Agni Purana — Chapter 17
AgP 17.1
:ए इत्य् आदिमहापुराणे आग्नेये बुद्धकल्क्यवतारवर्णनं नाम षोडशो ऽध्यायः छप्तेर् {१७} :श् अथ सप्तदशो ऽध्यायः सृष्टिविषयकवर्ननम् अग्निर् उवाच जगत्सर्गादिकान् क्रीडान् विष्णोर्वक्ष्येधुना शृणु स्वर्गादिकृत् स सर्गादिः सृष्ट्यादिः सगुणोगुणः
:e ity ādimahāpurāṇe āgneye buddhakalkyavatāravarṇanaṃ nāma ṣoḍaśo 'dhyāyaḥ chapter {17} :ś atha saptadaśo 'dhyāyaḥ sṛṣṭiviṣayakavarnanam agnir uvāca jagatsargādikān krīḍān viṣṇorvakṣyedhunā śṛṇu svargādikṛt sa sargādiḥ sṛṣṭyādiḥ saguṇoguṇaḥ
Thus in the Āgneya, the first great Purāṇa, the sixteenth chapter, called the description of the Buddha and Kalki incarnations. Chapter 17. Now the seventeenth chapter: the description of the subject of creation. Agni said: I shall now declare the sports of Viṣṇu — the creation of the world and the rest; listen. He is the maker of heaven and the rest, the origin of creation, the beginning of emanation, with qualities and without qualities.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.2
:प् ४० ब्रह्माव्यक्तं सदाग्रे ऽभूत् न खं रात्रिदिनादिकं प्रकृतिं पुरुषं विष्णुः(१) प्रविश्याक्षोभयत्ततः
:p 40 brahmāvyaktaṃ sadāgre 'bhūt na khaṃ rātridinādikaṃ prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ viṣṇuḥ(1) praviśyākṣobhayattataḥ
In the beginning there was Brahman, unmanifest, existent; there was no space, no night and day and the rest. Viṣṇu, having entered prakṛti and puruṣa, then stirred (them) up.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.3
स्वर्गकाले महत्तत्त्वमहङ्कारस्ततो ऽभवत् वैकारिकस्तैजसश् च भूतादिश् चैव तामसः
svargakāle mahattattvamahaṅkārastato 'bhavat vaikārikastaijasaś ca bhūtādiś caiva tāmasaḥ
At the time of creation the principle mahat came to be, and from that ahaṃkāra (the sense of I): the vaikārika (modificatory), the taijasa (fiery), and the bhūtādi, which is tāmasa (dark).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.4
अहङ्काराच्छब्दमात्रमाकाशमभवत्ततः स्पर्शमात्रो ऽनिलस्तस्माद्रूपमात्रो ऽनलस्ततः
ahaṅkārācchabdamātramākāśamabhavattataḥ sparśamātro 'nilastasmādrūpamātro 'nalastataḥ
From ahaṃkāra there came to be space, having sound alone (as its property); from that wind, having touch alone; from that fire, having form alone.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.5
रसमात्रा आप इतो गन्धमात्रा मही स्मृता(२) अहङ्कारात्तामसात्तु तैजसानीन्द्रियाणि च
rasamātrā āpa ito gandhamātrā mahī smṛtā(2) ahaṅkārāttāmasāttu taijasānīndriyāṇi ca
From this, water, having taste alone; earth is held to have smell alone. But from the tāmasa ahaṃkāra (come the elements), and from the taijasa the sense-organs.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 17.6
वैकारिका दश देवा मन एकादशेन्द्रियम् ततः स्वयंभूर्भगवान्(३) सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः
vaikārikā daśa devā mana ekādaśendriyam tataḥ svayaṃbhūrbhagavān(3) sisṛkṣurvividhāḥ prajāḥ
The vaikārika (products) are the ten gods, and the mind is the eleventh organ. Then the Self-existent Lord, wishing to bring forth manifold creatures—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.7
अप एव ससर्जादौ तासु वीर्यमवासृजत्(४) आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः
apa eva sasarjādau tāsu vīryamavāsṛjat(4) āpo nārā iti proktā āpo vai narasūnavaḥ
—at first created just the waters, and released his generative power into them. The waters are called nārāḥ; the waters are indeed the offspring of Nara.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.8
अयनन्तस्य ताः पूर्वन्तेन नारायणः स्मृतः हिरण्यवर्णमभवत्(५) तदण्डमुदकेशयम्
ayanantasya tāḥ pūrvantena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ hiraṇyavarṇamabhavat(5) tadaṇḍamudakeśayam
They were formerly his resting place, and for that reason he is called Nārāyaṇa. That egg, lying in the water, became golden-coloured.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.9
तस्मिन् जज्ञे स्वयं ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूरिति नः श्रुतम् हिरण्यगर्भो(६) भगवानुषित्वा परिवत्सरम्
tasmin jajñe svayaṃ brahmā svayambhūriti naḥ śrutam hiraṇyagarbho(6) bhagavānuṣitvā parivatsaram
In it Brahmā was born of himself—so we have heard (he is called) the Self-existent. The Lord Hiraṇyagarbha, having dwelt (in it) for a full year,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.10
तदण्डमकरोत् द्वैधन्दिवं भुवमथापि च तयोः शकलयोर्मध्ये आकाशमसृजत् प्रभुः
tadaṇḍamakarot dvaidhandivaṃ bhuvamathāpi ca tayoḥ śakalayormadhye ākāśamasṛjat prabhuḥ
made that egg twofold: heaven, and also the earth; and in the middle, between those two halves, the Lord created the intervening space.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.11
अप्सु पारिप्लवां पृथिवीं दिशश् च दशधा दधे तत्र कालं मनो वाचं कामं क्रोधमथो रतिम्
apsu pāriplavāṃ pṛthivīṃ diśaś ca daśadhā dadhe tatra kālaṃ mano vācaṃ kāmaṃ krodhamatho ratim
He set the earth floating on the waters, and the directions in ten divisions; and there (he set) time, mind, speech, desire, anger, and then pleasure.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.12
:न् १ विष्णुमिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः २ गन्धमात्रा धरित्र्यभूदिति ख, ग, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकत्रयपाठः ३ ततः स्वयम्भूर्भगवानित्यारभ्य स्रष्टुमिच्छन् प्रजापतिरित्यन्तपाठस्तु महाभारतीयहरिवंशपर्वण उद्धृत इति अध्यवसीयते उभयत्र क्रमेण पाठसाम्यात् ४ तासु बीजमथासृजदिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः ५ हिरण्यगर्भमभवदिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः ६ हिरण्यवर्ण इति ग, चिह्नित्गपुस्तकपाठः :प् ४१ ससर्ज सृष्टिन्तद्रूपां स्रष्टुमिच्छन् प्रजापतिः विद्युतोशनिमेघांश् च रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि च
:n 1 viṣṇumiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ 2 gandhamātrā dharitryabhūditi kha, ga, gha, cihnitapustakatrayapāṭhaḥ 3 tataḥ svayambhūrbhagavānityārabhya sraṣṭumicchan prajāpatirityantapāṭhastu mahābhāratīyaharivaṃśaparvaṇa uddhṛta iti adhyavasīyate ubhayatra krameṇa pāṭhasāmyāt 4 tāsu bījamathāsṛjaditi kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ 5 hiraṇyagarbhamabhavaditi kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ 6 hiraṇyavarṇa iti ga, cihnitgapustakapāṭhaḥ :p 41 sasarja sṛṣṭintadrūpāṃ sraṣṭumicchan prajāpatiḥ vidyutośanimeghāṃś ca rohitendradhanūṃṣi ca
[Notes: 1. 'Viṣṇum' is the reading of the manuscript marked kha. 2. 'earth came to be with smell alone' is the reading of the three manuscripts marked kha, ga, gha. 3. The passage beginning 'then the Self-existent Lord' and ending 'Prajāpati wishing to create' is concluded to be quoted from the Harivaṃśa section of the Mahābhārata, since the wording agrees in sequence in both places. 4. 'then released the seed into them' is the reading of the manuscript marked kha. 5. 'Hiraṇyagarbha came to be' is the reading of the manuscript marked kha. 6. 'golden-coloured' is the reading of the manuscript marked ga.] Page 41. Prajāpati, wishing to create, brought forth a creation of that form, and lightnings, thunderbolts and clouds, and red (rainbows), the bows of Indra.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.13
वयांसि च ससर्जादौ पर्जन्यञ्चाथ वक्त्रतः ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि निर्ममे यज्ञसिद्धये
vayāṃsi ca sasarjādau parjanyañcātha vaktrataḥ ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni nirmame yajñasiddhaye
And at first he created the birds, and then the rain-cloud from his mouth; and he fashioned the Ṛc, Yajus and Sāman verses for the accomplishment of sacrifice.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.14
साध्यास्तैर् अयजन्देवान् भूतमुच्चावचं भुजात्(१) सनत्कुमारं रुद्रञ्च ससर्ज क्रोधसम्भवम्
sādhyāstair ayajandevān bhūtamuccāvacaṃ bhujāt(1) sanatkumāraṃ rudrañca sasarja krodhasambhavam
By means of these the Sādhyas sacrificed to the gods; (he created) beings high and low from his arm. And he created Sanatkumāra, and Rudra, who arose from his anger.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 17.15
मरीचिमत्र्यङ्गिरसं पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुम् वसिष्ठं मानसाः सप्त ब्रह्माण इति निश्चिताः(२)
marīcimatryaṅgirasaṃ pulastyaṃ pulahaṃ kratum vasiṣṭhaṃ mānasāḥ sapta brahmāṇa iti niścitāḥ(2)
Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasiṣṭha—these seven mind-born ones are settled to be 'Brahmās'.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 17.16
सप्तैते जनयन्ति स्म प्रजा रुद्राश् च सत्तम द्विधा कृत्वात्मनो देहमर्धेन पुरुषो ऽभवत् अर्धेन नारी तस्यां स ब्रह्मा वै चासृजत् प्रजाः
saptaite janayanti sma prajā rudrāś ca sattama dvidhā kṛtvātmano dehamardhena puruṣo 'bhavat ardhena nārī tasyāṃ sa brahmā vai cāsṛjat prajāḥ
These seven used to beget offspring, and so did the Rudras, O best of the good. Having made his own body twofold, with one half he became man, with the (other) half woman; and in her Brahmā indeed brought forth creatures.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition