Chapter 18 - The Creation of Gandharvas Etc.

1-9. Vaishampayana said:—Thereupon assuming the form of pure intelligence the Grand-father conceives the aggregate creation through his mental faculties; and through his inner soul withdrawn from all external objects he performs actions leading to the attainment of Brahman. Engaged in mental concentration and on account of his unification with Brahman, he created offspring in his mind. Through his eyes, the omnipotent Brahma created the beautiful Apsaras and from the tip of his nose he created Tumvuru and hundreds and thousands of other Gandharvas clad in variegated raiments and expert in reciting the Vedas, singing, dancing, and playing on musical instruments. Through his Yoga power the omnipotent self-sprung deity created in his mind the immaculate goddess Veda-Vani, the very incarnation of his own beauty. She had beautiful eyes, hairs, eye-brows and a lovely countenance. The goddess of sweet words sat on a charming lotus of a hundred petals. O king, having created from his eyes the beautiful Apsaras, and from the tip of his nose the sweet-voiced Gandharvas, expert in playing on musical instruments Brahma, the soul of elements, propounded the art of singing and produced the Saman for other Brahmans.

10-14. From his two feet were produced the mobile and immobile creation and men, Kinnaras, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Pichachas, Uragas, elephants, lions, tigers, thousands of other animals, grass and quadrupeds. He created from his hands those who take their food with their hands together with their works. Through vital airs the creator, seeking happiness for all creatures, created various functions of breath. And then fixing his mind on the great Atman full of felicity on account of the obstruction of five senses he remained there. From his heart he created the kine and through his arms he created the birds; and then he created acquatic animals in their different forms.

5-17. From the space between the two eye-brows the lord of Yoga, the divine Grand-father through his Yoga power, created the celestial saint Angira, burning in effulgence, and endued with true knowledge for the suppression of six senses. And from his forehead he created the highly pious, celestial saint Bhrigu. From his head the great Yogin, Brahma created the quarrelsome Narada and Sanat Kumar.

18-23. When the Grand-father appointed, the eternal king of the twice-born, the night-ranging Soma as the heir apparent the moon, endued with the power begotton by great penances, along with the stars, filled the sky with various creatures and began to range there. Having acquired spiritual powers through Yoga and mental culture the divine Brahma created the mobile and immobile creatures from his body. Brahma created various regions as that of the sun &c, and appointed various agents for carrying on the work of day and night. What has been said before leads to the attainment of Brahma. Therefore the Brahma Yoga and Sankhya Yoga constitute the proved science of the scientists. This has been also proved by the Charvakas. This leads to unification and diversification. This creates birth and death. This creates and destroys time. This is to be known as the discriminative knowledge.