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It is refreshing to find Medhātithi regarding this account of the castes issuing from the mouth and other parts of the body of the Lord as mere ‘stuti’ — not to be taken as literally true.

VERSE 1.32 [Creation of the Male and the Female]

Section XVIII - Creation of the Male and the Female

द्विधा कृत्वाऽत्मनो देहमर्धेन पुरुषोऽभवत् ।
अर्धेन नारी तस्यां स विराजमसृजत् प्रभुः ॥३२॥

dvidhā kṛtvā'tmano dehamardhena puruṣo'bhavat |
ardhena nārī tasyāṃ sa virājamasṛjat prabhuḥ ||33||

Having divided his body into two halves, with the one half, the Lord became Male, and with the other half, Female; from her he produced Virāj. — (32)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The creation described here is apparently of another Being; but others have held that it is of the same Brahmā; the meaning being that the body that came out of the Egg being divided into two halves, ‘with one half he became Male’ — i.e., he became a male being, capable of instilling semen — and ‘with the other half he became the Female’; that is, his body assumed the form of the Hermaphrodite, like Gaurī-Śaṅkara (combined in a single body). Or, it may mean that he crested the Female apart (from the Male). — Having created her, he produced, from her, by the act of procreation, that being whose well-known name is ‘Virāj.’ What is meant is that Prajāpati had recourse to his own daughter.

This mention of the bifurcation of Prajāpati’s body is based upon the fact that the husband and wife differ only in their bodies, and in all functions they are entirely united. — (32)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

The ‘Virāṭ’ whose birth is here described is, according to some, the same as, — and according to others, different from — the ‘Brahmā’ described above, in verse 9. That Medhātithi leans towards the latter view is indicated by his assertion that what happened was that ‘the body of Brahmā (described in verse 9) now took the form of the Hermaphrodite,’ — or as he adds later, ‘the Female form was separated from His own Male form.’

VERSE 1.33 [Creation of Manu]

Section XIX - Creation of Manu

द्तपस्तप्त्वाऽसृजद् यं तु स स्वयं पुरुषो विराट् ।
तं मां वित्तास्य सर्वस्य स्रष्टारं द्विजसत्तमाः ॥३३॥

tapastaptvā'sṛjad yaṃ tu sa svayaṃ puruṣo virāṭ |
taṃ māṃ vittāsya sarvasya sraṣṭāraṃ dvijasattamāḥ ||33||

O best of Brāhmaṇas, know me, the creator, of this whole (would), to be that whom the said Being Virāj himself, after having performed austerities, produced. — (33)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘The said Virāj, having performed austerities,’ produced a person; know — i.e., recognise — that person to be myself; — there is nothing that is not already known to you, by tradition, which I could describe to you; all that the speaker intends to point out is the purity of his own birth.

The phrase ‘the creator of this whole world’ indicates his almighty character. The idea of the speaker is that ‘the describing of myself as one of excellent birth and superior powers of action will make me more trustworthy.’

Or, the mention of his own birth might be for the purpose of carrying conviction (removing all doubts); that such may be the sense is shown by the fact that, though the origin of Manu is already known from other sources, yet he himself mentions it; for instance, even though a person is already known from other sources (as the son of a certain person), yet he is asked — ‘are you Devadatta’s son?’ — and he answers ‘yes’; whereupon certainty of conviction is brought about.

Poets are not ashamed of describing the nobility of their own birth, even though their glories may be already well known.

‘O best of Brāhmaṇas’ — is the form of address; ‘best’ means most perfect, most superior. — (33)

VERSE 1.34-35 [Creation of Marīci and other Sages]

Section XX - Creation of Marīci and other Sages

अहं प्रजाः सिसृक्षुस्तु तपस्तप्त्वा सुदुश्चरम् ।
पतीन् प्रजानामसृजं महर्षीनादितो दश ॥३४॥

मरीचिमत्र्यङ्गिरसौ पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुम् ।
प्रचेतसं वसिष्ठं च भृगुं नारदमेव च ॥३५॥

ahaṃ prajāḥ sisṛkṣustu tapastaptvā suduścaram |
patīn prajānāmasṛjaṃ maharṣīnādito daśa ||34||

marīcimatryaṅgirasau pulastyaṃ pulahaṃ kratum |
pracetasaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ ca bhṛguṃ nāradameva ca ||35||

Being desirous of bringing into existence the (various kinds of) created beings, I, at the very outset, performed most arduous austerities and called into being the ten great sages, the directors of all created things; (34) — viz: Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracetas, Vaśiṣṭha, Bhṛgu and also Nārada. — (35)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘I called into being,’ — produced, — ‘the ten Great sages,’ who are ‘the directors of all created things’; — ‘at the very outset, having performed most arduous austerities’ — austerities that were performed with great difficulty; i.e., which bring suffering and take a long time.

The ten great sages are mentioned by name (in verse 35). — (34-35)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

These are quoted in Hemādri-Dāna, p. 242, as describing the ‘munis’, sages. It reads ‘dustaram’ for ‘duścaram’, and ‘āṅgirasam’ for ‘aṅgirasam’.

VERSE 1.36

Section XX - Creation of Marīci and other Sages

एते मनूंस्तु सप्तान् यानसृजन् भूरितेजसः ।
देवान् देवनिकायांश्च महर्षींश्चामितोजसः ॥३६॥

ete manūṃstu saptān yānasṛjan bhūritejasaḥ |
devān devanikāyāṃśca maharṣīṃścāmitojasaḥ ||36||

These mighty (Sages) called into being the seven Manus, gods and gods’ habitations, as also Great Sages, — all possessed of illimitable power. — (36)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The aforesaid Great Sages. ‘called into being the seven Manus’; ‘Manu’ is the name of the office; that person is called ‘Manu’ who, during a particular ‘Manvantara’ (Cycle), controls the creating and maintaining of all created things, in the manner described.

‘Bkūritejasaḥ,’ ‘mighty,’ and ‘amitaujasaḥ,’ ‘possessing illimitable power,’ — both terms mean the same thing; the former with the nominative ending qualifies the creators, and the latter, with the accusative ending, qualifies those created, Manus and the rest.

Question: — “But the gods were created by Brahmā himself (as already described in Verse 22).”

Answer: — True; but not all of them; there are endless kinds of gods.

‘Gods’ habitations’ — The abode of the gods, such as the Celestial Region, the ‘Region of Brahman,’ and so forth. — (36)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

‘Manūn’ — The name ‘Manu’ here stand for that Being whose function it is to create all creatures and to maintain the entire world during a manvantara, and apparently belongs to the office. Some Mss. read ‘munīn’.

‘Devanikāyān — ‘Classes of gods’ (according to Nandana and Nārāyaṇa); — ‘abodes of gods’ (Medhātithi, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda); the last of these suggests also the meaning ‘servants of the gods’.

VERSE 1.37 [Creation of the Semi-divine Beings]

Section XXI - Creation of the Semi-divine Beings

यक्षरक्षः पिशाचांश्च गन्धर्वाप्सरसोऽसुरान् ।
नागान् सर्पान् सुपर्णांश्च पितॄणांश्च पृथग्गणम् ॥३७॥

yakṣarakṣaḥ piśācāṃśca gandharvāpsaraso'surān |
nāgān sarpān suparṇāṃśca pitṝṇāṃśca pṛthaggaṇam ||37||

[They called into being] also Yakṣas, Rakṣasas, Piśācas, Gandharvas, Apsarases, Asuras, Nāgas, Sarpas, Suparṇas, and the several orders of Pitṛs. — (37)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The various forms of the Yakṣa and other beings here mentioned can be known only from the Itihāsas and such other sources; they cannot be known by any of the ordinary means of cognition, perception and the rest. — The ‘Yakṣas’ are the followers of Kuvera; — ‘Rākṣasas,’ Bivīṣaṇa and others; — beings more cruel than these last are ‘Piśācas,’ who live in unclean places and in deserts, &c., and are inferior to Yakṣas and Rākṣasas; though all three are mischievous; by trickery they draw out the life of living beings, and by some invisible power they bring about diseases: so say persons knowing the Itihāsas (stories) and Mantra (Incantations). — ‘Gandharvas,’ are those followers of the Gods whose chief work consists of singing and dancing; — ‘Apsarases,’ the courtezans of the Gods, Urvaśī and the rest; — ‘Asuras,’ the Gods’ enemies, Vṛttra, Virocana, Hiraṇyāksa and so forth; — ‘Nāgas’ (the Great Serpents), Vāsuki, Takṣaka and the rest; — ‘Sarpas’ (Serpents) are well known; — ‘Suparnas,’ the great Birds, Garuḍa and the rest; — ‘Pitṛs,’ named ‘Somapa,’ ‘Ayyapa’ and so forth, who reside, like Gods, in their own regions; the ‘several orders’ of these also; — all these (the mighty sages) called into being. — (37)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

‘Pitṛṇām gaṇān’ — The ‘pitṛs’ are not actually the ‘fathers,’ as is clear from the present text; they are a particular class of divine beings, though it is from these that human beings are descended. See III, 194 — 199.

VERSE 1.38 [Creation of Clouds, etc.]

Section XXII - Creation of Clouds, etc.

विद्युतोऽशनिमेघांश्च रोहितैन्द्रधनूंषि च ।
उल्कानिर्घातकेतूंश्च ज्योतींष्युच्चावचानि च ॥२८॥

vidyuto'śanimeghāṃśca rohitaindradhanūṃṣi ca |
ulkānirghātaketūṃśca jyotīṃṣyuccāvacāni ca ||38||

[They called into being] Lightnings, Hails, Clouds, Vertical Phosphorescence, Rainbows, Meteors, Portentous Sounds, Comets, and Stars of varying magnitudes. — (38)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The semi-brilliant flash of light seen within the clouds is called ‘lightning,’ of which the other names are ‘Sandāminī’ and so forth, which are based upon certain peculiar characteristics; — ‘Hails’ — stone-like finely visible snow-particles, which, propelled by strong winds, fall like torrents of rain and destroy corns and other things; — ‘Clouds,’ consist of the combination, in the atmosphere, of vapour, water, air and light; — ‘Vertical phosphorescence,’ is an upright mass of violet-colon red luminous matter, occasionally visible in the sky; it is seen sometimes attached to the disc of the sun, and sometimes in other places also; — a particular Form of the same is called ‘Rainbow,’ which differs from the former in being curved in the form of a bow; — ‘Meteors,’ are those stars which are seen to fall as portents during twilights and at the advent of night, diffusing their brilliance all round; — ‘Portentous sounds,’ are sounds emanating from the Earth or Sky, which are regarded as foreboding calamity; — ‘Comets,’ the well-known stars with protruding crowns, seen during a public calamity; — as also various kinds of other stars, Dhruva, Agastya, Arundhatī and so forth. — (38)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

‘Rohita’ — This is the name of the violet -coloured pillar of light that appears in the sky, in the manner of rainbows, generally attached to the solar disc, but sometimes in other parts of the sky also. Another name for it, according to Govindarāja, is ‘śastrotpāta’. Buhler says it is an imperfect

VERSE 1.39 [Creation of Birds and Animals]

Section XXIII - Creation of Birds and Animals

किन्नरान् वानरान् मत्स्यान् विविधांश्च विहङ्गमान् ।
पशून् मृगान् मनुष्यांश्च व्यालांश्चोभयतोदतः ॥३९॥

kinnarān vānarān matsyān vividhāṃśca vihaṅgamān |
paśūn mṛgān manuṣyāṃśca vyālāṃścobhayatodataḥ ||39||

[They called into being] Kinnaras, Apes, Fishes, Birds of various kinds, Cattle, Deer, Men and wild beasts with two rows of teeth. — (39)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Kinnaras’ are horse-faced beings living in the Himalaya and other mountains. — ‘Apes’ are animals with the face of the monkey and the body of the man. — ‘Birds’ feathered animals. — ‘Cattle’ goats, sheep, camels, asses and the rest, — ‘Deer,’ the Ruru the Pṛṣat and the other species. — ‘Wild beasts’ — wicked animals, like the Tiger and the rest; — ‘with two rows of teeth’ having two rows of teeth, one above and another below. — (39)

VERSE 1.40 [Creation of Insects and Reptiles and Immovable Things]

Section XXIV - Creation of Insects and Reptiles and Immovable Things

कृमिकीटपतङ्गांश्च यूकामक्षिकमत्कुणम् ।
सर्वं च दंशमशकं स्थावरं च पृथग्विधम् ॥४०॥

kṛmikīṭapataṅgāṃśca yūkāmakṣikamatkuṇam |
sarvaṃ ca daṃśamaśakaṃ sthāvaraṃ ca pṛthagvidham ||40||

[They called into being] Worms, Beetles and Moths; Lice, Flies and Bugs; Gadflies and Gnats; and also the entire host of the several kinds of immovable things. — (40)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Worms’ — extremely small living tilings. — ‘Beetles’ — are slightly larger than worms and crawl on the ground. — ‘Moths,’ locusts. — ‘Immovable things’ — trees, mountains, etc.; — ‘of several kinds,’ of different varieties.

The copulative compounds in the singular are in accordance with Pāṇini’s Sutra 2.1.8, by which copulative compounds formed of the names of small living beings take the singular ending. — (10)

VERSE 1.41

Section XXIV - Creation of Insects and Reptiles and Immovable Things

एवमेतैरिदं सर्वं मन्नियोगान् महात्मभिः ।
यथाकर्म तपोयोगात् सृष्टं स्थावरजङ्गमम् ॥४१॥

evametairidaṃ sarvaṃ manniyogān mahātmabhiḥ |
yathākarma tapoyogāt sṛṣṭaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam ||41||

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. — (11)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘In this manner,’ — refers to the manner discribed above; — ‘by these high-souled sages,’ — Marīci and the rest; — ‘all this, movable and immovable, teas called into their actions,’ — the creation of each being was in keeping with the nature of the action done by it during other lives; that is, each being was made to be born in that family of animals which was the right one for it, in view of its past acts; — ‘under my direction’ — by my order; — ‘through the force of austerities,’ — having performed severe austerities; what this is meant to show is that any kind of great power can be acquired only by means of austerities. — (41)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

‘Yathākarma’ — Here we have a distinct enunciation of the Law of Karma.

VERSE 1.42

Section XXIV - Creation of Insects and Reptiles and Immovable Things

येषां तु यादृशं कर्म भूतानामिह कीर्तितम् ।
तत् तथा वोऽभिधास्यामि क्रमयोगं च जन्मनि ॥४२॥

yeṣāṃ tu yādṛśaṃ karma bhūtānāmiha kīrtitam |
tat tathā vo'bhidhāsyāmi kramayogaṃ ca janmani ||42||

That kind of action which belongs to the several beings has been described here. I am now going to explain the manner of their birth. — (42)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘That kind of action which belongs to the several beings,’ — i.e., hurtful or harmless — ‘has been already described’; — now ‘I am going to explain the manner of their birth.’

Objection. —

“Where has the action been described? In Verses 37 et seq. what occurs is only the mention of the names of several beings, Yakṣa, Rākṣasa and the rest; and their action is not mentioned at all.”

Our answer is as follows: — The action of each being is indicated by its name; the particular name being acquired by each being by reason of its actions: for instance, the Yakṣas are so called because of the act of worshpping, or pervading (‘Yakṣaṇa’); — the ‘Rākṣasa’ are so called because of the act of destroying in secret (‘rahasi kṣaṇana’); — the Piśāchas are so called because of the act of devouring flesh (‘piśitāśana’); — the Apsarases are so called because of the act of issuing forth from water (adbhyaḥ ṣṛtāḥ); — the Asuras are so called because of the act of not obtaining surā, in the form of nectar; and so on, the significance of the other names may be traced.

‘The manner of their birth’ — i.e., they are viviparous, oviparous and the like; going to be described in the following verses. — (42)

VERSE 1.43 [The Viviparous, Oviparous, Sweat-born and Vegetable Beings]

Section XXV - The Viviparous, Oviparous, Sweat-born and Vegetable Beings

पशवश्च मृगाश्चैव व्यालाश्चोभयतोदतः ।
रक्षांसि च पिशाचाश्च मनुष्याश्च जरायुजाः ॥४३॥

paśavaśca mṛgāścaiva vyālāścobhayatodataḥ |
rakṣāṃsi ca piśācāśca manuṣyāśca jarāyujāḥ ||43||

Cattle, Deer, Wild Beasts with two rows of teeth, Rākṣasas, Piśācas and Men are viviparous. — (43)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

These are ‘viviparous,’ ‘born from the Jarāyu’; Jarāyu is the womb, the place where the fœtus lies; it is in the womb that these beings are conceived first, and it is only when they are emitted from the womb that they become born; this is the manner of the birth of these beings.

The term ‘dat’ is synonymous with ‘danta,’ and is totally different from it; hence it is that we have the nominative plural form ‘ubhayatodataḥ’ (‘with two rows of teeth’). — (43)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

‘Ubhayatodataḥ’ — A compound difficult to explain. The word ‘danta’ becomes transformed into ‘dat’ only in special cases, laid down in Pāṇini 5.4.141-145. The only explanation possible is that given by Medhātithi, — that the term ‘dat’ is an entirely different word from ‘danta’

VERSE 1.44

Section XXV - The Viviparous, Oviparous, Sweat-born and Vegetable Beings

अण्डजाः पक्षिणः सर्पा नक्रा मत्स्याश्च कच्छपाः ।
यानि चैवं।प्रकाराणि स्थलजान्यौदकानि च ॥४४॥

aṇḍajāḥ pakṣiṇaḥ sarpā nakrā matsyāśca kacchapāḥ |
yāni caivaṃ|prakārāṇi sthalajānyaudakāni ca ||44||

Birds, Serpents, Crocodiles, Fishes, Tortoises, and other animals of similar kinds, terrestrial as well as aquatic, — are oviparous. — (44)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Crocodiles’ — includes the Porpoise and the rest; — ‘Kacchapāḥ’ are the Tortoises; — ‘other animals of similar kinds’ — i.e., wizards (lizards?) and the like, which are ‘terrestrial,’ born on land, and such others of similar kinds as are ‘aquatic’ born in water; such, for instance, as conches and the rest. — (44)

VERSE 1.45

Section XXV - The Viviparous, Oviparous, Sweat-born and Vegetable Beings

स्वेदजं दंशमशकं यूकामक्षिकमत्कुणम् ।
ऊष्मणश्चोपजायन्ते यच्चान्यत् किं चिदीदृशम् ॥४५॥

svedajaṃ daṃśamaśakaṃ yūkāmakṣikamatkuṇam |
ūṣmaṇaścopajāyante yaccānyat kiṃ cidīdṛśam ||45||

Gadflies and Gnats, Lice, Flies and Bugs, are sweat- born; whatever else is of similar character is born from heat — (45)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Crocodiles’ — includes the Porpoise and the rest; — ‘Kacchapāḥ’ are the Tortoises; — ‘other animals of similar kinds’ — i.e., wizards (lizards?) and the like, which are ‘terrestrial,’ born on land, and such others of similar kinds as are ‘aquatic’ born in water; such, for instance, as conches and the rest. — (44)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha:

The two halves form two distinct sentences. So Burnell; but Buhler takes the whole as one sentence.

VERSE 1.46

Section XXV - The Viviparous, Oviparous, Sweat-born and Vegetable Beings

उद्भिज्जाः स्थावराः सर्वे बीजकाण्डप्ररोहिणः ।
ओषध्यः फलपाकान्ता बहुपुष्पफलोपगाः ॥४६॥

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