Muni's PlayManusmriti Chapter 1
Sanskrit
आसीदिदं तमोभूतमप्रज्ञातमलक्षणम् ।
अप्रतर्क्यमविज्ञेयं प्रसुप्तमिव सर्वतः ॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration
āsīdidaṃ tamobhūtamaprajñātamalakṣaṇam |
apratarkyamavijñeyaṃ prasuptamiva sarvataḥ || 5 ||
Translation
This (World) was in existence in the form, as it were, of dense Darkness,—unperceived, undifferentiated, incogitable, (hence) incognizable; as it was wholly merged in deep sleep.
Sanskrit
योऽसावतीन्द्रियग्राह्यः सूक्ष्मोऽव्यक्तः सनातनः ।
सर्वभूतय्योऽचिन्त्यः स एव स्वयमुद्बभौ ॥ ७ ॥
Transliteration
yo’sāvatīndriyagrāhyaḥ sūkṣmo’vyaktaḥ sanātanaḥ |
sarvabhūtamayo’cintyaḥ sa eva svayamudbabhau || 7 ||
Translation
He,—who is apprehended beyond the senses, who is subtile, unmanifest and eternal, absorbed in all created things and inconceivable,—appeared by himself.
Sanskrit
आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः ।
ता यदस्यायनं पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ॥ १० ॥
Transliteration
āpo nārā iti proktā āpo vai narasūnavaḥ |
tā yadasyāyanaṃ pūrvaṃ tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ || 10 ||
Translation
Water is called ‘nara,’—water being the offspring of nara; since water was the first thing created by (or, the original residence of) that being, he is, on that account, described as ‘nārāyaṇa.’
Sanskrit
यत् तत् कारणमव्यक्तं नित्यं सदसदात्मकम् ।
तद्विसृष्टः स पुरुषो लोके ब्रह्मैति कीर्त्यते ॥ ११ ॥
Transliteration
yat tat kāraṇamavyaktaṃ nityaṃ sadasadātmakam |
tadvisृṣṭaḥ sa puruṣo loke brahmaiti kīrtyate || 11 ||
Translation
That which is the cause—unmanifest, eternal and partaking of the nature of the existent and the non-existent,—the being produced by that (cause) is described among people as ‘brahmā.’
Sanskrit
कालं कालविभक्तीश्च नक्षत्राणि ग्रहांस्तथा ।
सरितः सागरान् शैलान् समानि विषमानि च ॥ २४ ॥
Transliteration
kālaṃ kālavibhaktīśca nakṣatrāṇi grahāṃstathā |
saritaḥ sāgarān śailān samāni viṣamāni ca || 24 ||
Translation
[He created] also Time, the Divisions of Time, the Lunar Mansions, the Planets, the Rivers, the Oceans, the Mountains and the tracts of land, plain and rugged.
Sanskrit
कर्मणां च विवेकार्थं धर्माधर्मौ व्यवेचयत् ।
द्वन्द्वैरयोजयच्चैमाः सुखदुःखादिभिः प्रजाः ॥ २६ ॥
Transliteration
karmaṇāṃ ca vivekārthaṃ dharmādharmau vyavecayat |
dvandvairayojayaccaimāḥ sukhaduḥkhādibhiḥ prajāḥ || 26 ||
Translation
For the due discrimination of actions, he differentiated Virtue and Vice; and he connected these creatures with such pairs of opposites as Pleasure-Pain and the like.
Sanskrit
लोकानां तु विवृद्ध्यर्थं मुखबाहूरुपादतः ।
ब्राह्मणं क्षत्रियं वैश्यं शूद्रं च निरवर्तयत् ॥ ३१ ॥
Transliteration
lokānāṃ tu vivṛddhyarthaṃ mukhabāhūrupādataḥ |
brāhmaṇaṃ kṣatriyaṃ vaiśyaṃ śūdraṃ ca niravartayat || 31 ||
Translation
With a view to the development of the (three) regions, He brought into existence the Brāhmaṇa, the Kṣatriya, the Vaiśya and the Śūdra, from out of His mouth, arms, thighs and feet (respectively).
Sanskrit
यक्षरक्षः पिशाचांश्च गन्धर्वाप्सरसोऽसुरान् ।
नागान् सर्पान् सुपर्णांश्च पितॄणांश्च पृथग्गणम् ॥ ३७ ॥
Transliteration
yakṣarakṣaḥ piśācāṃśca gandharvāpsaraso’surān |
nāgān sarpān suparṇāṃśca pitṝṇāṃśca pṛthaggaṇam || 37 ||
Translation
[They called into being] also Yakṣas, Rakṣasas, Piśācas, Gandharvas, Apsarases, Asuras, Nāgas, Sarpas, Suparṇas, and the several orders of Pitṛs.
Sanskrit
विद्युतोऽशनिमेघांश्च रोहितैन्द्रधनूंषि च ।
उल्कानिर्घातकेतूंश्च ज्योतींष्युच्चावचानि च ॥ ३८ ॥
Transliteration
vidyuto’śanimeghāṃśca rohitaindradhanūṃṣi ca |
ulkānirghātaketūṃśca jyotīṃṣyuccāvacāni ca || 38 ||
Translation
[They called into being] Lightnings, Hails, Clouds, Vertical Phosphorescence, Rainbows, Meteors, Portentous Sounds, Comets, and Stars of varying magnitudes.
Sanskrit
एवमेतैरिदं सर्वं मन्नियोगान् महात्मभिः ।
यथाकर्म तपोयोगात् सृष्टं स्थावरजङ्गमम् ॥ ४१ ॥
Transliteration
evametairidaṃ sarvaṃ manniyogān mahātmabhiḥ |
yathākarma tapoyogāt sṛṣṭaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam || 41 ||
Translation
In this manner was all this, movable and immovable, called into being, through the force of austerities, by these high-souled sages, under my direction,—in accordance with their actions.
Sanskrit
उद्भिज्जाः स्थावराः सर्वे बीजकाण्डप्ररोहिणः ।
ओषध्यः फलपाकान्ता बहुपुष्पफलोपगाः ॥ ४६ ॥
Transliteration
udbhijjāḥ sthāvarāḥ sarve bījakāṇḍप्रrohiṇaḥ |
oṣadhyaḥ phalapākāntā bahupuṣpaphalopagāḥ || 46 ||
Translation
All those immovable brings that are produced by splitting (i.e., Plants) grow out of seeds and slips. those that, abounding in flowers, perish with the ripening of their fruit, are called ‘oṣadhis’ (‘Annuals’).
Sanskrit
गुच्छगुल्मं तु विविधं तथैव तृणजातयः ।
बीजकाण्डरुहाण्येव प्रताना वल्ल्य एव च ॥ ४८ ॥
Transliteration
gucchagulmaṃ tu vividhaṃ tathaiva tṛṇajātayaḥ |
bījakāṇḍaruhāṇyeva pratānā vallya eva ca || 48 ||
Translation
The various kinds op clumps and thickets, and the other species of grass, as also low-spreading tendrils and creepers—all these grow out of seeds and slips.
Sanskrit
तमसा बहुरूपेण वेष्टिताः कर्महेतुना ।
अन्तस्सञ्ज्ञा भवन्त्येते सुखदुःखसमन्विताः ॥ ४९ ॥
Transliteration
tamasā bahurūpeṇa veṣṭitāḥ karmahetunā |
antassañjñā bhavantyete sukhaduḥkhasamanvitāḥ || 49 ||
Translation
All these (vegetable beings) are invested by manifold ‘darkness’ (inertia), the result of their acts; and possessing inner consciousness, they are affected by pleasure and pain.
Sanskrit
आकाशात् तु विकुर्वाणात् सर्वगन्धवहः शुचिः ।
बलवाञ्जायते वायुः स वै स्पर्शगुणो मतः ॥ ७६ ॥
Transliteration
ākāśāt tu vikurvāṇāt sarvagandhavahaḥ śuciḥ |
balavāñjāyate vāyuḥ sa vai sparśaguṇo mataḥ || 76 ||
Translation
After Ākāśa, from out of the same evolvent [‘Mind’], there comes into existence the pure and potent Wind, the vehicle of all odours; and it is held to be endowed with the quality of Touch.
Sanskrit
अध्यापनमध्ययनं यजनं याजनं तथा ।
दानं प्रतिग्रहं चैव ब्राह्मणानामकल्पयत् ॥ ८८ ॥
Transliteration
adhyāpanamadhyayanaṃ yajanaṃ yājanaṃ tathā |
dānaṃ pratigrahaṃ caiva brāhmaṇānāmakalpayat || 88 ||
Translation
For the Brāhmaṇas he ordained teaching, studying, sacrificing and officiating at sacrifices, as also the giving and accepting of gifts.
Sanskrit
प्रजानां रक्षणं दानमिज्याऽध्ययनमेव च ।
विषयेष्वप्रसक्तिश्च क्षत्रियस्य समासतः ॥ ८९ ॥
Transliteration
prajānāṃ rakṣaṇaṃ dānamijyā’dhyayanameva ca |
viṣayeṣvaprasaktiśca kṣatriyasya samāsataḥ || 89 ||
Translation
For the Kṣatriya he ordained protecting of the people, giving of gifts, sacrificing and studying, as also abstaining prom being addicted to the objects of sense.
Sanskrit
पशूनां रक्षणं दानमिज्याऽध्ययनमेव च ।
वणिक्पथं कुसीदं च वैश्यस्य कृषिमेव च ॥ ९० ॥
Transliteration
paśūnāṃ rakṣaṇaṃ dānamijyā’dhyayanameva ca |
vaṇikpathaṃ kusīdaṃ ca vaiśyasya kṛṣimeva ca || 90 ||
Translation
For the Vaiśya, tending of cattle, giving of gifts, sacrificing and studying; as also trade, money-lending and cultivating of land.
Sanskrit
एकमेव तु शूद्रस्य प्रभुः कर्म समादिशत् ।
एतेषामेव वर्णानां शुश्रूषामनसूयया ॥ ९१ ॥
Transliteration
ekameva tu śūdrasya prabhuḥ karma samādiśat |
eteṣāmeva varṇānāṃ śuśrūṣāmanasūyayā || 91 ||
Translation
For the Śūdra the Lord ordained only one function: the ungrudging service of the said castes.
Sanskrit
आचारः परमो धर्मः श्रुत्योक्तः स्मार्त एव च ।
तस्मादस्मिन् सदा युक्तो नित्यं स्यादात्मवान् द्विजः ॥ १०८ ॥
Transliteration
ācāraḥ paramo dharmaḥ śrutyoktaḥ smārta eva ca |
tasmādasmin sadā yukto nityaṃ syādātmavān dvijaḥ || 108 ||
Translation
Morality [Right Behaviour] is highest Dharma; that which is prescribed in the śruti and laid down in the Smṛti. hence the twice-born person, desiring the welfare of his soul, should be always intent upon Right Behaviour.