neither day nor night. Neither aught nor naught exists;
neither manifest nor unmanifest. Then only undifferentiated Brahman
existed. When such is the condition of the universe, the foremost of
Beings, viz., springs from Tamas, the eternal and immutable Hari that is
the combination of the attributes (of omnipotence and the rest),
belonging to Narayana, that is indestructible and immortal, that is
without senses, that is inconceivable and unborn, that is Truth's self
fraught with compassion, that is endued with the form of existence which
the rays of the gem called Chintamani have, that causes diverse kinds of
inclinations to flow in diverse directions, that is divested of the
principles of hostility and deterioration and mortality and decay, that
is formless and all-pervading, and that is endued with the principle of
universal Creation and of Eternity without beginning, middle, or end.
There is authority for this assertion. The Sruti declares,--'Day was not.
Night was not. Aught was not. Naught was not. In the beginning there was
only Tamas[1854] in the form of the universe, and she is the night of
Narayana of universal form.' Even this is the meaning of the word Tamas.
From that Purusha (called Hari), thus born of Tamas and having Brahman
for his parent, started into existence the Being called Brahman. Brahman,
desiring to create creatures, caused Agni and Shoma to spring from his
own eyes. Afterwards when creatures came to be created, the created
persons came out in their due order as Brahmanas and Kshatriyas. He who
started into life as Shoma was none else than Brahma; and they that were
born as Brahmanas were all Shoma in reality. He who started into being as
Kshatriyas were none else than Agni. The Brahmanas became endued with
greater energy than the Kshatriyas. If you ask the reason why, the answer
is that this superiority of the Brahmanas to the Kshatriyas is an
attribute that is manifest to the whole world. It occurred as follows.
The Brahmanas represent the eldest creation as regards men. None were
created before, that was superior to the Brahmanas. He who offers food
into the mouth of a Brahmana is regarded as pouring libations into a
blazing fire (for gratifying the deities). I say that having ordained
things in comprising this way, the creation of creatures was accomplished
by Brahma. Having established all created Beings in their respective
positions, he upholds the three worlds. There occurs a declaration to t