Chapter 183
“Bharadwaja said, ‘Tell me, O best of Brahmanas, how the puissant Brahmanresiding within Meru, created these diverse kinds of objects.’
“Bhrigu said, ‘The great Manasa (in his form of Brahman) created thediverse kinds of objects by fiat of Will. For the protection then of allcreatures, he first created water. Water is the life of all creatures,and it is water which aids their growth. If there be no water, allcreatures would perish. The whole universe is pervaded by water. Earth,mountains, clouds, and all things which have form, should all be known astransformations of water. They have all been produced by thesolidification of that element.’
Bharadwaja said, ‘How did water spring? How Fire and Wind? How also wasthe earth created? I have great doubts on these points.’
“Bhrigu said, ‘O regenerate one, in very ancient times called theBrahma-kalpa, the high-souled Rishis of the regenerate order, when theyassembled together, felt this very doubt about the creation of theuniverse. Re-straining speech, they remained immovable, engaged in(ascetic) contemplation. Having given up all food, they subsisted uponair alone, and remained thus for a thousand celestial years. At the endof that period, certain words as sacred as those of the Vedassimultaneously reached the ears of all. Indeed, this celestial voice washeard in the firmament to say, ‘Formerly there was only infinite Space,perfectly motionless and immovable. Without sun, moon, stars, and wind,it seemed to be asleep. Then water sprang into existence like somethingdarker within darkness. Then from the pressure of water arose wind. As anempty vessel without a hole appears at first to be without any sound, butwhen filled with water, air appears and makes a great noise, even so wheninfinite Space was filled with water, the wind arose with a great noise,penetrating through the water.[553] That wind, thus generated by thepressure of the ocean of water, still moveth. Coming into (unobstructed)Space, its motion is never stopped. Then in consequence of the frictionof wind and water, fire possessed of great might and blazing energy,sprang into existence, with flames directed upwards. That fire dispelledthe darkness that had covered Space. Assisted by the wind, fire drewSpace and Water together. Indeed, combining with the wind, fire becamesolidified. While failing from the sky, the liquid portion of firesolidified again and became what is known as the earth. The earth orland, in which everything is born, is the origin of all kinds of taste,of all kinds of scent, of all kinds of liquids, and of all kinds ofanimals.'”
