याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच अव्यक्तस्य नरश्रेष्ठ कालसंख्यां निबोध मे। पञ्चकल्पसहस्राणि द्विगुणान्यहरुच्यते॥
Yajnavalkya said Listen to me, O foremost of men, as I tell you what the duration of time is about the Supreme Purusha. Ten thousand Kalpas are said to form a single day of his.
रात्रिरेतावती चास्य प्रतिबुद्धो नराधिप। सृजत्योषधिमेवाग्रे जीवनं सर्वदेहिनाम्॥
The duration of his night is equal. When his night passes, he awakes, O king, and first crcates herbs and plants which form the sustenance of all embodied creatures.
ततो ब्रह्माणमसृजद्धिरण्याण्डसमुद्भवम्। सा मूर्तिः सर्वभूतानामित्येवमनुशुश्रुम॥
He then creates Brahman who originates from a golden egg. That Brahman is the form of all created things, as we have heard.
संवत्सरमुषित्वाण्डे निष्क्रम्य च महामुनिः। संदधे स महीं कृत्स्नां दिवमूर्ध्वं प्रजापतिः॥
Having lived for one whole year within that egg, the great ascetic Brahman, called also Prajapati came out of it and created the whole Earth, and the Heaven above.
द्यावापृथिव्योरित्येष राजन् वेदेषु पठ्यते। तयोः शकलयोर्मध्यमाकाशमकरोत् प्रभुः॥
The lord then, it is seen in the Vedas, O king, placed the sky between Heaven and Earth.
एतस्यापि च संख्यानं वेदवेदाङ्गपारगैः। दशकल्पसहस्राणि पादोनान्यहरुच्यते॥
The wise men, conversant in the study of Vedas said that it is seven thousand and five hundred Kalpas that form the day of Brahman.
रात्रिमेतावतीं चास्य प्राहुरध्यात्मचिन्तकाः। सृजत्यहङ्कारमृषिर्भूतं दिव्यात्मकं तथा॥
Persons conservant with spiritual science hold that his night also is of an equal duration. Brahman, called Great, then creates Consciousness called element and endued with excellent essences.
चतुरश्चापरान् पुत्रान् देहात् पूर्वं महानृषिः। ते वै पितॄणां पितरः श्रूयन्ते राजसत्तम॥
Before creating any physical bodies out of the ingredients called the chief elements, Mahan or Brahma, endued with penances created four others called his sons. They are the fathers of the original fathers, O best of kings as we have heard.
देवाः पितॄणां च सुता देवैर्लोकाः समावृताः। चराचरा नरश्रेष्ठ इत्येवमनुशुश्रुमा॥
We have also heard, O king, that the senses (of knowledge) along with the four inner faculties, have originated from the Pitris, and that the entire universe of mobile and immobile Beings has been filled with those Great elements.
परमेष्ठी त्वहङ्कारः सृजन् भूतानि पञ्चधा। पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम्॥
The powerful Consciousness created the five elements. These are Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, and Light as the fifth.
एतस्यापि निशामाहुस्तृतीयमिह कुर्वतः। पञ्चकल्पसहस्राणि तावदेवाहरुच्यते॥
This Consciousness from whom originates the third creation, has five thousand Kalpas for his night, and his day is of equal duration.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च। एते विशेषा राजेन्द्र महाभूतेषु पञ्चसु॥
Sound, Touch, Form. Taste, and Scent,-these five are called Vishesha. They inhere into the five great elements.
यैराविष्टानि भूतानि अहन्यहनि पार्थिव। अन्योन्यं स्पृहयन्त्येते अन्योन्यस्य हिते रताः॥ अन्योन्यमतिवर्तन्ते अन्योन्यस्पर्धिनस्तथा। ते वध्यमाना ह्यन्योन्यं गुणैर्हारिभरव्ययैः॥ इहैव परिवर्तन्ते तिर्यग्योनिप्रवेशिनः।
All creatures, 0 king, continually permeated by these five, seek one another's companionship, become subservient to one another, and challenging one another, get over one another; and actuated by those immutable and seductive principles, creatures kill one another and rove in this world, entering into numerous intermediate orders of Being.
त्रीणि कल्पसहस्राणि एतेषामहरुच्यते॥ रात्रिरेतावती चैव मनसश्च नराधिप। मनश्चरति राजेन्द्र चारितं सर्वमिन्द्रियैः :॥ न चेन्द्रियाणि पश्यन्ति मन एवानुपश्यति।
Three thousands of Kalpas form their day. Their night also is the same. The Mind roves over all things, O king, guided by the Senses. The Senses do not perceive anything. It is the Mind that perceives through them.
चक्षुः पश्यति रूपाणि मनसा तु न चक्षुषा॥ मनसि व्याकुले चक्षुः पश्यन्नपि न पश्यति।
The Eye sees forms when helped by the Mind is distracted, the Eye cannot see fully even the object before it.
तथेन्द्रियाणि सर्वाणि पश्यन्तीत्यभिचक्षते॥ न चेन्द्रियाणि पश्यन्ति मन एवात्र पश्यति।
It is commonly said that the Senses perceive. This is not true, for it is the Mind that perceives through the Senses.
मनस्युपरते राजनिन्द्रियोपरमो भवेत्॥ न चेन्द्रियव्युपरमे मनस्युपरमो भवेत्। एवं: मनःप्रधानानि इन्द्रियाणि प्रभावयेत्॥
When the activity of the Mind, is stopped, the activity of the Senses is also stopped. One should thus consider the Senses to be under the control of the Mind.
इन्द्रियाणां तु सर्वेषामीश्वरं मन उच्यते। एतद् विशन्ति भूतानि सर्वाणीह महायशः॥
Indeed, the Mind is said to be the Lord of all the Senses. O you of great fame, these are all the twenty elements in the Universe.