Sri Vasista

O Rāma, thus millions of beings (Sivas), who are pleased with the idea of world are conceived by the Brahman-consciousness.
They are born (and will be born too) in numbers like bubbles in a cascade.
-4. These are possessed and fettered by their own ‘vāsanas’ and desires. These are constantly born and are dying in all places like bubbles in a river.

For some it will be the first birth. Some are born only twice or thrice. Some have gone through millions of incarnations.
-18. Some are to be born in future. Some have finished their journey through births. Some are taking birth again and again in the same kind of wombs though thousands of ‘kalpas’. Some change their womb types. Some suffer intense grief. Some enjoy immensely. Some shine like sun. Some are like ‘kinara’, gandhawa and such types. Some are living as Brahman, Vishnu, Maheswara, Indra and Varuna. Some are like gods. Some are born as demons, ghouls, yakshas, Rakshas. Some are born as kings and rulers of universe. Some are born as brahmins, vaisyas and sudras. Some are born as kirātas, some as very lowly beings. Some are born as creepers, trees, grass, stone-like objects and like many fruits. Some are born as ministers, kings and dignitaries enjoying all kinds of worldly pleasures and authority. Some are like snakes, insects and such creatures. Some are in the shapes of animals. Some are like many kinds of birds. Some are falling prey to catastrophes. Some enjoy heavenly joy and some suffer in hell. Some attain the star worlds. Some take refuge in tree holes.

-26. Some are poised as rays of moon, while some take birth as sunbeams. Some are like sap in creepers, trees and fruits. Some are moving around as ‘Sivanmuktas’. Some enjoy the status of Sivanmukta for a long time and leave the body to become ‘videha muktas’ (liberated after death). Some become liberated after a long time. Some hate being liberated. Some are like presiding deities of rivers and quarters. Some take the shape of beautiful women while some take birth as men and eunuchs. Some are very intelligent while some take birth as stupids. Some are born as teachers of knowledge while some take to samadhi.
O Rāma, Sivas take birth and incarnate according to their vāsanas. They are exist so with the feeling of bondage. Some move about on the earth. Some swoop into hell while some swing towards heaven. They shift from one body to another.

-32. As long as they do not realize their self, these beings saunter and wander around in this world beaten by falsehood and ignorance. Once they realize their self, they are not born again in this world. Some are intelligent and are aware of their true nature. Yet they indulge in pleasures and keep incarnating again and again in this world. This can happen in spite of gaining excellent wombs. Some of great intelligence attain the Brahman-state in one birth or in the same kalpa.

-35. Some are born as Brahmas, some as Vishnu and some as Maheswara either in their own universe or in other universes. O Rāma, the process of creation is same in all universe. All these universes are vast like ours; some may be even bigger. Some are to be created.

-39. Some universes are created for a variety of reasons and for different kinds of beings. People perform their works and duties according to their natures. They are in other universes as in ours.

-41. Creations are like waves. They meet and beat each other. They merge and surge like those waves. They are constantly rising and falling and are sparkling in the Brahman-sea.

-45. From lamp comes out light. From sun, the light beams spread. Sparks come out of molten metal. Seasons spring out of time. Fragrance issues forth from flowers. Water drops come out of clouds. Waves emerge from sea-waters. In the same way the entire Siva ensemble emerges out, indulges in pleasures and at the same time of doomsday enter the root state of peace. O Rāma, such is the design of creation. It is all self which self-deceptively expands as the world and dies down as a wave in the sea