire creation is maintained. (Vedabase)

Text 4:

That very person, greatest of the great, quite out of His own will accepted as His pastime the subtle material energy that relates to the divine and obtained the investment of the three modes.

As His pastime, that Supreme Personality of Godhead, the greatest of the great, accepted the subtle material energy, which is invested with three material modes of nature and which is related with Vishnu. (Vedabase)

Text 5:

By the modes nature created the variegated forms of the beings living materially, who, seeing it, at once on the spot were illusioned with the covering of their spiritual knowing.

Divided into varieties by her threefold modes, material nature creates the forms of the living entities, and the living entities, seeing this, are illusioned by the knowledge-covering feature of the illusory energy. (Vedabase)

Text 6:

Because of identifying with the material activities that are in fact performed by the modes of nature, does the living entity thus wrongly attribute them to himself.

Because of his forgetfulness, the transcendental living entity accepts the influence of material energy as his field of activities, and thus actuated, he wrongly applies the activities to himself. (Vedabase)

Text 7:

From the misconception of its life in material conditioning is it made dependent, although it of the non-doer, who is the naturally joyful witness, is independent.

Material consciousness is the cause of one's conditional life, in which conditions are enforced upon the living entity by the material energy. Although the spirit soul does not do anything and is transcendental to such activities, he is thus affected by conditional life. (Vedabase)

Text 8:

The learned understand that the body and the senses of respect are subject to the causation of the material of nature; as for the perception of happiness and distress is the spiritual soul above matter responsible.'

The cause of the conditioned soul's material body and senses, and the senses' presiding deities, the demigods, is the material nature. This is understood by learned men. The feelings of happiness and distress of the soul, who is transcendental by nature, are caused by the spirit soul himself. (Vedabase)

Text 9:

Devahûti said: 'Kindly explain me the characteristics of as well the energies as the Supreme Personality, who are both cause of the manifest and unmanifest this creation consists of.

Devahûti said: O Supreme Personality of Godhead, kindly explain the characteristics of the Supreme Person and His energies, for both of these are the causes of this manifest and unmanifest creation. (Vedabase)

Text 10:

The Supreme Lord said: 'The undifferentiated, that possesses the differentiated material nature which consists of the cause and effect of the combination of the three modes, is called the primary nature [pradhâna].

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The unmanifested eternal combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifest state and is called pradhâna. It is called prakriti when in the manifested stage of existence. (Vedabase)

Text 11

That primary nature is known to be the basis from which evolved the five gross and five subtle elements, the spiritual of the four internal senses and the ten senses of perception and operation, that thus add up to a number of twenty-four.

The aggregate elements, namely the five gross elements, the five subtle elements, the four internal senses, the five senses for gathering knowledge and the five outward organs of action, are known as the pradhâna. (Vedabase)

Text 12

The five gross elements are to be exact: earth, water, fire, air and ether; there are in My notion as many subtle elements; they are the smell and so on [taste, color, touch and sound].

There are five gross elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also five subtle elements: smell, taste, color, touch and sound. (Vedabase)

Text 13:

The ten senses are the organs of the hearing, touching, seeing, tasting and smelling, [for perception] with the mouth, the hands, the legs, the genitals and the excretion organs as the tenth [for acting].

The senses for acquiring knowledge and the organs for action number ten, namely the auditory sense, the sense of taste, the tactile sense, the sense of sight, the sense of smell, the active organ for speaking, the active organs for working, and those for traveling, generating and evacuating. (Vedabase)

Text 14:

Mind, intelligence, ego and consciousness are then the four aspects of the internal subtle sense one has, seeing the distinct functions in the form of different characteristics.

The internal, subtle senses are experienced as having four aspects, in the shape of mind, intelligence, ego and contaminated consciousness. Distinctions between them can be made only by different functions, since they represent different characteristics. (Vedabase)

Text 15:

Thus are to the spirit the material qualities enumerated as they factually are arranged by Me [and are called saguna brahman], to which of the element of time is spoken as the twenty-fifth.

All these are considered the qualified Brahman. The mixing element, which is known as time, is counted as the twenty-fifth element. (Vedabase)

Text 16:

The influence of the Original Personality of God is said to be the time factor from which some do fear in being deluded by the ego of contacting the material nature of individual existence.

The influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is felt in the time factor, which causes fear of death due to the false ego of the deluded soul who has contacted material nature. (Vedabase)

Text 17:

The movement of material nature without its interaction of the modes and its specific qualities, o daughter of Manu, is the time from which we here know Him, the Supreme Lord.

My dear mother, O daughter of Svâyambhuva Manu, the time factor, as I have explained, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from whom the creation begins as a result of the agitation of the neutral, unmanifested nature. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

He who exists from within, in the form of the original person and from without in the form of time, is He, the Supreme Lord by all His potencies to all [the elements] of life.

By exhibiting His potencies, the Supreme Personality of Godhead adjusts all these different elements, keeping Himself within as the Supersoul and without as time. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

Of her destiny agitated, does the Supreme Person from His balanced potency impregnate the womb [of mother nature] and does she deliver the sum total of the truth of Brahmâ's effulgent golden reality [hiranmaya].

After the Supreme Personality of Godhead impregnates material nature with His internal potency, material nature delivers the sum total of the cosmic intelligence, which is known as Hiranmaya. This takes place in material nature when she is agitated by the destinations of the conditioned souls. (Vedabase)

Text 20:

The universe manifesting and containing within itself this unchangeable root cause, swallowed by its own effulgence the dense darkness in which it was enveloped.

Thus, after manifesting variegatedness, the effulgent mahat-tattva, which contains all the universes within itself, which is the root of all cosmic manifestations and which is not destroyed at the time of annihilation, swallows the darkness that covered the effulgence at the time of dissolution. (Vedabase)

Text 21:

The mode of goodness, which is that clear and sober way of understanding the Supreme Lord, is known by the name of Vâsudeva; that consciousness forms the nature of the intellect.

The mode of goodness, which is the clear, sober status of understanding the Personality of Godhead and which is generally called vâsudeva, or consciousness, becomes manifest in the mahat-tattva. (Vedabase)

Text 22:

Clarity, not being distracted and serenity are thus called the characteristic traits of [Krishna- or natural time-] consciousness that is alike the natural state of pure water.

After the manifestation of the mahat-tattva, these features appear simultaneously. As water in its natural state, before coming in contact with earth, is clear, sweet and unruffled, so the characteristic traits of pure consciousness are complete serenity, clarity, and freedom from distraction. (Vedabase)

Text 23-24:

From the complete reality undergoing changes brought about by the Supreme Lord His energies sprang up, endowed with its active power, the material ego transforming in three kinds as being of goodness, passion and ignorance, from which also evolved the mind, the different senses of action and perception and the elements in five.

The material ego springs up from the mahat-tattva, which evolved from the Lord's own energy. The material ego is endowed predominantly with active power of three kinds: good, passionate and ignorant. It is from these three types of material ego that the mind, the senses of perception, the organs of action, and the gross elements evolve. (Vedabase)

Text 25:

All of that ego consisting of the elements, senses and mind is directly the Supreme Personality of Ananta with His thousands of heads [Vishnu's snake-bed] known by the name of Sankarshana [also known as the Supreme Lord His first plenary expansion].

The threefold ahankâra, the source of the gross elements, the senses and the mind, is identical with them because it is their cause. It is known by the name of Sankarshana, who is directly Lord Ananta with a thousand heads. (Vedabase)

Text 26:

The ego identified with matter can thus be characterized as being the doer, the instrument and the effect as well as being serene, active and dull.

This false ego is characterized as the doer, as an instrument and as an effect. It is further characterized as serene, active or dull according to how it is influenced by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. (Vedabase)

Text 27:

From the goodness of material identification undergoing transformation, evolved the principle of mind of which the thoughts and reflections give rise to desires.

From the false ego of goodness, another transformation takes place. From this evolves the mind, whose thoughts and reflections give rise to desire. (Vedabase)

Text 28:

That mind is factually known by the name of Aniruddha, the supreme ruler of the senses who is bluish like a lotus in autumn and is only gradually realized by the yogis.

The mind of the living entity is known by the name of Lord Aniruddha, the supreme ruler of the senses. He possesses a bluish-black form resembling a lotus flower growing in the autumn. He is found slowly by the yogîs. (Vedabase)

Text 29

From the transformation of the material identification in passion did the principle of intelligence arise, o virtuous lady, to give assistance in ascertaining to the senses the objects coming into view.

By transformation of the false ego in passion, intelligence takes birth, O virtuous lady. The functions of intelligence are to help in ascertaining the nature of objects when they come into view, and to help the senses. (Vedabase)

Text 30

Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep are thus said to be the characteristics of the intelligence in its different functions.

Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence. (Vedabase)

Text 31:

From the passion of ego do we also have the senses of action and knowledge according respectively the active powers of the vital energy and the effect of experience of the intelligence.

Egoism in the mode of passion produces two kinds of senses: the senses for acquiring knowledge and the senses of action. The senses of action depend on the vital energy, and the senses for acquiring knowledge depend on intelligence. (Vedabase)

Text 32:

From the darkness of the ego and its transformation, was, impelled by the potency of the Supreme Lord, the subtle element of sound manifested, the ethereal of which then formed the sense of hearing being there as the receptivity to its operation.

When egoism in ignorance is agitated by the sex energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the subtle element sound is manifested, and from sound come the ethereal sky and the sense of hearing. (Vedabase)

Text 33:

Learned persons know it to define as that which is indicative of an object; they know sound as betraying the presence of a speaker and as that what characterizes the subtle element of the ether.

Persons who are learned and who have true knowledge define sound as that which conveys the idea of an object, indicates the presence of a speaker screened from our view and constitutes the subtle form of ether. (Vedabase)

Text 34:

The activities and characteristics of the element of the ether accommodate for the room external and internal, being of all living beings the field of activities of the vital air, the senses and the mind.

The activities and characteristics of the ethereal element can be observed as accommodation for the room for the external and internal existences of all living entities, namely the field of activities of the vital air, the senses and the mind. (Vedabase)

Text 35:

From the ethereal evolving from the subtle of sound, does under the transforming impulse of time the evolution of the subtle element of touch take place and thus is the air found, the sense organ for it and of that sense the perception.

From ethereal existence, which evolves from sound, the next transformation takes place under the impulse of time, and thus the subtle element touch and thence the air and sense of touch become prominent. (Vedabase)

Text 36:

Softness and hardness, cold and heat also, are of this subtle element of touch the distinguished attributes in the sensual experience of the air.

Softness and hardness and cold and heat are the distinguishing attributes of touch, which is characterized as the subtle form of air. (Vedabase)

Text 37:

By the distinct characteristics of the actions of the air moving and mixing, allows it [the element of touch] the approach [to the objects], carrying the particles and waves of sound that stimulate the senses into proper functioning.

The action of the air is exhibited in movements, mixing, allowing approach to the objects of sound and other sense perceptions, and providing for the proper functioning of all other senses. (Vedabase)

Text 38:

From the air realized by the subtle reality of touch, evolved, according destiny, the forms from which arose the perception of the fire in the sense of sight for color and form.

By interactions of the air and the sensations of touch, one receives different forms according to destiny. By evolution of such forms, there is fire, and the eye sees different forms in color. (Vedabase)

Text 39:

O virtuous one, the characteristics to the sense-reality of the form of an object are its dimension, quality, its certain individuality and the outgoing effulgence.

My dear mother, the characteristics of form are understood by dimension, quality and individuality. The form of fire is appreciated by its effulgence. (Vedabase)

Text 40:

The functions of fire in reality are to illumine, to digest the drinking and eating, drive away the cold and to evaporate and also serve with hunger and thirst.

Fire is appreciated by its light and by its ability to cook, to digest, to destroy cold, to evaporate, and to give rise to hunger, thirst, eating and drinking. (Vedabase)

Text 41:

From the substance of form undergoing the transformations from fire became by divine arrangement the sense of taste manifest of which water and the relating tongue were found.

By the interaction of fire and the visual sensation, the subtle element taste evolves under a superior arrangement. From taste, water is produced, and the tongue, which perceives taste, is also manifested. (Vedabase)

Text 42:

Although taste is one, is it divided by transformation to the manifold of other substances thus into the sensation of the astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent [salt] and sour.

Although originally one, taste becomes manifold as astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, sour and salty due to contact with other substances. (Vedabase)

Text 43:

The typical of water is to be moistening, coagulating, quenching, life-sustaining, refreshing, softening, cooling and to be available in abundance.

The characteristics of water are exhibited by its moistening other substances, coagulating various mixtures, causing satisfaction, maintaining life, softening things, driving away heat, incessantly supplying itself to reservoirs of water, and refreshing by slaking thirst. (Veda b ase)

Text 44:

From the element of taste undergoing the transformations from water, superiorly arranged the measure of odor became manifest finding the earth and the smelling of aromas.

Due to the interaction of water with the taste perception, the subtle element odor evolves under superior arrangement. Thence the earth and the olfactory sense, by which we can variously experience the aroma of the earth, become manifest. (Vedabase)

Text 45:

The one of odor is, to the proportions of substances, divided in the separate of being mixed, offensive, fragrant, mild, strong, acidic and so on.

Odor, although one, becomes many: as mixed, offensive, fragrant, mild, strong, acidic and so on: according to the proportions of associated substances. (Vedabase)

Text 46:

The characteristic function of the earth is to be the place for manifesting, separated in space, the nature of all existing that of the Supreme Spirit is modeled into forms, places of residence, pots to contain etc.

The characteristics of the functions of earth can be perceived by modeling forms of the Supreme Brahman, by constructing places of residence, by preparing pots to contain water, etc. In other words, the earth is the place of sustenance for all elements. (Vedabase)

Text 47:

The sense that has the distinctive character of the sky [sound] as its object is called the auditory sense, and that sense which has the distinctive features of the air [touch] as its object of perception is known as the tactile sense.

The sense whose object of perception is sound is called the auditory sense, and that whose object of perception is touch is called the tactile sense. (Vedabase)

Text 48:

The sense that has the distinct of fire [form] as its object is called sight, the distinctive perception of the characteristics of water is known as taste and the distinctive of earth in perception is called the sense of smell.

The sense whose object of perception is form, the distinctive characteristic of fire, is the sense of sight. The sense whose object of perception is taste, the distinctive characteristic of water, is known as the sense of taste. Finally, the sense whose object of perception is odor, the distinctive characteristic of earth, is called the sense of smell. (Vedabase)

Text 49:

The characteristics of the cause are observed in the effect and hence to that order are the distinctive characteristics of all elements observed in earth alone [and in lesser degrees in the former elements].

Since the cause exists in its effect as well, the characteristics of the former are observed in the latter. That is why the peculiarities of all the elements exist in the earth alone. (Vedabase)

Text 50:

When these [in the beginning] were unmixed, did all the seven of the primal complete [the five material elements, the total energy - the mahat-tattva - and the false ego] enter from the origin of the creation; in fact from the association with the time, the karma and the three modes of nature.

When all these elements were unmixed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin of creation, along with time, work, and the qualities of the modes of material nature, entered into the universe with the total material energy in seven divisions. (Vedabase)

Text 51:

Then by and by [with Him as the time] from these seven principles, roused into activity, an egg-shape united with no consciousness, from which the celebrated Cosmic Being [or the original 'gigantic' person, the virâth purusha] arose.

From these seven principles, roused into activity and united by the presence of the Lord, an unintelligent egg arose, from which appeared the celebrated Cosmic Being. (Vedabase)

Text 52:

This egg called Vis'esha ['the active'], found order expanding by tenfold to the greater of water and the other elements as they are enveloped in the modes of the primary nature at the surface of the extending planetary systems; this is the [universal] form that the Lord, the Supreme One, took.

This universal egg, or the universe in the shape of an egg, is called the manifestation of material energy. Its layers of water, air, fire, sky, ego and mahat-tattva increase in thickness one after another. Each layer is ten times bigger than the previous one, and the final outside layer is covered by pradhâna. Within this egg is the universal form of Lord Hari, of whose body the fourteen planetary systems are parts. (Vedabase)

Text 53:

From the golden [sunshine] of the egg arose, from within the waters that He pervaded and was lying in, the great of the divinity, divided in many cells in control of the light.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the virâth-purusha, situated Himself in that golden egg, which was lying on the water, and He divided it into many departments. (Vedabase)

Text 54:

The first that appeared of Him was a mouth to relate in sound [vânî] after which, with that organ, there is the divinity of [the digestive] fire, then joined by the nostrils with the vital air and the olfactory sense in them.

First of all a mouth appeared in Him, and then came forth the organ of speech, and with it the god of fire, the deity who presides over that organ. Then a pair of nostrils appeared, and in them appeared the olfactory sense, as well as prâna, the vital air. (Vedabase)

Text 55:

From the olfactory sense was the divine of the wind [Vâyu] realized, the two eyes for the sense of sight brought the divinity of the sun [Sûrya] into awareness and from the auditory sense of the two ears beamed forth the divinity of the directions.

In the wake of the olfactory sense came the wind-god, who presides over that sense. Thereafter a pair of eyes appeared in the universal form, and in them the sense of sight. In the wake of this sense came the sun-god, who presides over it. Next there appeared in Him a pair of ears, and in them the auditory sense and in its wake the Dig-devatâs, or the deities who preside over the directions. (Vedabase)

Text 56:

Of the celebrated form appeared the skin with its hairgrowth and such whereupon then the herbs of medicine were seen as well as the sexual organs.

Then the universal form of the Lord, the virâth-purusha, manifested His skin, and thereupon the hair, mustache and beard appeared. After this all the herbs and drugs became manifested, and then His genitals also appeared. (Vedabase)

Text 57:

From that there was the seed [of sexual procreation], appeared the divinity over the waters and manifested an anus itself followed by the capacity to defecate, after which camje [the god of] death causing fear throughout the world.

After this, semen. (the faculty of procreation) and the god who presides over the waters appeared. Next appeared an anus and then the organs of defecation and thereupon the god of death, who is feared throughout the universe. (Vedabase)

Text 58:

Also two hands manifested with to the power of them the capacity to act to one's leaning [Lord Indra]. From the manifestation of the two feet was seen the progression, to which one became aware of the Lord [Vishnu].

Thereafter the two hands of the universal form of the Lord became manifested, and with them the power of grasping and dropping things, and after that Lord Indra appeared. Next the legs became manifested, and with them the process of movement, and after that Lord Vishnu appeared. (Vedabase)

Text 59-60:

Of the celebrated personal showed the veins themselves and the bloodproduction thereto. After them are the rivers seen. Next a stomach manifested of which hunger and thirst appeared. In their wake was the ocean seen. From the appearance of a heart then came forth the mind.

The veins of the universal body became manifested and thereafter the red corpuscles, or blood. In their wake came the rivers. (the deities presiding over the veins), and then appeared an abdomen. Next grew feelings of hunger and thirst, and in their wake came the manifestation of the oceans. Then a heart became manifest, and in the wake of the heart the mind appeared. (Vedabase)

Text 61:

From the mind did to the intelligence then come the moon [Candra] into view and from that intelligence one saw the Lord of speech [Brahmâ]. Identification with the material then gave the appearance of Rudra [S'iva], the deity presiding over consciousness.

After the mind, the moon appeared. Intelligence appeared next, and after intelligence, Lord Brahmâ appeared. Then the false ego appeared and then Lord S'iva, and after the appearance of Lord S'iva came consciousness and the deity presiding over consciousness. (Vedabase)

Text 62:

All these divinities having found their existence were not at all capable of awakening the original person of celebration and thus they penetrated the source they generated from in order to awaken Him one after the other.

When the demigods and presiding deities of the various senses were thus manifested, they wanted to wake their origin of appearance. But upon failing to do so, they reentered the body of the virâth-purusha one after another in order to wake Him. (Vedabase)

Text 63:

The divinity of the digestive fire settled for the mouth, but failed to give rise to the Celebrated One. The divine of the wind settled for the olfactory of the nostrils but then could not give rise to the Original One.

The god of fire entered His mouth with the organ of speech, but the virât-purusa could not be aroused. Then the god of wind entered His nostrils with the sense of smell, but still the virâth-purusha refused to be awakened. (Vedabase)

Text 64:

The divine of the light for His two eyes could not give rise to the Authentic One, and with the divine of orienting by the sense of hearing with His two ears then the Great of the Person wasn't brought to life either.

The sun-god entered the eyes of the virâth-purusha with the sense of sight, but still the virâth-purusha did not get up. Similarly, the predominating deities of the directions entered through His ears with the sense of hearing, but still He did not get up. (Vedabase)

Text 65:

The godly of the skin, with its growth and blessing of herbs, could not raise the Celebrated Person and the divinity of water could, with the procreation by the organs of reproduction, then not rouse the Great Person either.

The predominating deities of the skin, herbs and seasoning plants entered the skin of the virâth-purusha with the hair of the body, but the Cosmic Being refused to get up even then. The god predominating over water entered His organ of generation with the faculty of procreation, but the virâth-purusha still would not rise. (Vedabase)

Text 66:

With the capacity to defecate could the god of death by His anus not spur the Cosmic One and not even the two hands of Lord Indra with their power of control could find a way to awaken the Master of Rule then.

The god of death entered His anus with the organ of defecation, but the virâth-purusha could not be spurred to activity. The god Indra entered the hands with their power of grasping and dropping things, but the virâth-purusha would not get up even then. (Vedabase)

Text 67:

Vishnu with the power of progress was with His two feet not capable of stirring the Great Complete into action indeed and the divine of the riverflow to His vessels with the blood and power of circulation did not move the Celebrated Person even then.

Lord Vishnu entered His feet with the faculty of locomotion, but the virâth-purusha refused to stand up even then. The rivers entered His blood vessels with the blood and the power of circulation, but still the Cosmic Being could not be made to stir. (Vedabase)

Text 68:

The ocean following along with hunger and thirst could to His abdomen not raise the Great Person and the heart with the mind to the divinity of the moon then failed to awaken the One and Only also.

The ocean entered His abdomen with hunger and thirst, but the Cosmic Being refused to rise even then. The moon-god entered His heart with the mind, but the Cosmic Being would not be roused. (Vedabase)

Text 69:

Also Brahmâ entered His heart with intelligence but did not raise the Celebrated person, and neither could the complete of the purusha be awakened by Lord S'iva with the ego to His heart.

Brahmâ also entered His heart with intelligence, but even then the Cosmic Being could not be prevailed upon to get up. Lord Rudra also entered His heart with the ego, but even then the Cosmic Being did not stir. (Vedabase)

Text 70:

But when the divinity ruling the consciousness, with reason entered the heart as the knower of the field, just then did the Cosmic Being arise from the causal waters.

However, when the inner controller, the deity presiding over consciousness, entered the heart with reason, at that very moment the Cosmic Being arose from the causal waters. (Vedabase)

Text 71:

It is like with a man asleep whose vital air, working and knowing senses, his mind and his consideration, by their own power cannot arouse without Him.

When a man is sleeping, all his material assets: namely the vital energy, the senses for recording knowledge, the senses for working, the mind and the intelligence: cannot arouse him. He can be aroused only when the Supersoul helps him. (Vedabase)

Text 72:

Therefore should the one of practice with the yoga, with the help of spiritual knowledge, detachment and devotion, carefully consider the thought of Him, the Supersoul, present within himself.

Therefore, through devotion, detachment and advancement in spiritual knowledge acquired through concentrated devotional service, one should contemplate that Supersoul as present in this very body although simultaneously apart from it. (Vedabase)