Chapter 7 - An Account of Manvantaras

1. Janamejaya said:—O Vaishampayana, O you having asceticism for your wealth, do you describe at length all the Manvantaras and the creations previous to them.

2. O. Brahman, I wish to hear, in sooth, of all the Manus and the extent of their reigns.

3. Vaishampayana said:—O descendant of Kuru, I cannot give a detailed account of Manvantaras even in hundreds of years. Do you hear from me in brief.

4-7. O descendant of Kuru, Swayambhuva, Swarocisha, Auttami, Tamasa, Raivata, Cakshusha, the present Manu Vaivasvata, the four Manus Savarne, Bhautya, Raucya and Manu Savarna—these all are Manus. I have described, as I have heard, of Manus, present, past and future. I will now describe the Rishis, the sons of Manus, and the celestials who were born in the various Manvantaras.

8. Marichi, the reverend Atri, Angira, Puloha, Kratu, Pulastya and Vasishtha—these seven are the sons of Arahma.

9-11. O king, during Swayambhava Manvantara there were seven Rishis and the celestials by the name of Yamas in the north. Agnidhra, Agnivahu, Medha, Medhatithi, Vasu, Yotishman, Dyutiman, Havya, Savana and Putra: these were the ten highly powerful sons of Manu Swayambhuva. I have thus described to you, O king, the first Manvantara.

12-13. O child, during Swarocisha Manvantara narrated by Vayu, Aurva, the son of Vasistha, Stambha, the son of Kagyapa, Prana, Vrihaspati, Datta, Atri and Cyavana—these were the great Rishis of great vows and Tushitas were the gods.

14-15. Havirdhra, Sukriti, Jyoti, Apomurti, Ayaprathita, Nabhasya, Nabha and Urja—these were the sons of the high-souled Swarocisha Manu. They have been described, O king, as being gifted with high energy and prowess.

16. I have thus described to you the second Manvantara. Hear, O king, I shall describe the third.

17-18. The seven sons of Vasishtha, celebrated under the name of Vasishtha and the highly energetic sons of Hiranyagarbha by name Sutejas were the seven Rishis, as I have said. O monarch, Auttama had ten beautiful sons. Hear I shall describe them.

19. They were Isha, Urja, Tanurjja, Madhu, Madhava, Suchi, Sukra, Saha, Nabharya and Nabha.

20. It is said that the Bhanus were the celestials in that Manvantara. Hear, I shall describe the fourth Manvantara.

21. O descendant of Bharata, Kavya, Prithu, Agni, Jahnu, Dhata, Kapivan and Akapivan—these were the seven Rishis,

22. O descendant of Bharata, in Puranas their sons and grandsons have been mentioned. Satyas were the celestials in Tamasa Manvantara.

23-24. O king, I shall now enumerate the sons of Tamasa Manu-Dyuti, Tapasya, Sutapa, Tapomula, Tapogana, Taporati, Akalmasha, Tanvi, Dhanvi and Parantapa—these ten were the sons of the highly powerful Manu Tamasa. So Vayu has said.

25-27. During the fifth Manvantara Vedavahu, Yadudhra, Muni, Vedashira, Hiranyaroma, Parijanya, Somasuta, Urdhavahu, Atreya and Satyanetra were the seven Rishis. The celestials of that period passed under the name of Abhutarajas—having their nature not permeated by the quality of darkness. There were also two other classes of celestials by the name of Pariplava and Raivya.

28-29. Hear, I shall enumerate the names of their sons—Dhritiman, Avya, Yukta, Tatwadarshi, Nirutsuka, Arany, Prakasha, Nirmoha, Satyavak and Kadi were the sons of Manu Raivata-and this is the fifth Manvantara.

30-31. Hear, O king, I shall describe the sixth Manvantara. Bhrigu, Nabha, Vivasvan, Sudhama, Viraja, Atinama and Sahishnu these were the seven Rishis in the sixth Manvantara. Hear the names of the celestials who flourished in Cakshusha Manvantara.

32. O king, Adya, Prasuta, Rishabha Prithokbhava and Lekha—these have been recorded as the five classes of deities. The high-souled and the highly energetic sons of Angiras were the Rishis.

33. O monarch, those ten sons, Uru and others, passed under the name of Nadvaleyas. This is known as the sixth Manvantara.

34-35. Atri, the reverend Vasistha, the great saint Kashyapa, Gautama Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, the reverend Jamadagni, the son of the high-souled Richika-these seven Rishis are now living in heaven.

36-37. The Sadhyas, Vishvas, Rudras, Vasus, Maruts, Adityas, Vaivasvan, the two Ashvinis are now all living during the present Manvantara of Vaivasvat. He had ten high-souled sons headed by Ikshvaku.

38. O descendant of Bharata, the sons and grandsons of those great Rishis of great energy are living in all the quarters.

39. In all the Manvantaras, as in the previous Kalpa, exist the forty nine Maruts for protecting and governing the people.

40. After the expiration of a Manvantara twenty Maruts, having performed heavenly deeds, attain to the region of Brahma freed from all dangers.

41-42. Thereupon others, observing rigid austerities, succeed them. O descendant of Bharata, I have thus described to you the past and present Manvantaras as well as the seven Manus, O descendant of Kuru. Hear, I shall describe the Manvantara that is to come.

43-44. Hear from me an account of the five Savarni Manus; of them one is the son of the Sun and the four are the offspring of Prajapati Paramesthi. O king, they are the grandsons of Daksha and sons of Prya. Because those mighty and energetic ones carried on hard austerities on the mount Meru they were called Meru Savarni.

45. The son of the Patriarch Ruci was celebrated by the name of Raucya. The son whom Ruci begat on Bhuti came by the name of Bhautya.

46. Hear now of the seven Rishis of Savarni Manvantara, who have not come as yet and who are said to be living in the celestial region.

47-49. Rama, Vyasa, the effulgent and celebrated Atreya, the highly energetic Asvathama, the son of Drona, the son of Bharadvaja, Kripa, the son of Gautama’s son Saradvan, Galava, the son of Kushika and Ruru, the son of Kashyapa—these seven high souled ones are the future Munis. These seven Rishis are equal to Brahma and fortunate.

50. By asceticism practised from their very birth, by their knowledge of sacred formulae and grammar they will secure a position in the region of Brahma and will be celebrated as pure Brahmana saints.

51-55. Being repeatedly born in every Yuga beginning with the golden, the noble and truthful seven Rishis institute the various orders and lay down their duties. They are endued with the knowledge of the present, past and future, have themselves become, by means of their asceticism, well known, just and considerate. By the knowledge of formulae, and grammar and by their spiritual insight they see everything like an emblic myrobalam in their hands. They are known as seven Rishis by their sevenfold qualities. They are long-lived, far-sighted and have seen the God. They are the first born, well-versed in various duties and the founders of various families.

56. When virtue suffers any deterioration, the Rishis, the originators of Mantras (mystic formulae) and Brahmanas are repeatedly born in their families.

57. When all the Rishis are capable of conferring boons and are all respectively great there is no evidence of the time when they flourished and of their age.

58. O king, I have thus described to you the seven Rishis. O best of the Bharata race, hear now of the future sons of Manu Savarni.

59. Varian, Avarian, Sammala, Dhritiman, Vasu, Varishna, Arya, Dhrishnu, Raja and Sumati, these are the ten future sons of Manu Savarni, O descendant of Bharata.

60-62. Hear, I shall enumerate the names of the Munis of the reign of the first Manu Savarni. Medhatithi, the son of Palastya, Kavyapa’s son Vasu, Bhrigu’s son Yotismana, Angira’s son Dyutimana, Vasistha’s son Savana, Atri’s son Havyavahana and Paulaha—these seven Rishis flourished in Rohita Manvantara. O king, these were the three classes of deities.

63-66. They were the sons of the Patriarch Rohita,—the son of Dhksha, Manu’s son Dhrishthaketu, Pancahotra, Nirakriti, Prithu, Shrava, Bhuridyumna, Ricaka, Vrihata and Gaya, these were the sons of the highly energetic first Manu Savarni during the second Manvantara of the tenth order. Pulaha’s son Havishman, Bhrigu’s son Sukriti, Atri’s son Apomurti, Vasishtha’s son Ashvathama, Pulastya’s son Pramati, Kagyapa’s son Nabhaga and Angira’s son Nabhasa Satya—these were the seven great saints.

67-68. The two classes of the deities and the Rishis have (already) been enumerated. Manusuta, Uttamanja, Kunishanja, Viryavan, Satanika, Niramitra, Vrishasena, Jayadratha, Bhuridyumna and Suvarcha—these ten were Manu’s sons.

69-71. Hear, I shall enumerate the names of the seven Rishis who flourished during the eleventh period of the third Manvantara. Kashyapa’s son Havishman, Bhrigu’s son Havishman, Atri’s son Taruna, Vasishtha’s son Taruna, Angira’s son Urudhisna, Pulastya’s son Nischara, Pulaha’s son Agniteja,—these are the future seven great Rishis.

72-73. It is said that Brahma’s sons, the deities were divided into three classes. Sarvatraga, Susharma, Devanika, Purudvaha, Kshemadanva, the long-lived Adarsha, Parudaka and Manu—these were the nine sons of the third Manu Savarni. Hear from me the names of the seven Rishis of the fourth Manvantara.

74-76. They were Vasishtha’s son Dyuti, Atri’s son Sutapa, Pulastya’s son Taposhana, and Pulaha’s son Taporavi. Know Bhrigu’s son Tapovriti as their seventh. It is said, there were five classes of deities—the mind-born sons of Brahma.

77. Devavayu, Adura, Devasreshtha, Viduratha, Mitravan, Mitradeva, Mitrasena, Mitrakrit, Mitravaha, and Suvarcha—these are the sons of the twelfth Manu.

78-80. During the thirteenth Manvantara that is to come Angira’s son Dhritiman, Pulastya’s son Havyapa, Pulaha’s son Tatwadarshi, Bhrigu’s son Nirutsuka, Atri’s son Nishprakampa, Kacyapa’s son Nirmoha and Vasishtha’s son Sutapa will be the seven Rishis and three classes of deities as mentioned by the self-sprung (Brahma).

81-82. During the thirteenth Manvantara Manu’s sons were the sons of Ruci, Citrasen, Vicitra, Naya, Dharmacrit, Dhrita, Sunetra, Kshatra, Vriddhi, Sutapa, Nirbhaya, and Drida—these were the sons of Manu Rouchaya in the thirteenth Manvantara.

83-84. During the fourteenth Manvantara of Manu Bhautya, Kacyapa’s son Agnidhra, Pulasta’s son Bhargava, Bhrigu’s son Ativahu, Angira’s son Suchi, Atri’s son-Yukta, Vasistha’s son Asukra, and Pulaha’s son Ajita were the last seven Rishis.

86. Chanting the glory of their period a man attains happiness, great renown and long life (85.) He, who recites always the names of the great Rishis, past and present, becomes long-lived and gains renown. O foremost of the Bharatas, five classes of deities, it is said, flourished then.

87-88. Tarangabhira, Bushma, Tarashman, Ugra, Abhimani, Pravira, Jishuu, Sangkrandana, Tejashi, and Savala are the sons of Manu Bhautya. With the completion of Bhautya Manvantara one Kalpa will be complete

89-90. I have thus enumerated the names of the past and future Manus. O king, these Manus with with their children, rule over the earth extending to the ocean for thousands of Yugas and govern the subjects with asceticism. And they also in time perish away as usual.