(看看梵天如何創造這個世界的人事物)Viṣṇu purāṇa(毘濕奴往世書)Book I-ChapterV - Vishnu as Brahma creates the world第一冊–第五章–毗濕奴，梵天創造世界

Viṣṇu as Brahmā creates the world. General characteristics of creation. Brahmā meditates, and gives origin to, immovable things, animals, gods, men. Specific creation of nine kinds; Mahat, Tanmātra, Aindrīya, inanimate objects, animals, gods, men, Anugraha, and Kaumāra. More particular account of creation. Origin of different orders of beings from Brahmā's body under different conditions; and of the Vedas from his mouths. All things created again as they existed in a former Kalpa.

毗濕奴以梵天的形象創造了世界。祂創造世界的特性：

梵天冥想並創造了不可移動的事物、動物、神靈、人類。具體創造了九種：即①Mahat(一切物體形式的至高存;智力)、②Tanmātra(基本的、未分化的、微妙的元素；原則)、Aindriya(感官)、無生命物體、動物、神、人、Anugraha(祝福)和 ③Kaumara(指童年階段)。對創造的更具體的描述：梵天身體在不同條件下的不同等級眾生的起源；以及他口中的吠陀經。一切事物都按照前劫時的樣子重新創造。

 Maitreya said:—

Now unfold to me, Brahman, how this deity created the gods, sages, progenitors, demons, men, animals, trees, and the rest, that abide on earth, in heaven, or in the waters: how Brahmā at creation made the world with the qualities, the characteristics, and the forms of things.

彌勒說：

「婆羅門阿，現在請向我講述，這位本尊是如何創造出存在於地上、天堂或水中的神、聖賢、祖先、惡魔、人、動物、樹木和其他事物的：梵天是如何創造具有事物的特質、屬性和形象的世界。」

 

Parāśara said:—

I will explain to you, Maitreya, listen attentively, how this deity, the lord of all, created the gods and other beings.

 Whilst he (Brahmā) formerly, in the beginning of the Kalpas, was. meditating on creation, there appeared a creation beginning with ignorance, and consisting of darkness. From that great being appeared fivefold Ignorance, consisting of obscurity, illusion, extreme illusion, gloom, utter darkness. The creation of the creator thus plunged in abstraction, was the fivefold (immovable) world, without intellect or reflection, void of perception or sensation, incapable of feeling, and destitute of motion. Since immovable things were first created, this is called the first creation. Brahmā, beholding that it was defective, designed another; and whilst he thus meditated, the animal creation was manifested, to the products of which the term Tiryaksrotas is applied, from their nutriment following a winding course. These were called beasts, &c., and their characteristic was the quality of darkness, they being destitute of knowledge, uncontrolled in their conduct, and mistaking error for wisdom; being formed of egotism and self-esteem, labouring under the twenty-eight kinds of imperfection, manifesting inward sensations, and associating with each other (according to their kinds).

波羅奢羅說：

「彌勒，我來為你解釋，你仔細聽，這位本尊，萬有之主，是如何創造天神和其他眾生的。

 「以前，在劫初之時，祂（梵天）冥想創造，出現了一種從無知開始、由黑暗組成的創造。從那個偉大的存在中，出現了五重無明，包括模糊、幻覺、極端幻覺、陰暗、完全黑暗。因此，造物主的創造陷入了空泛抽象，是五重（不可移動的）世界，沒有智力或思想，沒有知覺或感覺，沒有意識，也缺乏活動力。由於不可移動的東西是第一次被創造出來的，所以這被稱為”初創”。梵天發現它有缺陷，便設計了另一個。當他如此冥想時，動物的創造就顯現出來了，他被稱為④“Tiryaksrotas”，其營養來自於蜿蜒的過程。這些人被稱為野獸等，他們的特徵是黑暗的特質，他們缺乏知識，行為不受控制，誤以為是智慧；由自我主義和自尊所形成，在二十八種不完美下創作，表現出內在的感覺，並根據其種類彼此聯繫。

Beholding this creation also imperfect, Brahmā again meditated, and a third creation appeared, abounding with the quality of goodness, termed Ūrddhasrotas. The beings thus produced in the Ūrddhasrotas creation were endowed with pleasure and enjoyment, uneñcumbered internally or externally, and luminous within and without. This, termed the creation of immortals, was the third performance of Brahmā, who, although well pleased with it, still found it incompetent to fulfil his end. Continuing therefore his meditations, there sprang, in consequence of his infallible purpose, the creation termed Arvāksrotas, from indiscrete nature. The products of this are termed Arvāksrotasas, from the downward current (of their nutriment). They abound with the light of knowledge, but the qualities of darkness and of foulness predominate. Hence they are afflicted by evil, and are repeatedly impelled to action. They have knowledge both externally and internally, and are the instruments (of accomplishing the object of creation, the liberation of soul). These creatures were mankind.

「看到這個創造物也不完美，梵天再次冥想，於是第三個創造物出現了，充滿了善良的特質，被稱為Ūrddhasrotas。如此在聖輪創造中所產生的眾生，被賦予了喜樂和享受，內外無礙，內外光明。這被稱為”造神”，這是梵天的第三次表現，雖然他對此感到滿意，但仍然發現它不足以實現他的目的。因此，梵天繼續他的冥想，由於他絕對正確的目的，從不離散的自然中產生了被稱為 Arvāksrotas(指人類的創造) 的創造物。這種產物被稱為 Arvāksrotasas，來自其營養物質的向下流動。他們充滿了知識之光，但黑暗和邪恶的特質卻占主導地位。因此，他們受到邪惡的折磨，並且屢屢被迫採取行動。他們擁有外在和內在的知識，並且是”實現創造的目標，靈魂的解放”的工具。這些生物就是人類。

 

I have thus explained to you, excellent Muni, six creations. The first creation was that of Mahat or Mahat, which is also called the creation of Brahmā. The second was that of the rudimental principles (Tanmātras), thence termed the elemental creation (Bhūta serga). The third was the modified form of egotism, termed the organic creation, or creation of the senses (Aindrīyaka). These three were the Prākrita creations, the developements of indiscrete nature, preceded by the indiscrete principle[10]. The fourth or fundamental creation (of perceptible things) was that of inanimate bodies. The fifth, the Tairyag yonya creation, was that of animals. The sixth was the Ūrddhasrotas creation, or that of the divinities. The creation of the Arvāksrotas beings was the seventh, and was that of man. There is an eighth creation, termed Anugraha, which possesses both the qualities of goodness and darkness. Of these creations, five are secondary, and three are primary. But there is a ninth, the Kaumāra creation, which is both primary and secondary. These are the nine creations of the great progenitor of all, and, both as primary and secondary, are the radical causes of the world, proceeding from the sovereign creator. What else dost thou desire to hear?

「偉大的牟尼(指彌勒)，我已經向你解釋了這六種創造。第一個創造是Mahat或Mahat(智力)的創造，也稱為梵天的創造。第二個是基本原則（Tanmātras），因此被稱為元素創造（Bhūta serga）。第三種是自我主義的改良形式，稱為有機創造或感官創造（Aindriyaka）。這三者是原質的創造，是不離散自然的發展，先於不離散原則。第四個或基本的創造（可感知的事物）是無生命的物體。第五，Tairyag yonya 創作，是動物創造。第六個是 Ūrddhasrotas 的創造，或神靈的創造。Arvāksrotas 生物的創造是第七個，也是人類的創造。還有第八個創造物，稱為Anugraha(指祝福，代表“從生死循環中解脫”)，它同時擁有善良和黑暗的特質。在這些創造中，有五個是次要的，三個是主要的。但還有第九種，Kaumāra 創造，它既是主要的又是次要的。這些是萬物偉大祖先的九個創造，無論是主要的還是次要的，都是世界的根本因緣，來自至高無上的創造者。你還想聽什麼？」

 

MAITREYA—Thou hast briefly related to me, Muni, the creation of the gods and other beings: I am desirous, chief of sages, to hear from thee a more ample account of their creation.

彌勒說：

「牟尼阿，您已簡要地向我講述了眾神和其他生物的創造：聖賢之首阿，我渴望聽到您對他們的創造有更充分的描述。」

 

Parāśara said:—

Created beings, although they are destroyed (in their individual forms) at the periods of dissolution, yet, being affected by the good or evil acts of former existence, they are never exempted from their consequences; and when Brahmā creates the world anew, they are the progeny of his will, in the fourfold condition of gods, men, animals, or inanimate things. Brahmā then, being desirous of creating the four orders of beings, termed gods, demons, progenitors, and men, collected his mind into itself. Whilst thus concentrated, the quality of darkness pervaded his body; and thence the demons (the Asuras) were first born, issuing from his thigh. Brahmā then abandoned that form which was, composed of the rudiment of darkness, and which, being deserted by him, became night. Continuing to create, but assuming a different. shape, he experienced pleasure; and thence from his mouth proceeded the gods, endowed with the quality of goodness. The form abandoned by him, became day, in which the good quality predominates; and hence by day the gods are most powerful, and by night the demons. He next adopted another person, in which the rudiment of goodness also prevailed; and thinking of himself, as the father of the world, the progenitors (the Pitris) were born from his side. The body, when he abandoned, it, became the Sandhyā (or evening twilight), the interval between day and night. Brahmā then assumed another person, pervaded by the quality of foulness; and from this, men, in whom foulness (or passion) predominates, were produced. Quickly abandoning that body, it became morning twilight, or the dawn. At the appearance of this light of day, men feel most vigour; while the progenitors are most powerful in the evening season. In this manner, Maitreya, Jyotsnā (dawn), Rātri (night), Ahar (day), and Sandhyā (evening), are the four bodies of Brahmā invested by the three qualities.

波羅奢羅說：

「受造之物，雖在壞劫時被毀滅，但受前世善惡業的影響，也不能免於他本身的果報。當梵天重新創造世界時，他們是祂意志的後代，具有神、人、動物或無生命物的四重狀態。於是，梵天欲造天、魔、祖、人四種眾生，遂將心歸於自性。當他如此專注的時候，黑暗的特質瀰漫在他的身體裡。從此，諸魔（阿修羅）初生，從他的大腿發出。然後梵天拋棄了由黑暗的雛形組成的形象，而被他拋棄的形象就變成了夜晚。繼續創造，但假設有所不同。形狀，他體驗到快樂；從他的口中誕生了諸神，賦予了善良的特質。他拋棄了形象，變成了白天，其中善良的特質占主導地位；因此，白天諸神最強大，晚上則魔最強大。接下來他又收養了另一個人，這個人也有善良的基礎。並認為自己是世界之父——祖先（Pitris）從他身邊誕生。當他拋棄身體時，它就變成了Sandhyā（或黃昏），即白天和黑夜之間的間隔。然後，梵天變成了另一個人，充滿了不潔的品質。由此，就產生了以邪惡（或激情）為主的人。很快就拋棄了那個身體，變成了晨曦，或者說是黎明。當這一天的光亮出現時，男人感到最有活力；而祖先（Pitris）則在晚時節最為強大。這樣，彌勒阿：Jyotsnā(黎明)、Rātri(夜)、Ahar(晝)、Sandhyā(黃昏)就是梵天的四身，被三種特質所賦予。

 

 Next from Brahmā, in a form composed of the quality of foulness, was produced hunger, of whom anger was born: and the god put forth in darkness beings emaciate with hunger, of hideous aspects, and with long beards. Those beings hastened to the deity. Such of them as exclaimed, Oh preserve us! were thence called Rākṣasas: others, who cried out, Let us eat, were denominated from that expression Yakṣas. Beholding them so disgusting, the hairs of Brahmā were shrivelled up, and first falling from his head, were again renewed upon it: from their falling they became serpents, called Sarpa from their creeping, and Ahi because they had deserted the head. The creator of the world, being incensed, then created fierce beings, who were denominated goblins, Bhūtas, malignant fiends and eaters of flesh. The Gandharvas were next born, imbibing melody: drinking of the goddess of speech, they were born, and thence their appellation.

「接下來，梵天以不潔的特質構成的形式產生了飢餓，憤怒由此誕生：神在黑暗中創造了因飢餓而憔悴、相貌醜陋、長著長鬍子的眾生。那些眾生紛紛奔向本尊。他們中的一些人驚呼：

『哦，保護我們！』

因此被稱為羅剎。

其他喊著：『我們吃飯吧』的人，就被稱為Yakṣas(夜叉)。看到它們如此令人厭惡，梵天的頭髮枯萎了，先是從他的頭上掉下來，又在頭上重新長出來：從它們的掉落中，它們變成了蛇，由於它們的爬行而被稱為Sarpa(薩帕)，因為它們拋棄了頭，所以被​​稱為Ahi(阿希；蛇的一類)。世界的創造者被激怒了，於是創造了兇猛的生物，這些生物被稱為妖精、Bhūtas(富單那; 臭餓鬼)、惡鬼和食肉者。乾闥婆是下一個誕生的，他們吸收了旋律：喝了言語女神，他們誕生了，因此有了他們的稱號。

 

The divine Brahmā, influenced by their material energies, having created these beings, made others of his own will. Birds he formed from his vital vigour; sheep from his breast; goats from his mouth; kine from his belly and sides; and horses, elephants, Sarabhas, Gayals, deer, camels, mules, antelopes, and other animals, from his feet: whilst from the hairs of his body sprang herbs, roots, and fruits.

「神聖的梵天在物質能量的影響下創造了這些生物，並按照自己的意願創造了其他生物。他用自己的生命力創造出鳥；羊從他懷裡出來；從他嘴裡吐出山羊；雌牛從他的腹部和側面生出；馬、大象、 Sarabha(s)(薩拉巴)⑤、Gayal(s)(蓋亞爾；一種大型牛)⑥、鹿、駱駝、騾子、羚羊和其他動物，都從他的腳下出來；同時，從他身體的毛髮中長出草藥、樹根和水果。

 

Brahmā having created, in the commencement of the Kalpa, various plants, employed them in sacrifices, in the beginning of the Tretā age. Animals were distinguished into two classes, domestic (village) and wild (forest): the first class contained the cow, the goat, the hog, the sheep, the horse, the ass, the mule: the latter, all beasts of prey, and many animals with cloven hoofs, the elephant, and the monkey. The fifth order were the birds; the sixth, aquatic animals; and the seventh, reptiles and insects.

「梵天在劫初創造了各種植物，並在Tretā時期(Treta Yuga（IAST：Tretā-yuga），在印度教中，是四個yugas（週期；世界時代）中的第二個Yuga，之前是Krita（Satya）Yuga，其次是Dvapara Yuga。 Treta Yuga 持續 1,296,000 年（3,600 個神年）如果對應佛教所述的四劫(成、住、壞、空)，即為"住劫")之初將它們用於祭祀。動物分為兩類，家養（鄉村）和野生（森林）：第一類包括牛、山羊、豬、綿羊、馬、驢、騾子；後者包括所有猛獸，還有許多偶蹄動物、大象和猴子。第五類是鳥類。第六，水生動物；第七，爬蟲類和昆蟲。

 

From his eastern mouth Brahmā then created the Gayatrī metre, the Rig veda, the collection of hymns termed Trivrit, the Rathantara portion of the Sāma veda, and the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice: from his southern mouth he created the Yajur veda, the Tṛṣṭubh metre, the collection of hymns called Pañcadaśa, the Vrihat Sāma, and the portion of the Sāma veda termed Uktha: from his western mouth he created the Sāma veda, the Jayati metre, the collection of hymns termed Saptadaśa, the portion of the Sāma called Vairūpa, and the Atirātra sacrifice: and from his northern mouth he created the Ekavinsa collection of hymns, the Aṭharva veda, the Āptoryāmā rite, the Anuṣṭubh metre, and the Vairāja portion of the Sāma veda.

「然後，梵天(毗濕婆)從他的東面的口創造了Gayatrī metre(《嘎雅翠韻律詩》)、《梨俱吠陀》、被稱為Trivrit(特里維特)的讚美詩集、Sāma veda(薩瑪吠陀)的Rathantara(拉坦塔拉)部分和Agniṣṭoma (阿耆尼施圖瑪)祭祀；從他的南口，他創造了Yajur veda(《夜柔吠陀》)、Tṛṣṭubh metre(特瑞斯杜巴韻律詩)、稱為Pañcadaśa的讚美詩集，Vrihat Sāma，以及稱為Uktha的Sāma veda部分：從他的西方口中，他創造了Sāma veda，Jayati Metre，稱為Saptadaśa的讚美詩集，稱為Vairūpa的Sāma veda部分，以及Atirātra 祭祀：並從他的北口口中創作了Ekavinsa 讚美詩集、Aṭharva veda、Āptoryayamā 儀式、Anuṣṭubh 韻律和Sama veda 的Vairāja 部分。

 

In this manner all creatures, great or small, proceeded from his limbs. The great progenitor of the world having formed the gods, demons, and Pitris, created, in the commencement of the Kalpa, the Yakṣas, Pisācas (goblins), Gandharvas and the troops of Apsarasas the nymphs of heaven, Naras (centaurs, or beings with the limbs of horses and human bodies) and Kinnaras (beings with the heads of horses), Rākṣasas, birds, beasts, deer, serpents, and all things permanent or transitory, movable or immovable. This did the divine Brahmā, the first creator and lord of all: and these things being created, discharged the same functions as they had fulfilled in a previous creation, whether malignant or benign, gentle or cruel, good or evil, true or false; and accordingly as they are actuated by such propensities will be their conduct.

「就這樣，一切生物，無論大小，都是從他的四肢出發的。世界的偉大始祖，創造了諸神、惡魔和Pitris，在劫初時創造了夜叉、Pisācas(畢舍遮)（goblins；哥布林；鬼怪）、乾闥婆和飛天種族、天上的仙女、Naras(那羅；半人馬或眾生—有馬肢和人體）和Kinnaras(緊那羅—有馬頭的眾生）、羅剎、鳥、獸、鹿、蛇以及所有永久或短暫、可移動或不可移動的事物。神聖的梵天，萬物的第一個創造者和主宰，就是這樣做的：這些被創造的事物，履行著它們在先前的創造中所履行的相同功能，無論是惡意的還是良性的，溫柔的還是殘酷的，善的還是惡的，是真是假；因此，當他們受到這種傾向的驅使時，他們的行為就會隨之改變。

 

Pisācas(畢舍遮)

佛教中乾闥婆的形像

Kinnaras(緊那羅)

And the creator displayed infinite variety in the objects of sense, in the properties of living things, and in the forms of bodies: he determined in the beginning, by the authority of the Vedas, the names and forms and functions of all creatures, and of the gods; and the names and appropriate offices of the Ṛṣis, as they also are read in the Vedas. In like manner as the products of the seasons designate in periodical revolution the return of the same season, so do the same circumstances indicate the recurrence of the same Yuga, or age; and thus, in the beginning of each Kalpa, does Brahmā repeatedly create the world, possessing the power that is derived from the will to create, and assisted by the natural and essential faculty of the object to be created.

造物主在感官對象、生物的屬性和身體的形式上展示了無限的多樣性：他從一開始就根據吠陀經的權威，決定了所有生物的名稱、形象和功能，並且諸神的、以及 Ṛṣis 的名字和適當的職位，正如它們在吠陀經中所讀到的那樣。就像季節的產物在周期性革命中指定同一季節的回歸一樣，相同的情況也表明相同的Yuga（或時代）的重現。因此，在每一劫之初，梵天不斷地創造世界，擁有源自創造意志的力量，並得到被創造對象的自然本質能力的輔助。」

①Mahat：

Mahat (महत्) 或 Mahattattva 指的是 pradhāna 和 puruṣa 本質的原始原則，根據 10 世紀的 Saurapurāṇa：描述 Śaivism 的各種 Upapurāṇas 之一。從受到干擾的 prakṛti 和 cpapurāṇas 之一。從受到干擾種子，具有pradhana 和puruṣa 的本質。然後，mahat-tattva 被 pradhāna 覆蓋，並被如此覆蓋，它將自己區分為 sāttvika、rājasa 和 tamasa-mahat。pradhana 覆蓋了 Mahat，就像種子被皮膚覆蓋一樣。被如此覆蓋的地方從三重瑪哈特（mahat）中產生了三重 ahamkāra，稱為 vaikarika、taijasa 和 bhūtādi 或 tāmasa。Mahat、Ahaṃkāra 和五個 Tanmātra 本身無法產生有序的宇宙，而有序的宇宙是透過 Puruṣa（purusā dhiṣṭhitatvācca）的監督和 Avyakta（avyaktānugraheṇa）的幫助來實現的。隨著宇宙的成長，它們形成一個蛋，並像水泡一樣從內部逐漸膨脹，這被稱為至尊主的物質身體。

②Tanmātra：

Tanmatras（梵文：तन्मात्र = tanmātra）是基本的、未分化的、微妙的元素，從中產生粗糙的元素。有五種感官知覺——聽覺、觸覺、視覺、味覺和嗅覺——並且有五種與這五種感官知覺和五種感官相對應的五種觸感。tanmatras 以不同的方式組合和重新組合，產生了粗大的元素——以太、空氣、火、水和土——它們構成了感官所感知的粗大的宇宙。感官與物體接觸，並將它們的印象帶到manas（心靈），瑪那接收它們並將其排列成定律。

③Kaumara：

Kaumāra (कौमार) 指的是“童年階段”，如《Śivapurāṇa》2.2.6 中所提到的。因此，正如Śiva對Sandhyā所說：「[……]哦，溫柔的Sandhyā女士，無論你提出什麼要求，我都會完全滿足你。我對你的這種出色的懺悔感到高興。（眾生）第一階段是嬰兒期，第二階段是童年階段（kaumāra），第三階段是青年階段，第四階段是老年階段。到了第三階段，眾生就會貪欲。在某些情況下，應在第二階段結束時進行。由於你的苦修，我強加了這個新的限制。一切眾生出生時，不得有淫欲。

④Tiryaksrotas：

Tiryaksrotas (तिर्यक्स्रोतस्)或Tiryaksarga指的是“動物的創造”，代表宇宙創造的九類中的第二類(sarga)，根據<Śivapurāṇa>2.1.15：——“[...]即使我[即梵天]渴望創造，邪惡的創造，即。五個幻像出現在我面前。它具有賦予知識的黑暗本質（tamas）。然後我創造了主要創造物（mukhyasarga），由具有愉悅心的不動眾生組成。在Śiva的吩咐下，我以一種超然的精神繼續冥想。在創作它時，我曾以為它會是Ātman之後的求道者（sādhaka）。但 Tiryaksrotas (Tiryaksarga) 的創作卻充滿了痛苦。而且這不是一個有抱負的人。[...]我無法充分描述所有這些類型的創造物的劃分和細節（例如，Tiryaksrotas）。[...]」。

⑤Sarabha(s)(薩拉巴)：

Sharabha（梵語：शरभ，Śarabha）或Sarabha是印度教中的八足半獅半鳥神，被描述為比獅子或大象更強大，擁有一跳穿過山谷的能力在梵文文學中。在後來的文獻中，沙拉巴被描述為一隻八足鹿。

⑥Gayal

也稱為Drung牛或mithun，是一種大型家牛，分佈於印度東北部、孟加拉、緬甸和中國雲南