1. Now if we look into the process of creation, we see that human beings are born from human beings, and animals are born from animals. This is clearly evident.
2. All of the bodies of creatures that fly, that move on land, and the wild beasts and aquatic animals of all species, are all produced only from bodies.
3. To ask for proof of what is evident, or to speculate about that which one is certain about, is like taking the wrong path while seeing the correct one.
4. Bodies with defects are formed from bodies that have those defects inherent in them, but they are still called bodies. Without bodies, procreation does not take place.
5. But still, how does this procreation take place? Who makes this happen and out of what? And what of the one who created him? Who is the creator of the creator?
6. If we try to look into the matter in this way, the explanation becomes too lengthy. Basically, the question is, "How has the body been created, what is it made of, and who created it?"
7. This is the previous doubt that remains which has not been cleared. Now, listen to the answer and do not continue on with imagination after gaining actual experience.
8. The experience is itself the proof, yet the fool feels that experience is not proof. Know that the one who accepts what is being said gains experience through words.
9. The Primal Illusion appeared in Brahman, and is called the eightfold creation. The Primal Illusion consists of the intermingling of the three gunas and the five elements.
10. The Primal Illusion is in the form of wind, which is also in the form of knowledge (or awareness). Desire is present there in that knowledge, but it is not something that can be attributed to Brahman.
11. Even if desire is said to be imagined as being in Brahman, such words are meaningless, because the Self is attributeless and exists beyond words.
12. The attributeless Self is the reality that is Brahman. Whatever names are given to it are only delusion. Even if some names are given to it in reverence, they do not really apply to Brahman.
13. Even if one persists in trying to apply a name to it, it is useless. It is like trying to break the sky by throwing a stone at it, or spitting at it.
14. Brahman is without modification. Even if one were to try to apply modifications to it, modifications get destroyed while Brahman remains as it is, always without any modification.
15. Now, listen to the words of experience, and with understanding gain conviction. Only then will one have success in gaining experience.
16. The Illusion that is in Brahman is in the form of wind. That wind is the knowledge that is God (Ishwara), and only He is the "God of gods."
17. This same God gave rise to attributes, which became differentiated as three distinct attributes (the three gunas). Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are born from these three attributes.
18. Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas are these three attributes. The nature of these has previously been explained in sequence.
19. Vishnu is full with knowledge (awareness; sattva guna), the four-faced Brahma is a mixture of knowledge and ignorance (rajas guna), and the five faced Shiva is ignorance (not-knowing; tamas guna). All of this is very basic.
20. The three gunas are intermingled with each other. How can they be separated? When there appears to be variation in their proportions it needs to be explained.
21. Originally, Vishnu was present in the wind, and his form is basically only the form of wind. Later on he took a bodily form which has four arms.
22. Similarly, Brahma and Shiva were residing only in the wind, and after some time they took bodily forms, and can become visible and invisible in an instant.
23. There are some human beings that can appear and disappear in an instant. If there are humans who can do this, then why not the Gods who are much more powerful than humans?
24. Gods, goddess, and various spirits and deities all have powers in varying degrees. In the same way, demons also possess some power.
25. For example, there are some categories of spirits that can move around and make sounds, and even make pieces of fruit or dates fall suddenly.
26. Even if all of this is taken to be false, it has been seen to happen by many people in the world who know it in their own experience.
27. Human beings hold a physical form, and some even have the power to enter into the body of another person. Why then would the Supreme Self, Paramatman, not have the power to be able to hold a physical form?
28. Therefore, know that Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva were holding bodies in the form of wind, and later they proliferated in the forms of their children and grandchildren.
29. Within their minds, the gods imagined women, and from that imagination the bodies of women were created. However, no offspring were then created by them at that time.
30. By their will, the gods imagined sons and they were created according to the various situations. In this way the gods Vishnu and Shiva executed their will.
31. Later on, the visible world containing all living beings was imagined by Brahma and was created according to his wish.
32. He imagined various types of animals and created them according to his wish. Many living beings were born from the coming together of male and female and emerged from eggs, or from the womb.
33. Some creatures were created from the combination of water and heat, and there are some living beings that come out of the wind and are suddenly born from seeds.
34. Human beings have some knowledge of magic, demons have some knowledge of hypnosis, and Brahma has the knowledge of how to create the world.
35. Human beings have this power to some extent, demons have more power than human beings, and even more than that is the special power of Brahma for creating the world.
36. Both knowledgeable and ignorant beings were created. Reciting the knowledge contained in the Vedas, beings were given a path in life. This is all the work of Brahma.
37. Then, from physical bodies more bodies were created, and the visible world expanded with many modifications. All bodies were created in this way.
38. Here the doubt has been cleared about how the visible world expanded out all over. Upon investigation and thinking it can be experienced and seen in this sequence.
39. Like this the visible world was created, and later on was protected by Vishnu. This should also be analyzed and seen by the listeners.
40. All living beings that are created are protected in their original form of beingness. It should be seen that only the many types of bodies, including the bodies of the evil-minded, get destroyed, and not their being.
41. Many incarnations of Vishnu have taken birth in bodies for the destruction of evil and the establishment of righteousness.
42. It should be understood that those people who establish righteousness are the incarnation of Vishnu, and it is non-devotional evil-minded people who are classified as demons.
43. Creatures that are born are destroyed because of ignorance. The basic nature of destruction is like this.
44. When the destructive quality of ignorance is active in the body, that is the time that the world of the living being gets destroyed. Ultimately the entire universe will get burned up at the time of the final destruction.
45. Thus, the thoughts about creation, protection, and destruction, are described like this. The listeners should remain alert, giving their attention to what is being said.
46. Total destruction will take place at the time of the final dissolution. I shall tell about this later on. Know that the one who can recognize the five types of dissolution is the true Knowledgeable One, a Jnani.