Canto XCIV - The Raucya and future Manvantaras

Mārkaṇḍeya mentions briefly the succeeding Manus, the ninth to the thirteenth, and declares what shall be the names of the gods, ṛṣis and kings in their several periods.

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

I have duly declared unto thee this account of the Sāvarṇika Manvantara, and also the Devī-māhātmya which tells of the slaughter of the Asura Mahiṣa. And the origins of the Mothers also which were from the goddess in the great battle, and the origin as well as the life of the goddess Cāmuṇḍā, and the majesty of Śivadūtī, the slaying of Śumbha and Niśumhha, and the killing of Raktavīja—all this has been narrated to thee.

Now hear O noble muni, of the next Manu Sāvarṇika. Aud Dakṣa’s son shall be Sāvarṇa, who will be the ninth Manu. I tell thee about that Manu, and who shall be the gods, the munis and the kings in his period. The Pāras and the Marīcis and the Bhargas and the Sudharmans shall be the gods; these shall be in threes; they shall be twelve groups in all; now their lord^[1] shall be Sahasrākṣa, great in power. He, who is at present Agni’s six-faced son Kārttikeya, shall be the Indra, by name Adbhuta, in that Manu’s period. Medhātithi, Vasu, Satya, Jyotiṣmat and Dyutimat, Sabala another, and Havya-vāhana another— these shall be the seven ṛṣis. Dhṛṣṭaketu, Varhaketu, Pañcahasta, Nirāmaya, Pṛthuśravas, and Arciṣmat, Bhūridyumna, Vṛhadbhaya—these shall be the royal sons of that son of Dakṣa, yea the kings.

Now hear, O brāhman, about the next Manvantara, that of the tenth Manu. And in the tenth Manvantara of the wise son of Brahma, the Sukhāsīnas and the Niruddhas shall be the gods, with three classes each, according to tradition; they indeed sḥall be the gods, a hundred in number, in the period of that future Manu. As there shall be a hundred sons^[2] of his, so shall there be a hundred gods then. And Śānti shall be the Indra, endowed with all Indra’s good qualities. Hear thou who shall indeed be the seven ṛṣis then; Āpomūrti and Haviṣmat, Sukṛtin and Satya, Nābhāga and Apratima, and Vaśiṣṭha the seventh. And Sukṣetra and Uttamaujas and valiant Bhūmisena, and Śatānīka, Vṛṣabha and Anamitra, Jayadratha, Bhūridyumna, and Suparvan—these shall be that Manu’s sons.

Hear about the period of Dharma’s son Sāvarṇa. The Vihaṅgamas, and the Kāmagas and the Nirmāṇaratis shall be the gods of three kinds; each shall be a group of thirty. How the Nirmāṇaratis shall be those who preside over the months, seasons and days; and the Vihaṅgamas shall be those who preside over the nights;^[3] the groups of Kāmagas shall be those who preside over the moments.^[4] Their Indra shall be named Vṛṣa, celebrated for valour. And Haviṣmat, and Variṣṭha, and another ṛṣi^[5] Arum, and Niścara and Anagha, and another great muni Viṣṭi, and Agnideva the seventh,—these shall be the seven ṛṣis in that period. Sarvatraga and Suśarman, Devānīka, Purūdvaha, Hemadhanvan, and Dṛḍhāyu shall be the sons of that Manu, yea the kings.

When the twelfth Manvantara of Rudra’s son, the Manu named Sāvarṇa, shall have arrived, who shall be the gods and munis,—hear about them. The Sudharmans, the Sumanases, the Haritas and the Rohitas and the Suvarṇas shall be the gods therein; these five shall be ten-fold groups. Now their Indra shall be known as Ṛtadhāman, great in power, endowed with all Indra’s good qualities. Hear from me the seven ṛṣis also—Dyuti, Tapasvin, Sutapas, Tapomūrti, Taponidhi, and Taporati another, and Tapodhṛti the seventh. Devavat, and Upadeva, Devaśreṣṭha, Vidūratha, Mitravat, and Mitravinda, shall be the sons of that Manu, yea the kings.

Listen while I tell thee of the Manu’s sons and of the seven ṛṣis and of the kings in the turn of the thirteenth Manu named Raucya. The gods therein shall be the Sudharmans, the Sukarmans, and the Suśarmans the others; all these verily shall be the gods, O best of munis. Their Indra shall be Divaspati, great in power, great in valour. Now hear while I tell thee of the seven ṛṣis who shall be then —Dhṛtimat, and Avyaya, Tattvadarśin, Nirutsuka, Nirmoha, and Sutapas another, and Niṣprakampa the seventh. Citrasena and Vicitra, Nayati, Nirbhaya, Dṛḍha, Sunetra, and Kṣatrabuddhi, and Suvrata shall be the sons of that Manu.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Indra.

[2]:

For prāṇināṃ read putrāṇāṃ as in the Bombay edition.

[3]:

Both the Calcutta and Bombay editions read rātrayo’tha, which is the plural of rātri; but this word should apparently be analogous to mauhūrtta in formation, and be an adjective derived from rātri. Perhaps the reading should be rātrakās tu instead.

[4]:

This seems to be the meaning intended by the word mauhūrttāḥ; but the only meaning given in the dictionary is “astrologer.”

[5]:

Both editions read ṛṣṭir, but it can hardly be right, for it would be a proper name, and the number would then exceed seven. It seems to be a mistake for ṛṣir.