Agni Purāṇa
17 - Description of Creation:
Agni said:
1. Ishall describe now the creation of the universe. which is the sport of Vishnu3. He who creates heaven etc. is the beginning of the creation and is endowed with qualities and is without qualities.
3. According to the Sankhya system of philosophy the involuntary union of soul and nature causes creation, while others hold creation as due to the sport of Brahma,
2. Brahmå, the unmanifest, was the existent being. There was no sky, neither the day nor the night etc. Vishnu having entered the nature (Prakruti) and the soul (Purusha), then agitated them.
3. At the time of creation, the intellect (Mahat) (emanated first). The ego (Ahankāra) came into being then, and then the evolutes (Vaikärikas),1 the lustre (taijasa), the elements etc. and the darkness (tāmasa). 2
1. Vaikarikas are the first creation from the natural state.
2. Tamasa is the creation of ignorance.
4. Then emanated the ether, the sound-principle from the ego. Then the wind, the principle of feeling and the fire, the colour principle came into being from it.
5. The water, the taste-principle (came into being) from this. The earth is known as the smell-principle. From the dark ness (born of) ego, the senses (came into being) (which) are lustrous.
6. The evolutes are the ten celestials and the mind, the eleventh sense. Then the lord Svayambhūs3 Brahmā became desirous of creating different types of beings.
3. Brahmå is known as Svayambhu, as he was self-born. See verses 9-10 below.
7. He created waters first. The waters are referred to as nārāḥ because they are the creation of the Supreme spirit.
8. Since his motion was first in them, he is known as Närayana. That egg lying in the water was golden in colour.
9-10. From that, Brahma was born of his own accord, whom we know as the self-born (Svayambhū). Having lived (in it) for one full year, the Hiranyagarbha,4 made that egg into two, the heaven and the earth. Between those two pieces, the lord created the sky.
4. Hiranyagarbha denotes Brahmå, as he was born from the golden egg.
11-13. The ten directions supported the earth floating on the waters. Then the lord of the beings (Prajapati) desirous of creation, created time, mind, speech, desire, anger, attachment and other counter-parts. From the lightning he created thunder and clouds, the rain-bow and birds. He first created Parjanya (Indra). Then he created the Rk hymns (Rcaḥ), Yajur hymns (Yajūmshi) and the Såman hymns (Sämäni) for accomplishing the sacrifice.
14. Those who want to accomplish, worship devas with these (hymns). The higher and lower beings (were created) from the arms. He created Sanatkumara and Rudra, born of anger.
15. He then created the sages Marichi, Atri, Angirasa, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasishtha, who are regarded as the :seven mind-born sons of Brahma.
16. O! Excellent one! these seven (sages) procreated (many) beings and the Rudras. Having divided his body into two, he became a male with one half and a female with another. Then Brahmå procreated children through her (the female half).
Summary of chapter 17 of the Agni Purāṇa is as follows:
This chapter traces the Lunar dynasty (Candravamśa) from Brahmā through Atri, Candra (the Moon), Budha, and Purūravas, down to the lineage of the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas. The story of Purūravas and the apsarā Urvaśī is included as a celebrated episode within this genealogy. The Yadu lineage — from which Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa was born — is traced in detail. Key kings such as Nahuṣa, Yayāti, Pūru, Kuru, and Śantanu are named in succession. The chapter situates both the Mahābhārata and the Kṛṣṇa narratives within a continuous genealogical framework, demonstrating that Bhagavān's descents always occur within the stream of dharmic kingship at the precise moment of cosmic need.
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