Srimad Bhagavatam – day 90
Now I will explain how the Virāt puruśa Nārāyaṇa divides that single energy of creation into three energies.
From the manifold forms of the energies of action (Kriya śakti) that were emanating from space within the body of Virāt Puruśa (universal form), the sense energy (indriya shakti), mental energy, bodily energy and from them the life-force (Prana Devata) which is the form of all actions, emerged.
Just as the attendants abide by the orders of the king, the senses began to engage in actions in accordance with the orders of the life-force (prana). When the life-force halts its actions, these senses also stop their activities in totality.
Due to the movement of the life-force in the abdomen of the Universal form, hunger and thirst are born. When the Virāt Puruśa desired to eat and drink, he opened his mouth. With this his jaws were created. From it the tongue emerged. After this the six tastes were born. The tongue relishes these six tastes.
When the Virāt Puruśa desired to speak, the organs of speech as well as Fire God, their presiding deity were born from His face. Speech which is under their control was also born. After these were created, Virāt Puruśa continued to remain in the waters for a long period of time.
Due to the increased intensity of the movement of vital airs within Him, nostrils emerged. When He desired to smell, nose as well as the wind, the deity which carries the fragrances, were born.
In the initial period, His body lacked the luster and power to see. He then desired to see himself. Due to this desire eyes and Sun, its presiding deity, emerged. With this He was able to see Himself.
Virat Puruśa now wanted to hear the description given about Him in the Vedas. With this desire the two ears which grant the capacity to hear and Vag Devata, their presiding deity, manifested.
He now had the desire to check the characteristics of physical matter such as its lightness, heaviness, delicateness, heat and cold. Due to this desire skin was created. In it the pores on the skin, the hair on it which resembled trees, the air which is both within and outside the skin and the sensation of touch emerged. With this He developed the sensation of touch.
When He developed the desire to engage in multifold actions, His hands emerged, along with strength and Indra who is their presiding deity, and actions.
Virāt Puruśa now desired to walk. Instantly, two legs manifested. Vishnu, who is the presiding deity for legs, also emerged.
The human beings move about with these two feet and gather with their hand and energy, the material that is needed for performing sacrificial rituals (yagna).
For the purposes of enjoying sensual pleasures, begetting children and for enjoying heavenly luxuries and other comforts, genitals and organs of reproduction emerged. These two take shelter in sensual desires.
When the Virāt Puruśa desired to eliminate the wastes from the food that he had eaten, excretory organs, anus and Mitra, its presiding deity, were created. The action of excretion was also born. The excretory matter and the organ of excretion take shelter in their presiding deity Mitra.
When the Virāt Puruśa decided to move from body to body one after another, exiting a body through the apana mārga (downward moving air) His navel was formed. Through this, apāna came into existence. Death is the presiding deity for apāna. Death takes shelter in apāna and in its presiding deity.
To virāt Puruśa who desired to eat and drink, abdomen, intestines and nādis were created. To them rivers and oceans are the presiding deities. Eating properly and good health are dependent upon their presiding deities.
To that Puruśa who desired to know in totality about the illusory power (māya), heart and its indriya (sense) called mind and Moon, its presiding deity were created. Along with this, the Puruśa attained the complete knowledge about objects and the desire towards them.
Then in the body of the Virāt Puruśa the outer skin, the inner skin which lies just below the outer skin, muscles, blood, fat, bones and bone-marrow were formed. These seven primary elements of the body are made up of earth, water and fire. Through the medium of the three elements of space, air and water, life-force (prana) is created.
The senses grasp the sound and other matters. All these subject-matters were born from egoism (ahamkara). The mind is the originating source for all perturbations such as anger, desire, jealousy and so on. The intellect (buddhi) causes the experiential knowledge of all objects.
O Emperor! I have explained to you the gross form of the Lord who is enveloped with the 8 elements including earth.
Ataḥ paraṁ sūkṣmatamam avyaktaṁ nirviśeṣaṇam
Anādi-madhya-nidhanaṁ nityaṁ vāṅ-manasaḥ param
The minutely subtle body, which is the cause for this gross body, is beyond the understanding of the senses. It cannot be compared with any known object. It has no beginning, no middle and no end. It is beyond time. it is eternal. It cannot be understood by speech or by mind. This is the subtle form of the Lord.
I have described to you both the gross and subtle forms of that Lord. Both these are illusory creations of the Lord. Therefore knowledgeable persons do not accept either of these as the true essence of that Supreme Lord.
The Supreme Lord is devoid of all actions. Even then, taking on the form of the creator, He appears as if He is involved in actions. Srihari, who is the form of that Supreme Lord, is creating sound and the objects that can be known through sound.
Om Narayanāya namah!