Adhyaya 18

Verse 1

इत्य् आदिमहापुराणे आग्नेये जगत्सर्गवर्णनं नाम सप्तदशो ऽध्यायः अथ अष्टादशो ऽध्यायः स्वायम्भुववंशवर्णनम् अग्निर् उवाच प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ मनोः स्वायम्भुवात् सुतौ अजीजनत्स तां कन्यां शतरूपां तपोन्विताम्

Thus, in the Agni Purāṇa—the primordial Mahāpurāṇa—ends the seventeenth chapter entitled “Description of the Creation of the World.” Now begins the eighteenth chapter, “Description of the Lineage of Svāyambhuva.” Agni said: From Svāyambhuva Manu were born two sons, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda; and he also begot the maiden Śatarūpā, endowed with tapas (austerity).

Verse 2

न् भूतमुच्चावचं प्रजा इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः निश्चितमिति ख,चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अजीजनत् सुतां कन्यां सद्रूपाञ्च तपोन्वितामिति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अजीजनत् सुतां कन्यां शतरूपां तपोन्वितामिति ङ,चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः काम्यां कर्दमभार्यातः सम्राट् कुक्षिर्विराट् प्रभुः सुरुच्यामुत्तमो जज्ञे पुत्र उत्तानपादतः

“(He created) the manifold beings and the progeny”—so reads one marked manuscript; another has “it is certain.” One recension reads: “He begot a daughter, a maiden beautiful in form and endowed with tapas”; another marked reading gives: “He begot a daughter, the maiden Śatarūpā, endowed with tapas.” From Kāmyā, the wife of Kardama, were born Samrāṭ, Kukṣi, Virāṭ, and Prabhu. From Suruci, a son Uttama was born to Uttānapāda.

Verse 3

सुनीत्यान्तु ध्रुवः पुत्रस्तपस्तेपे स कीर्तये ध्रुवो वर्षसहस्राणि त्रीणि दिव्यानि हे मुने

But Dhruva, Sunīti’s son, performed tapas for the sake of glory; O sage, Dhruva continued thus for three thousand divine years.

Verse 4

तस्मै प्रीतो हरिः प्रादान्मुन्यग्रे स्थानकं स्थिरम् श्लोकं पपाठ ह्य् उशना वृद्धिं दृष्ट्वा स तस्य च

Pleased with him, Hari (Viṣṇu) bestowed—before the foremost of sages—a firm and enduring station. And Uśanā (Śukrācārya), seeing his prosperity, recited a verse (śloka) concerning it as well.

Verse 5

अहो ऽस्य तपसो वीर्यमहो श्रुतमहोद्भुतम् यमद्य पुरतः कृत्वा ध्रुवं सप्तर्षयः स्थिताः

Ah! Wondrous is the power of his tapas—wondrous indeed is what has been heard, truly astonishing: for today the Seven Sages stand, having placed Dhruva (the Pole Star) before them.

Verse 6

तस्मात् शिष्टिञ्च भव्यञ्च ध्रुवाच्छम्भुर्व्यजायत शिष्टेराधत्त सुछाया पञ्च पुत्रानकल्मषान्

Therefore, from him were born Śiṣṭi and Bhavya; and from Dhruva was born Śambhu. From Śiṣṭi, Succhāyā bore five stainless, sinless sons.

Verse 7

रिपुं रिपुञ्जयं रिप्रं वृकलं वृकतेजसम् रिपोराधत्त बृहती चाक्षुषं सर्वतेजसम्

He is the Enemy (of evil), the Conqueror of enemies, the Pure; the Wolf-bannered One and the Wolf-radiant. He drives back the foe; (he is) the Vast (Bṛhatī), the All-seeing (Cākṣuṣa), and the One whose splendor is universal.

Verse 8

अजीजनत् पुष्करिण्यां वीरिण्यां चाक्षुषो मनुम् मनोरजायन्त दश नड्वलायां सुतोत्तमाः

Cākṣuṣa (Manu) begot Manu (also called Cākṣuṣa) from Puṣkariṇī; and from Vīriṇī were born ten excellent sons; and from Naḍvalā likewise were born the best of sons.

Verse 9

ऊरुः पुरुः शतद्युम्नस्तपस्वी सत्यवाक्कविः अग्निष्टुरतिरात्रश् च सुद्युम्नश्चाभिमन्युकः

Ūru, Puru, Śatadyumna, Tapasvī, Satyavāk, Kavi, Agniṣṭu, Atirātra, and also Sudyumna and Abhimanyuka—these are the named descendants in the lineage.

Verse 10

ऊरोरजनयत् पुत्रान् षडग्नेयी महाप्रभान् अङ्गं सुमनसं स्वातिं क्रतुमङ्गिरसङ्गयम्

From her thigh, Agneyī (the consort/daughter belonging to Agni) gave birth to six sons of great splendor: Aṅga, Sumanas, Svāti, Kratu, Maṅgirasa, and Saṅgaya.

Verse 11

अङ्गात् सुनीथापत्यं वै वेणमेकं व्यजायत स्थानमुत्तममिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः यदत्र इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः तस्मात् श्लिष्टिञ्च इति ग, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः श्लिष्टेआराधत्त इति ख, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः उरूरिति ख,ग, ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकत्रयपाठः अरक्षकः पापरतः स हतो मुनिभिः कुशैः

From Aṅga, indeed, was born the single son Vena—offspring of Sunīthā. Being no protector of the people and devoted to sin, he was slain by the sages with blades of kuśa-grass.

Verse 12

प्रजार्थमृषयोथास्य ममन्थुर्दक्षिणं करं वेणस्य मथितो पाणौ सम्बभूव पृथुर् नृपः

Then, for the welfare of the subjects, the sages churned, as it were, his right hand; from the churning of King Vena’s hand, King Pṛthu was born.

Verse 13

तं दृष्ट्वा मुनयः प्राहुरेष वै मुदिताः प्रजाः करिष्यति महातेजा यशश् च प्राप्स्यते महत्

Seeing him, the sages declared: “Indeed, this one of great radiance will make the subjects joyful, and he will attain great glory.”

Verse 14

स धन्वी कवची जातस्तेजसा निर्दहन्निव पृथुर्वैण्यः प्रजाः सर्वा ररक्ष क्षेत्रपूर्वजः

He was born bearing a bow and wearing armor, as though scorching all evil with his radiance. That Pṛthu, the son of Vena (Vaiṇya), born in the line of Kṣetra, protected all the subjects.

Verse 15

राजसूयाभिषिक्तानामाद्यः स पृथिवीपतिः तस्माच्चैव समुत्पन्नौ निपुणौ सूतमागधौ

Among those consecrated by the Rājasūya, he was the first sovereign of the earth; and from him indeed arose the two skilled functionaries—the Sūta and the Māgadha.

Verse 16

तत्स्तोत्रञ्चक्रतुर्वीरौ राजाभूज्जनरञ्जनात् दुग्धा गौस्तेन शस्यार्थं प्रजानां जीवनाय च

Those two heroic men composed that hymn; and because he delighted the people, he became king. By him the cow was milked—for the sake of crops (and nourishment), and for the sustaining of the subjects’ lives as well.

Verse 17

सह देवैर् मुनिगणैर् गन्धर्वैः साप्सरोगणैः पितृभिर्दानवैः सर्पैर् वीरुद्भिः पर्वतैर् जनैः

Together with the gods, the hosts of sages, the Gandharvas and the companies of Apsarases; with the Pitṛs, the Dānavas, the serpents; with the creepers and plants, the mountains, and the peoples.

Verse 18

तेषु तेषु च पात्रेषु दुह्यमाना वसुन्धरा प्रादाद्यथेप्सितं क्षीरन्तेन प्राणानधारयत्

As Vasundharā (the Earth) was being milked into each of those respective vessels, she yielded milk exactly as desired; by that milk they sustained their lives.

Verse 19

पृथोः पुत्रौ तु धर्मज्ञौ जज्ञाते ऽन्तर्द्विपालिनौ शिखण्डी हविर्धानमन्तर्धानात् व्यजायत

From Pṛthu were born two righteous sons, Antardvi and Pālin. From Antardhāna, Śikhaṇḍī begot Havirdhāna.

Verse 20

हविर्धानात् षडाग्नेयी धीषणाजनयत् सुतान् प्राचीनवर्हिषं शुक्रं गयं कृष्णं व्रजाजिनौ

From Havirdhāna, Ṣaḍāgneyī (Dhīṣaṇā) bore sons—Prācīnabarhis, Śukra, Gaya, Kṛṣṇa, Vraja, and Ajina.

Verse 21

प्राचीनाग्राः कुशास्तस्य पृथिव्यां यजतो यतः प्राचीनवर्हिर्भगवान् महानासीत्प्रजापतिः

Because he performed sacrifice upon the earth with kuśa-grass whose tips were oriented eastward, that venerable Prajāpati became renowned as the great one called Prācīnavarhis.

Verse 22

सवर्णाधत्त सामुद्री दश प्राचीनवर्हिषः राजसूयाभिव्यक्तानामाद्य इति ख,चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः शुभ्रमिति ग,चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः सुवर्णाधत्त इति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः सर्वे प्रचेतसो नाम धनुर्वेदस्य पारगाः

Savarṇādhatta, Sāmudrī, and the ten (sons) of Prācīna-barhis—(in some marked manuscripts read as) “the first among those made manifest by the Rājasūya”; (elsewhere) “Śubhra”; and (elsewhere) “Suvarṇādhatta”—all of them, known as the Pracetases, were masters who had fully perfected Dhanurveda, the science of archery.

Verse 23

अपृथग्धर्मचरणास् ते तप्यन्त महत्तपः दशवर्षसहस्राणि समुद्रसलिलेशयाः

Those who practiced dharma without deviation performed great austerity, lying in the waters of the ocean for ten thousand years.

Verse 24

प्रजापतित्वं सम्प्राप्य तुष्टा विष्णोश् च निर्गताः भूः खं व्याप्तं हि तरुभिस्तांस्तरूनदहंश् च ते

Having attained the status of Prajāpatis, they became satisfied and emerged from Viṣṇu. Indeed, earth and sky were pervaded by trees; and they then burned those very trees.

Verse 25

मुखजाग्निमरुद्भ्यां च दृष्ट्वा चाथ द्रुमक्षयम् उपगम्याब्रवीदेतान् राजा सोमः प्रजापतीन्

Then, seeing the fire that issued from the mouth and the winds, and observing the devastation of the trees, King Soma approached those Prajāpatis and spoke to them.

Verse 26

कोपं यच्छत दास्यन्ति कन्यां वो मारिषां वराम् तपस्विनो मुनेः कण्डोः प्रम्लोचायां ममैव च

Restrain your anger. They will give you the excellent maiden Māriṣā—born of the ascetic sage Kaṇḍu and the apsaras Pramlocā, and thus related to me as well.

Verse 27

भविष्यं जानता सृष्टा भार्या वो ऽस्तु कुलङ्करी अस्यामुत्पत्स्यते दक्षः प्रजाः संवर्धयिष्यति

The Creator, foreknowing the future, fashioned her and declared: “Let her be your wife, an ornament of the lineage. From her Dakṣa will be born, and he will foster and increase the creatures.”

Verse 28

प्रचेतसस्तां जगृहुर्दक्षोस्याञ्च ततो ऽभवत् अचरांश् च चरांश् चैव द्विपदोथ चतुष्पदः

The Pracetases accepted her in marriage, and from her Dakṣa was born. From him, in turn, came forth beings both immobile and mobile—those with two feet as well as those with four.

Verse 29

स सृष्ट्वा मनसा दक्षः पश्चादसृजत स्त्रियः ददौ स दश धर्माय कश्यपाय त्रयोदश

Having first created by his mind, Dakṣa thereafter brought forth women; he gave ten daughters to Dharma and thirteen to Kaśyapa.

Verse 30

सप्ताविंशति सोमाय चतस्त्रो ऽरिष्टनेमिने द्वे चैव बहुपुत्राय द्वे चैवाङ्गिरसे अदात्

He gave twenty-seven to Soma, four to Ariṣṭanemi, two to Bahuputra, and two to Aṅgiras.

Verse 31

तासु देवाश् च नागाद्या मैथुनान्मनसा पुरा धर्मसर्गम्प्रवक्ष्यामि दशपत्नीषु धर्मतः

Among them, the gods, the Nāgas, and others in former times produced progeny through union of the mind. Now I shall set forth, in proper order, the righteous creation (dharma-sarga) that arises through the ten wives, in accordance with Dharma.

Verse 32

विश्वेदेवास्तु विश्वायाः साध्यान् साध्या व्यजायत मरुत्त्वया मरुत्त्वन्तो वसोस्तु वसवो ऽभवन्

From Viśvā arose the Viśvedevas; from Sādhyā were born the Sādhyas; from Maruttvatī came the Maruts; and from Vasu the Vasus came into being.

Verse 33

भानोस्तु भानवः पुत्रा मुहूर्तास्तु मुहूर्तजाः कण्ठोरिति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः कर्णोरिति ङ,चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः स दृष्ट्वा मनसा इति ख, ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः द्वे चैव भाण्डवे तत इति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः सम्बाया धर्मतो घोषो नागवीथी च यामिजा

The Bhānavas are the sons of Bhānu (the Sun); and the Muhūrtas are born from Muhūrta. Moreover, in this enumeration of time-divisions and their presiding names, Sambāyā, Dharmataḥ, Ghoṣa, Nāgavīthī, and Yāmijā are also listed.

Verse 34

पृथिवीविषयं सर्वमरुन्धत्यां व्यजायत सङ्कल्पायास्तु सङ्कल्पा इन्दोर् नक्षत्रतः सुताः

All that pertains to the domain of the Earth was brought forth from Arundhatī. And from Saṅkalpā were born the Saṅkalpas—sons of the Moon, begotten through the lineage of Nakṣatra.

Verse 35

आपो ध्रुवञ्च सोमञ्च धरश् चैवानिलोनलः प्रत्यूषश् च प्रभावश् च वसवोष्टौ च नामतः

Āpa, Dhruva, Soma, Dhara, as well as Anila and Anala; and Pratyūṣa and Prabhāva—these are the eight Vasus by name.

Verse 36

आपस्य पुत्रो वैतण्ड्यः श्रमः शान्तो मुनिस् तथा ध्रुवस्य कालो लोकान्तो वर्चाः सोमस्य वै सुतः

Āpa had a son named Vaitaṇḍya; likewise there were Śrama, Śānta, and the sage Muni. From Dhruva were born Kāla and Lokānta; and Varcā was indeed the son of Soma.

Verse 37

धरस्य पुत्रो द्रविणो हुतहव्यवहस् तथा मनोहरायाः शिशिरः प्राणोथ रमणस् तथा

Dhara’s son is Draviṇa; likewise there is Hutahavyavaha. And from Manoharā were born Śiśira, Prāṇa, and also Ramaṇa.

Verse 38

पुरोजवोनिलस्यासीदविज्ञातो ऽनलस्य च अग्निपुत्रः कुमारश् च शरस्तम्बे व्यजायत

Purojava was born of Vāyu (the Wind-god) and was also unknown to Anala (Agni); and Kumāra—Agni’s son—was born in a clump of śara-reeds.

Verse 39

तस्य शाखो विशाखश् च नैगमेयश् च पृष्टजः कृत्तिकातः कार्त्तिकेयो यतिः सनत्कुमारकः

Of him (Skanda/Kārttikeya) are these names: Śākha, Viśākha, Naigameya, Pṛṣṭaja, Kṛttikāta, Kārttikeya, Yati, and Sanatkumāraka.

Verse 40

प्रत्यूषाद्देवलो जज्ञे विश्वकर्मा प्रभावतः कर्ता शिल्पसहस्राणां त्रिदशानाञ्च वर्धकिः

From Pratyūṣa was born Devala; and from Prabhāva was born Viśvakarmā—he who fashions thousands of crafts and is the master-builder (architect/carpenter) of the gods.

Verse 41

मनुष्याश्चोप्जीवन्ति शिल्पं वै भूषणादिकं सुरभी कश्यपाद्रुद्रानेकादश विजज्ञुषी

Humans, indeed, earn their livelihood through crafts—such as the making of ornaments and the like. Surabhī, by Kaśyapa, gave birth to the eleven Rudras.

Verse 42

महादेवप्रसादेन तपसा भाविता सती स्तकपाठः धर्मश् चैवानिलोनल इति ख, ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः धरिष इति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः मरणस्तथेति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः जातः सनत्कुमारत इति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः युवती इति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अजैकपादहिर्ब्रघ्नस्त्वष्टा रुद्राश् च सत्तम

By Mahādeva’s grace, and perfected through ascetic power, the virtuous Satī caused the divine hosts to manifest; O best of beings, Ajaikapāda, Ahirbudhnya, Tvaṣṭṛ, and the Rudras were revealed.

Verse 43

त्वष्टुश् चैवात्मजः श्रीमान्विश्वरूपो महायशाः हरश् च बहुरूपश् च त्र्यम्बकश्चापराजितः

He is also the illustrious son of Tvaṣṭṛ—Viśvarūpa, of great renown; and he is Hara, of many forms; Tryambaka, and the Unconquered.

Verse 44

वृषाकपिश् च शम्भुश् च कपर्दी रैवतस् तथा मृगव्याधस्य सर्पश् च कपाली दश चैककः रुद्राणां च शतं लक्षं यैर् व्याप्तं सचराचरं

Vṛṣākapi, Śambhu, Kapardī, and likewise Raivata; Mṛgavyādha, Sarpa, Kapālī, Daśa, and Ekaka—by these names and forms, a hundred thousand Rudras pervade the entire universe, both the moving and the unmoving.