Chapter 17
नवसर्गप्रदर्शनं
Agni Purana, Chapter 17: navasargapradarśanaṃ
Shlokas (16)
+ Add ShlokaChapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 1
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 1
जगत्सर्गादिकान क्रीडान विष्णोर्वक्ष्येधुना शृणु । स्वर्गादिकृत स सर्गादिः सृष्ट्यादिः सगुणोगुणः ।।
jagatsargādikān krīḍān viṣṇorvakṣyedhunā śṛṇu | svargādikṛt sa sargādiḥ sṛṣṭyādiḥ saguṇoguṇaḥ ||
Hear now the pastimes of Viṣṇu—creation and so forth—declared for sport. He is the maker of heaven and such creations; the origin of creation, possessing and not possessing qualities.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 2
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 2
ब्रह्माव्यक्तं सदाग्रे ऽभूत न खं रात्रिदिनादिकं । प्रकृतिं पुरुषं विष्णुः प्रविश्याक्षोभयत्ततः ।।
brahmāvyaktaṃ sadāgre 'bhūt na khaṃ rātridinādikaṃ | prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ viṣṇuḥ praviśyākṣobhayattataḥ ||
Brahman, unmanifest, existed before all; there was no sky, no night or day. Entering prakṛti and puruṣa, Viṣṇu stirred them and thus moved things.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 3
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 3
स्वर्गकाले महत्तत्त्वमहङ्कारस्ततो ऽभवत । वैकारिकस्तैजसश च भूतादिश चैव तामसः ।।
svargakāle mahattattvamahaṅkārastato 'bhavat | vaikārikastaijasaś ca bhūtādiś caiva tāmasaḥ ||
At the time of heavenly dissolution, mahattattva and ahankāra arose; from tamas came the elements and inert matter, and from rajas the light—thus the senses emerged.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 4
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 4
अहङ्काराच्छब्दमात्रमाकाशमभवत्ततः । स्पर्शमात्रो ऽनिलस्तस्माद्रूपमात्रो ऽनलस्ततः ।।
ahaṅkārācchabdamātramākāśamabhavattataḥ | sparśamātro 'nilastasmādrūpamātro 'nalastataḥ ||
From ahankāra came only sound, and from that akasha (ether). From touch came Vayu (wind); from that, form came from Agni (fire).
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 5
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 5
रसमात्रा आप इतो गन्धमात्रा मही स्मृता । अहङ्कारात्तामसात्तु तैजसानीन्द्रियाणि च ।।
rasamātrā āpa ito gandhamātrā mahī smṛtā | ahaṅkārāttāmasāttu taijasānīndriyāṇi ca ||
Taste became water, smell became earth. From ahankāra arose tamas, and from that the senses associated with fire (tejas).
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 6
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 6
वैकारिका दश देवा मन एकादशेन्द्रियम । ततः स्वयंभूर्भगवान सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः ।।
vaikārikā daśa devā mana ekādaśendriyam | tataḥ svayaṃbhūrbhagavān sisṛkṣurvividhāḥ prajāḥ ||
From the taijasa (fiery) quality came ten deities, from the tamasic came the mind and eleven senses. Then the self-manifest Lord (Svayambhuva) created various offspring and beings.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 7
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 7
अप एव ससर्जादौ तासु वीर्यमवासृजत । आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः ।।
apa eva sasarjādau tāsu vīryamavāsṛjat | āpo nārā iti proktā āpo vai narasūnavaḥ ||
From that same One He created strength in them. The waters were called “men” — the waters are like progeny of men.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 8
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 8
अयनन्तस्य ताः पूर्वन्तेन नारायणः स्मृतः । हिरण्यवर्णमभवत तदण्डमुदकेशयम ।।
ayanantasya tāḥ pūrvantena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | hiraṇyavarṇamabhavat tadaṇḍamudakeśayam ||
Those (waters) belonged to the Endless whose earlier form was called Nārāyana. He became golden-hued, his staff shining like the lord of waters.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 9
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 9
तस्मिन जज्ञे स्वयं ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूरिति नः श्रुतम । हिरण्यगर्भो भगवानुषित्वा परिवत्सरम ।।
tasmin jajñe svayaṃ brahmā svayambhūriti naḥ śrutam | hiraṇyagarbho bhagavānuṣitvā parivatsaram ||
In him Brahmā was born — thus we have heard — the Self-born. The golden-wombed One, becoming divine, circled for a year.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 10
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 10
तदण्डमकरोत द्वैधन्दिवं भुवमथापि च । तयोः शकलयोर्मध्ये आकाशमसृजत प्रभुः ।।
tadaṇḍamakarot dvaidhandivaṃ bhuvamathāpi ca | tayoḥ śakalayormadhye ākāśamasṛjat prabhuḥ ||
He made that staff double‑shafted, like a pair; the earth too. Between their heads the Lord created the sky.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 11
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 11
अप्सु पारिप्लवां पृथिवीं दिशश च दशधा दधे । तत्र कालं मनो वाचं कामं क्रोधमथो रतिम ।।
apsu pāriplavāṃ pṛthivīṃ diśaś ca daśadhā dadhe | tatra kālaṃ mano vācaṃ kāmaṃ krodhamatho ratim ||
He kept the waters flowing, the earth and the ten directions. There he set Time, Mind, Speech, Desire, Anger and Delight.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 12
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 12
ससर्ज सृष्टिन्तद्रूपां स्रष्टुमिच्छन प्रजापतिः । विद्युतोशनिमेघांश च रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि च ।।
sasarja sṛṣṭintadrūpāṃ sraṣṭumicchan prajāpatiḥ | vidyutośanimeghāṃś ca rohitendradhanūṃṣi ca ||
Prajāpati created forms of the cosmos: lightning, heat, clouds, and Indra’s red bow.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 13
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 13
वयांसि च ससर्जादौ पर्जन्यञ्चाथ वक्त्रतः । ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि निर्ममे यज्ञसिद्धये ।।
vayāṃsi ca sasarjādau parjanyañcātha vaktrataḥ | ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni nirmame yajñasiddhaye ||
He then produced winds and rain from his mouth; Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma (the Vedas) were made for the perfection of sacrifice.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 14
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 14
साध्यास्तैर अयजन्देवान भूतमुच्चावचं भुजात । सनत्कुमारं रुद्रञ्च ससर्ज क्रोधसम्भवम ।।
sādhyāstair ayajandevān bhūtamuccāvacaṃ bhujāt | sanatkumāraṃ rudrañca sasarja krodhasambhavam ||
He propitiated the gods with sacrifices; he bore beings high and low. He created Sanatkumāra and Rudra born of anger.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 15
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 15
मरीचिमत्र्यङ्गिरसं पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुम । वसिष्ठं मानसाः सप्त ब्रह्माण इति निश्चिताः ।।
marīcimatryaṅgirasaṃ pulastyaṃ pulahaṃ kratum | vasiṣṭhaṃ mānasāḥ sapta brahmāṇa iti niścitāḥ ||
He fashioned Marīci, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kṛtu, and Vasishtha — the seven sages (Mahabrahman) known as the mind-born Brahmās.
Chapter 17 — navasargapradarśanaṃ — Verse 16
Agni Purana · Chapter 17 · Verse 16
सप्तैते जनयन्ति स्म प्रजा रुद्राश च सत्तम । द्विधा कृत्वात्मनो देहमर्धेन पुरुषो ऽभवत । अर्धेन नारी तस्यां स ब्रह्मा वै चासृजत प्रजाः ।।
saptaite janayanti sma prajā rudrāś ca sattama | dvidhā kṛtvātmano dehamardhena puruṣo 'bhavat | ardhena nārī tasyāṃ sa brahmā vai cāsṛjat prajāḥ ||
These seven produced progeny; Rudras too were born. The Being split his body in two: one half became the man, the other half the woman. From that woman Brahmā then created offspring.