How were women created by the Cosmic Man?

Question

How were woman created by the Brahma or Cosmic man ? Women must have been created separately from men . What is the story of their creation ?

Answer 1

As told by Goddess Tulsi in Bhrama Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda 16:

Woman is like the magic and indeed is the form of untruth. She remains completely beautiful outwardly but she conceals her evil design in her own mind. Her body is filled with refuse, urine, puss and dirt besides other troublesome elements. Soaked in blood and filled with evil, her body never remains purified. At the time of the creation of the universe, Brahma created the woman who is filled with illusion for the illusory people. She serves as a poison for the people who are desirous of achieving salvation. Therefore such of the people as are desirous of achieving salvation should never look at them

Shiva Purana, Uma Samhita 24:

Women can be kept equally balanced against all these put together viz., god of death, Yama, Antaka, Pātāla, the submarine fire, the sharp edge of razor, poison, serpent and fire. Ever since the five elements, the world, the men and women were created by Brahmā, O Nārada, the defect lies in women always.

Manusmriti 1.32 - Creation of the Male and Female:

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

Manusmriti Chapter 9

Even though carefully guarded, they injure their husbands, on account of their passion for males, of ficklemindedness and of innate want of tenderness.—(15) Knowing this disposition to be innate in them, from the very creation of the lord, the man should make the highest effort to guard them.—(16) Manu assigned to women sleep, sitting, ornament, lust, anger, dishonesty, malice and bad conduct.—(17)

Devi Bhagavatam 9.38.4

O Bhagavân! The woman kind has been created by the Creator as devoid of any Tattvajñâna or true knowledge

Mahabharat, Anushasan Parv 40 gives a very detailed account:

I shall also tell thee, O king, how women were created by the Grandsire Brahman and the object for which they were created by Him. There is no creature more sinful, O son, than women. Woman is a blazing fire. She is the illusion, O king, that the Daitya Maya created. She is the sharp edge of the razor. She is poison. She is a snake. She is fire. She is, verily, all these united together. It has been heard by us that all persons of the human race are characterised by righteousness, and that they, in course of natural progress and improvement, attain to the status of deities. This circumstance alarmed the deities. They, therefore, O chastiser of foes, assembled together and repaired to the presence of the Grandsire. Informing Him of what was in their minds, they stood silent in his presence, with downcast eyes. The puissant Grand sire having ascertained what was in the hearts of the deities, created women, with the aid of an Atharvan rite. In a former creation, O son of Kunti, women were all virtuous. Those, however, that sprang from this creation by Brahman with the aid of an illusion became sinful. The grandsire bestowed upon them the desire of enjoyment, all kinds of carnal pleasure. Tempted by the desire of enjoyment, they began to pursue persons of the other sex. The puissant lord of the deities created Wrath as the companion of Lust ..... the absence of all that is respectable and righteous, indulgence in disagreeable words, and love of sexual companionship,--these were bestowed by Brahman upon women.

Answer 2

In the Vedanta Paribhasa of Dharmaraja Adhvarindra (Swami Madhavananda translator) Chapter 6 - On the origin of the Various Worlds and Bodies:

Now, in the origination of the five subtle elements (and five gross elements), the subtle body consisting of seventeen components, and the gross body of Hiranyagarbha (i.e., the gross universe. Here Hiranyagarbha is identified with Viraj, who represents the sum total of all gross bodies), God is a direct agent; while in the origination of the rest of the universe He is such through the medium of Hiranyagarbha and others (refers to the Prajapatis, the progenitors of different beings). For the Sruti says, "Well, let Me enter these three deities as this individual self and manifest name and form" (Chandogya Upanishad VI.iii.2).

Hiranyagarbha is the first individual to be born, and is different from the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and SIva). (Witness the Smriti text), "He indeed is the imbodied being. He indeed is called a person (purusa). He is the first progenitor of beings. (That) Brahma appeared first of all (Siva-Purana V.I.viii.33; Markandeya Purana XIV.64; etc.). As also the Smriti text, "Hiranyagarbha appeared first of all," etc. (Rig veda X.cxxi.1; Vajasaneya Samhita XIII.4; etc.).

And in the Chandogya Upanishad (Swami Gambhirananda translator) says in VI.2.3-4

That (Existence) saw, 'I shall become many. I shall be born.' That created fire. That fire saw, 'I shall become many. I shall be born.' That created water. Therefore, whenever and wheresoever a person suffers or sweats, that occurs from fire indeed. Water comes out of heat.

those waters saw: 'We shall become many, we shall be born excellently.' They created food. Therefore, whenever and wherever it rains, there food becomes plentiful. There the edible food is surely born out of water.

continuing in VI.3.1-2:

Of those creatures born which are these, there are three seeds--born of eggs, born of creatures (wombs), born of plants.

That Deity which is such saw: 'Let it be that now, by entering into these three gods, in the form of the soul of each individual being (anena jivena atmana), I shall clearly manifest name and form.

After Hiranayagarbha (VIraj) was created, 'Many' were created. Creatures were created. There was no singular 'first' man and 'first' woman. To think there was a first man and woman is a Western influence. Scripture says many were created.

An interesting biological side note - the default build for a human body is female, not male; nor are there by default two builds (male and female). When a fetus is being developed, the male chromosome and male hormones take the organs, etc. that would by default become female and suppresses some and enhances others. Nature does not have two blueprints for making a human, it has only one. Mankind is one species.