Description of Creation

Brahma said

Narada, I divided the five elements, sound and the rest, and made the five gross elements: space, wind, fire, earth and water. I also made mountains, oceans, trees and the like, the yugas beginning with kali, and other measures of time. Sage, I made more after that but was not satisfied. So I meditated on Samba Shiva and made practitioners. Marichi came from my eyes, Bhrigu from my heart, Angiras from my head, the supreme sage Pulaha from vyana breath, Pulastya from udana, Vasishtha from samana, Kratu from apana, Atri from my ears and Daksha from prana. Then I made you from my lap and the sage Kardama from my shadow. From my resolve I made Dharma, the means of achieving everything. Tiger among sages, having made these practitioners, I judged myself successful. All of them were made through Mahadeva's favour. Son, at my command Dharma, born of my resolve, took the form of Manu and set the practitioners to their work. Then from parts of my body I made countless sons, and gave the suras, asuras and others their own forms.

Shankara was within me. Sage, urged by him, I split my body in two and took two forms, one half a woman and the other a man. Within her he made a couple, the best means of accomplishing every aim. The man was Svayambhuva Manu, the best instrument, and the woman was Shatarupa, a yogini and ascetic. Son, by the marriage rites Manu took the auspicious lady and they made beings through union. From her he had two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada, and three daughters, Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti. He gave Akuti to Ruchi, the middle one to Kardama, and the youngest, Uttanapada's sister Prasuti, to Daksha. Prasuti bore those who spread through everything moving and unmoving. Akuti and Ruchi had twins, Yajna and Dakshina, and through Dakshina Yajna had twelve sons. Sage, Kardama had many sons through Devahuti. Daksha had twenty-four daughters through Prasuti and gave thirteen of them, Shraddha and the rest, to Dharma. Lord among sages, hear the names of Dharma's wives: Shraddha, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Tushti, Pushti, Medha, Kriya, Vasu, Buddhi, Lajja, Shanti, Siddhi and Kirti, thirteen. The eleven younger, virtuous, fine-eyed daughters, Khyati, Sati, Sambhuti, Smriti, Priti, Kshama, Sannati, Anurupa, Urja, Svaha and Svadha, were married in order to Bhrigu, Bhava, Marichi, the sage Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, supreme among rishis, Atri, Vasishtha, Vahni and the ancestors. Bhrigu and the other supreme practitioners accepted these daughters, Khyati and the rest. So the three worlds, moving and unmoving, were filled everywhere. In this way, by the command of Ambika's lord and according to their karma, many beings were born, and many bulls among brahmanas too. In a different kalpa Daksha is said to have had sixty daughters. Narada, by the norms Daksha gave ten of these to Dharma, twenty-seven to the moon, thirteen to Kashyapa, four to the very beautiful Tarkshya and two each to Bhrigu, Angiras and Krishashva. They had many offspring who spread through all that moves and stands. Supreme among sages, by the norms Daksha gave ten daughters to the great-souled Kashyapa, whose offspring spread over the three worlds. There was no empty space, moving or unmoving. From the lowest Patala up to Satyaloka, offspring born of Daksha's daughters, gods, rishis, daityas, trees, birds, mountains and herbs, covered everything. All in the cosmic egg was covered and nothing was empty. So, by Shambhu's command, Brahma completed creation properly.

Rudra always protected Sati on the tip of his trident. Earlier, Shambhu, who pervades everything, had created her for the sake of his austerities. Then, for the worlds' task, she was born through Daksha. To save his devotees he plays many games. Shiva is said to have divided himself in three: Vaikuntha from the left flank, I from the right and Rudra from the heart. Vishnu, Rudra and I are said to stand for the three gunas. Shiva is the supreme undecaying brahman, himself always without gunas. Vishnu is said to stand for sattva, I for rajas and Rudra for tamas. But this is only how the world perceives our activities; the reality is different. Vishnu is sattva outside and tamas inside. Rudra is tamas outside and sattva inside. Sage, I am rajas everywhere, inside and outside. The divine goddess is rajas by nature. Sati's form is sattva, while Lakshmi is full of tamas. These are known as the three supreme forms of Shivaa. So Shivaa became Sati and married Shankara. At her father's sacrifice she gave up her body. She did not take it again but returned to her own abode. Through the gods' prayers Shivaa was born again as Parvati. After extremely long austerities she got Shiva back. Lord among sages, she has many names: Kalika, Chandika, Bhadra, Chamunda, Vijaya, Jaya, Jayanti, Bhadrakali, Durga, Bhagavati, Kamakhya, Kamada, Amba, Mridani and Sarvamangala. All these names give pleasure and liberation. They differ by quality, act and form. She is generally known as Parvati. Devi and Deva have all the gunas and divide themselves into the three gunas. Together they perform many wonderful acts of creation. Supreme among sages, so I have described creation to you. By Shiva's command I made the whole cosmic egg. Shiva is the supreme brahman. We three gods are said to be his forms. Vishnu, Rudra and I differ in form because of qualities. The supreme self is both with and without qualities. He is his own master and plays with Shivaa in the lovely region of Shivaloka. Rudra is his complete avatara and is said to be Shiva himself. The five-faced one lives in his lovely abode of Kailasa. When the cosmic egg is destroyed, he is not destroyed.